Jesus was a master storyteller. It’s a big part of why he was so popular with the people of his day—why he was such a public phenomenon. He taught in a way that made truth easy to understand. And his stories have a lasting quality to where almost 2000 years later we can benefit from taking time to look at them.
His stories, however, vary greatly in length and detail. Just as some pictures can occupy the entire side of a concrete block building and others can be hung on the wall in your powder room or placed on an easel on your nightstand. By the same token, some of the stories Jesus told are more elaborate and involved and others are more quick-hitting and to the point. Perhaps the shortest story is the one found in Mark 4, beginning at v. 30—in fact, some scholars would say it really doesn’t qualify as a story but is more of an analogy or illustration.
“What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it? It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth. Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds can perch in its shade.” (Mark 4:30-32)
The mustard seed was the smallest of the seeds people planted in the gardens of their day—about the size of a sesame seed but rounder. But the resulting plant, in a few months, could grow to be as much as ten feet tall—certainly big enough to for birds to perch in. The point of this story—because it’s so short and sweet—is very apparent … something quite miniscule can in time become something surprisingly large. The emphasis here is on the contrasting sizes. Something that starts out as insignificant can, when mature and full grown, become something truly amazing to behold.
Jesus says, “That’s how the Kingdom of God works! That’s how faith works! Something that is inconsequential in the beginning can grow to become something quite considerable and impressive.” When we by faith embrace God’s Kingdom and join Jesus in what He’s doing, that which is insignificant can blossom and grow into something of great significance.
But we need to very careful to understand precisely what He’s saying, for He’s not talking about the power of faith. He is talking about the power that comes from where our faith is placed. The astonishing outcome is not the result of our faith; it’s the result of where that faith is directed. The farmer can sow the seed, but He can’t make anything grow—that’s something the seed does on its own. There is something within it that causes growth to happen. All the farmer can do is place it in the ground in the belief that what’s in there will do what it does—that some sprouts will crop up and a plant will eventually form. But until he, in an act of faith, digs a hole, places the seed in the ground and covers it over with dirt—nothing happens.
Faith, while crucial and essential, is not magical. The results that come from faith are not because of something etched into the very essence of faith. The results are tied to that which is the object of that faith. You can have all the faith in the world you’re going to have a wonderful vacation at Disney World and that the plane you’ve boarded is going to get you to Orlando safely. But if you made a mistake and end up a plane to Minneapolis, your faith really doesn’t count for much … and I hope you brought some fishing gear so you can spend time at one of the state’s 10000 lakes. Faith in and of itself is neutral. It’s all about where that faith is directed, just as the capacity and possibility for growth is not something that the farmer brings to the table but is something that is lodged and embedded deep within the seed.
I’m convinced this story is not so much about the possibilities and power of faith as it is about the possibilities and power of faith when it’s routed in the right direction. Faith isn’t a magic bullet—some universal remedy that enables us to experience an exceptionally strong return on our investment. It’s not some wonder drug that brings about a disproportional abundance of agreeable and satisfying outcomes. Faith in Jesus—placing our trust in Him—is the key. The power of faith is not in its expression but in its direction. Faith’s potential comes not from the fact that you express it but, rather, where or in whom you place it. And all of us place our faith in something or someone; it’s part of what it means to be human. We can’t not express faith.
So—what is it about Jesus that gives faith this amazing potential? What is it about the Kingdom he established that unlocks this unbelievable array of possibilities? I believe the answer lies in considering the massive impact Jesus of Nazareth has had on humankind and society over the last 2000 years. His effect and influence is much more wide-ranging and far-reaching than many of us have ever paused to consider.
When Jesus died, it appeared that whatever small mark he left on the world would quickly disappear. In that moment his few followers unfollowed, as the sight of Him hanging helplessly on the cross convinced them they were wrong—He wasn’t who they’d thought He was. When someone dies, the world moves on and their impact begins to fade. With Jesus’ death, the tiny movement He’d launched appeared to be at its end. If there were a “Most Likely to Posthumously Succeed” award given to a number of history’s most influential people on the day of their death, Jesus would have come in dead last.
But for some reason, He inverted the normal trajectory. His impact was greater 100 years after his death than it was during his lifetime. It was greater still 500 years later … and 1000 years later … and today, after almost 2000 years, He has more followers in more places than ever. The movement that was presumed dead the day after He died has adherents in every corner of the globe and is in fact flourishing in a number of parts of the world where the government has attempted to outlaw it or stamp it out.
But … more than that. You can hardly look at a map without being reminded of Jesus. A great many geographical locations in our country—particularly in California and including some of the major population centers—are named after people who were followers of Jesus … or after concepts associated with Jesus … or after reference points found in the book that bears witness to Him—names like San Francisco, San Diego, Los Angeles, Sacramento (which comes from the word ‘sacrament’). Across the country we see places like Bethlehem, PA, Goshen, IN, Lebanon, TN, and Zion National Park. Also … our calendar. Whenever you enter in the current date or your birth date, or whenever you look at your smartphone or a wall calendar and see what year it is, the number everyone uses is connected to Jesus’ entrance into the world—B.C. (Before Christ) and A.D. (Anno Domini, which is Latin for “in the year of our Lord”). Somehow, this child who was born under the cloud of illegitimacy in a remote and obscure part of the world to peasant parents has become so eminent and renowned that He’s the dividing line in terms of how we timestamp history.
