how does one with the faith the size of a mustard seed move a mountain?

Question

or walk on water, fly, part the seas...etc.

Answer 1

--YOU ARE TRYING to compare an illustration that Jesus gave concerning the growing of ones faith in strength & stature----WHERE AS:

--The Red Sea incident , & the walking on water were real life scenarios!

*** it-2 p. 454 Mustard ***
[Gr., si´na·pi].
A rapid-growing herb, to the seed or grain of which Jesus referred in an illustration about the Kingdom of the heavens (Mt 13:31, 32; Mr 4:30-32; Lu 13:18, 19; see ILLUSTRATIONS) and in pointing out that even a little faith can accomplish much. (Mt 17:20; Lu 17:6) Several kinds of mustard plants are found growing wild in Palestine, black mustard (Brassica nigra) being the variety commonly cultivated. In rich soil the seed, after a few months, may become treelike, a plant measuring as much as 4.5 m (15 ft) in height, with a central stalk having the thickness of a man’s arm. The flowers of mustard plants are yellow and the leaves rather irregularly edged and dark green in color. The pods that develop contain a row of seeds, those of the black mustard being dark brown. In the fall the stems and branches of the plants harden and become rigid, strong enough to support birds such as linnets and finches that feed on the seeds.

While some may argue that a mustard grain is not “the tiniest” of all seeds, orchid seeds being smaller, and that it does not actually become “a tree,” it must be borne in mind that Jesus was speaking in terms familiar to his audience. As far as Jesus’ listeners were concerned, the mustard grain was indeed among the tiniest seeds planted, and it is noteworthy that the Arabs designate as “trees” plants smaller than the mustard.—Mt 13:31, 32.

Answer 2

I think that there was a failure of translation, this passage would be easier to comprehend if it said 'understanding' instead of 'faith'.

The mustard seed doesn't question what it inherently 'knows', it will grow into a mustard plant, it cannot understand that there could be any other possible outcome. That is it's 'understanding'.

It further 'understands' that there is no 'mountain', per se, like the 'potential' in the Matrix, saying to Neo that we need to understand that there is no 'spoon'. All there is is energy, and different organisations of it. There is no 'place', and there is no 'time'. Just potential.

Thus there is an infinite source of energy, available without limitation of either 'time' or 'space', and thus whatever you wish to perceive, can be wherever you wish it to be, if you have the understanding ( faith ) as to how material is manifested.

The mountain in question doesn't actually 'move', it is the perception of it that you move by the manner of your observation.

The above will sound like total cr*p if you can't get past the basic details of what we are conditioned to believe is the nature of our 'reality'. A bit like the Emperor's New Clothes of Hans Christian Andersen fame.

The biggest part of the illusion, and the most difficult to understand, is the appearance of 'solidity'. Everything seems so 'solid', yet we know from basic science that everything is mostly made of nothing, empty 'space'.

Answer 3

The Parable of the Mustard Seed was taught in rhetorical hyperbole. Here Jesus uses a shrub/tree coming from a seed (John 12:24) to represent kingdom growth, consistent with other tree/kingdom references (Ezekiel 17:23 and Daniel 4:11-21). With the seed’s growth, it attracts the presence of evil - depicted as birds (Matthew 13:4,19; Revelation 18:2) to dilute the church while taking advantage of its benefits.

So the picture painted in the Parable of the Mustard Seed by Jesus is of the humble beginnings of the church experiencing an explosive rate of growth. It grows large and becomes a source of food, rest, and shelter, for both believers and false professing individuals that seek to consume or take advantage of its benefits while residing or mixing among what was produced by the seed (1 Corinthians 5:1, 6:7, 2 Corinthians 11:13, Galatians 1:7). In other words, Jesus predicts that while the church will grow extremely large from just a small start, it will not remain pure. While this is not a condemnation of the "bigness" of modern Christianity, it does show us the greatest burden that comes with it. The Parable of the Mustard Seed is both a prediction and a warning. May we listen to its message.

Answer 4

In the quantum world a mustard seed has no size. Time and space are only modes of thinking in the physical world. Your soul is the size of a mustard seed. Kingdom of heaven the size of a mustard seed. Gettin my drift? Your soul is the Christ that makes the miracles happen but the human limited mind must conquer itself for this to happen. Not an easy task to do while your busy surviving your entire life.

Jesus was trying to teach quantum physics to fisherman and farmers. Which is why he had to try and use metaphors and parables to describe everything. No wonder the translation got messed up.

Answer 5

Are you asking this about yourself? Or the original `doers` of the above deeds ? If you are referring to the latter, then You must know that their faith was such that they were given the strenght and power to do these wonders by the almighty himself. As I have difficulty in accepting that there is an Almighty, and if these men did do these acts, then I must accept, that they had faith in something and what ever it was it worked for them.Are you saying that you personally have little faith?( in anything) If you did have this illusive faith, why on earth would you want to do any of the mentioned deeds?They are only symbolic. I doubt that you will ever need to move a mountain or walk on water, symbolic or otherwise. It is a case of different horses for different courses.

Answer 6

the mountain isn't a literal moutain. it is all obstacles can be overcome with faith in jesus.

parting the seas.........a mistranslation has the red sea,it was actually the sea of reeds. a marshy land,those with moses crossed over while the enemy in their chariots etc...got bogged down. not all in the old testament is to be interpreted literally,the important thing in readin the bible is finding the religious truths. to help you need an understanding of the culture back then,the authors,the authors writing style and the key message the author was trying to portray relating above all a spiritual truth about god.

Answer 7

The need at the time is the solution to the amount of Faith needed. The big show of faith you are referring to would only be to show faith, We need to live by Faith which guides us daily. Some people would believe if they saw the big act of faith. Would you do it because you have Faith or you fear the works of the righteous

Answer 8

Because our brains are so small that a mustard seed is actually a good portion of that...so, it's pretty amazing, huh.

:-)

I think it just means that with faith, no matter how big or small, we can do wondrous things....and, I believe the mustard seed is somthing very fertile and grows fast....so, with a small amount of faith, it can spread very quickly.

Peace, Love, and Blessings
Greenwood

Answer 9

Faith doesn't prove anything. You'd be better off moving the mountain with a spoon than in believing in things that don't exist.

Answer 10

If you've never seen a mountain move you just wouldn't get it.


There are many different kinds of "mountains".