Think, also, of His tremendous impact on culture. In parts of the world where Jesus has been embraced, people are viewed quite differently. Children—who were often thrown away and discarded in the ancient world if they had a birth defect or if they weren’t of the preferred sex—are viewed with dignity and perceived as objects of immeasurable worth. Their lives are to be valued and protected and those who harm, injure, or exploit them should be held accountable and punished. Women who were often treated with disdain and regarded as second-class citizens in the ancient world—who were viewed more as ‘objects’ than ‘people’ and routinely denied opportunities—are regarded as equals and should be afforded the same esteem and respect that men receive. The community Jesus formed was so congenial to women that they joined it in droves … and the church incurred the condemnation of the surrounding society for precisely that reason. I find it so ironic that the basic ideals the feminist movement is fighting for—equality, dignity, and honor … while they might be a bit overwrought and exaggerated in how they approach the topic—are principles Jesus championed and brought to the world. The idea that all human life has value and we’re all created equal—that those that are aged, infirm, and poor are no less important than those that are healthy, wealthy, and of noble birth—is something that traces back to the One who spent his life amongst the ordinary and the unimpressive … who paid great attention to the lepers and cripples … the blind and beggars. Slavery and human trafficking is no longer is tolerated—it is viewed as a blight and scourge—in large part because of the impact and influence of Jesus. Cultures that have been touched by the person of Jesus have a very different view of the value of humankind than cultures that have not.
Think as well of His influence on many things that are part of our world that we take for granted. His call for us to love God with all our mind led to a community with such a reverence for learning that it gave rise to the formation of libraries and, eventually, institutions of learning. Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard, and Yale were all started by people of faith. The idea of universal literacy, which gave rise to the public school systems of our day, stemmed from an understanding amongst Jesus’ followers that everyone deserved the opportunity to expand their mind and grow and learn. Again—it’s so ironic that the public school system which, in many places, is trying to remove Jesus from inside its walls owes its very existence to the values He championed and brought to our world.
In addition, Jesus’ belief in a rational/orderly God who conducted Himself in consistent ways and put an orderly universe in place gave rise to the fields of science and mathematics. As people investigated and explored the universe, they realized they could replicate events—they could do things the same way over and over again and get consistent and predictable results. This, in turn, led to the formation of health care initiatives and hospitals—guilds and associations committed to improving the quality of people’s lives by using science and its findings to find solutions to things that were jeopardizing their health and compromising their quality of life. While Jesus bears no responsibility for the bureaucracy connected to the health care industry today, his followers were catalysts in pioneering this whole enterprise … a vestige that lingers on in names like “Catholic Health Initiative” or “Houston Methodist” or “Baptist Hospital” or “Mercy Ships”.
In addition—Jesus never held an office or led an army, for He indicated that His kingdom was “not of this world.” He was not a political figure and resisted every attempt by people to become one. And yet the movement he started would eventually mean the end of dictatorial emperor worship and begin a tradition of common law and limited government that ultimately undermined the power of the state. It’s because of ideas Jesus espoused that we’re familiar with words like, “We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal and endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights”.
The list could go on and on. Humility, which was derided in the ancient world but highlighted in Jesus’ teaching and demonstrated in the cross, came to be seen not as a vice but as a virtue. Enemies who were thought to be worthy of vengeance came to be seen as worthy of love. Forgiveness moved from being an act of weakness to being an act of moral beauty. So much of what is regarded as great classical music stems from individuals who were followers of Jesus—i.e. Bach. So much art, like that of Michelangelo, depicts scenes from His life or that of the Scriptures and was painted on the ceilings of buildings dedicated to His purposes or incorporated into their windows. Even our burial customs trace back to his influence, for the word “cemetery” comes from a Greek word meaning ‘sleeping place’ and expresses the hope of the resurrection. The vast influence of Jesus on our world is just impossible to measure.
But here’s the point Jesus was trying to make with this story. His influence on our world is unbelievable. His impact is pervasive and permeates virtually every sector of society. The ripple effects that flow from his life are staggering. And when we embrace His Kingdom and place our faith in Him—this One whose stamp on the course of human affairs is so enormous it can’t possibly be measured—we also become the recipient of possibilities that exceed our wildest imagination. Faith no larger than a mustard seed … faith that is in many ways blemished, imperfect, and small … when it's placed in this One who’s had an immeasurable impact on civilization, society, and all of history can effectuate results and outcomes far beyond our ability to imagine or entertain the thought of. But remember—it’s not because there’s something magical about faith. The power of faith stems from where it is placed. And, as I said earlier, it is impossible to live without faith. All of us are going to place our faith in someone or something.