Lesson #37

THE PARABLES OF JESUS CHRIST
LESSON #37
THE PARABLE OF THE GRAIN OF MUSTARD SEED (MAT 17:19-21)

• MEMORY VERSE: HEB 11:6
• THIS PARABLE REPRESENTS THE BASIC NATURE OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE. THEREFORE, IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE UNDERSTAND IT AND GET THE INTERPRETATION RIGHT. IF WE DO NOT GET THIS ONE RIGHT, WE GO ASTRAY IN OUR CHRISTIAN WALK.
• READ MAT 17:14-21 FOR THE CONTEXT OF THE PARABLE.
• WHAT DID JESUS MEAN BY FAITH AS A GRAIN OF MUSTARD SEED?
• BEFORE WE CAN ANSWER THAT QUESTION, WE MUST FIRST CONSIDER THE MUSTARD SEED.
• YOU WILL RECALL THAT WE DISCUSSED THE MUSTARD SEED PREVIOUSLY IN OUR STUDY OF THE PARABLES. IN MAT 13 (LESSON #28)

• BOTANISTS SUGGEST THAT THE SPECIES SPOKEN OF IN THIS PARABLE IS THE khardah, ARABIC FOR MUSTARD.
• THIS MUSTARD IS AN HERB THAT GROWS INTO A BUSH.
• BECAUSE OF THE TINY SIZE OF THE SEED, IT CAME TO SYMBOLIZE SMALL BEGINNINGS, AND WAS THE SMALLEST WEIGHT OF MEASURE.
• THE MUSTARD IS FIERY HOT WHEN BRUISED.
• THE MUSTARD IS ATTRACTIVE TO BIRDS FOR FOOD AND SHELTER.
• THE MUSTARD ONLY LIVES LONG ENOUGH TO DEVELOP FLOWERS AND SEEDS.

• THE USE OF THE MUSTARD SEED TO INDICATE SOMETHING SMALL WAS VERY COMMON METAPHOR. EVERYONE WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE APPEARANCE OF A MUSTARD SEED SIMPLY BECAUSE IT WAS USED AS A MEANS OF MEASURING THE WEIGHT OF ANYTHING THAT WAS VERY SMALL AND LIGHT IN WEIGHT.

• JESUS USED A SEED IN THIS PARABLE BECAUSE THE SEED CONTAINS LIFE AND REPRESENTS THE POTENTIAL FOR GROWTH.
• JESUS EQUATED FAITH WITH A MUSTARD SEED.
• FAITH IS THE CORE INGREDIENT IN THE CHRISTIAN LIFE THAT HAS THE POTENTIAL FOR ETERNAL LIFE. WITHOUT FAITH, NO MAN IS SAVED TO ETERNAL LIFE.
• READ GAL 2:16
• WHY DID JESUS EQUATE FAITH WITH A MUSTARD SEED?
• THE BELIEVER’S FAITH STARTS VERY SMALL LIKE THE SMALLEST SEED, AND THEN HAS THE POTENTIAL TO GROW JUST LIKE A SEED.
• READ ROM 12:3,6
• READ 2THE 3:2
• IT IS GOD THAT GIVES EACH BELIEVER THE GIFT OF FAITH (THAT TINY SEED). GOD GIVES THE PERSON THIS SEED OF FAITH TO BELIEVE IN JESUS CHRIST. IT IS THE PERSON WHO HAS THE CHOICE OF BELIEVING OR NOT.
• READ ROM 10:17
• THE ONLY WAY A PERSON CAN MAKE HIS FAITH GROW IS TO HEAR THE WORD OF GOD. THE MORE WE HEAR AND STUDY THE WORD OF GOD, THE MORE FAITH WE WILL HAVE FOR OUR USE IN OUR CHRISTIAN WALK.
• HOWEVER, MANY CHRISTIANS DO NOT PERMIT THEIR FAITH TO GROW. INSTEAD THEY PERMIT THE SEED OF FAITH THAT GOD GAVE THEM TO BECOME DRY AND WITHERED. THEN WHEN PROBLEMS COME IN LIFE, THEY HAVE NO FAITH TO FIGHT THE BATTLE.
• REMEMBER THAT THE MUSTARD PLANT ONLY LIVES LONG ENOUGH TO DEVELOP SEEDS AND FLOWERS, THEN IT DIES. IF YOU DON’T KEEP ON HEARING THE WORD OF GOD TO CAUSE YOUR FAITH TO FLOWER AND PRODUCE MORE AND MORE SEEDS OF FAITH, THE PLANT WILL WITHER. IT IS A NEVER ENDING PROCESS.

• DISCUSSION: IS THERE A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN QUALITY OF FAITH AND QUANTITY OF FAITH?
• NOTICE THAT JESUS REBUKED THE DISCIPLES IN MAT 17 FOR UNBELIEF. IF THEY DID NOT HAVE SOME SMALL MEASURE OF FAITH, THEY WOULD NOT HAVE ATTEMPTED TO HEAL THE BOY.
• THEREFORE, JESUS’ REBUKE WAS FOR THEIR QUALITY OF FAITH, NOT THE QUANTITY.
• WE HAVE DISCUSSED HOW WE GROW OUR FAITH IN QUANTITY, BUT HOW DO WE DEEPEN THE QUALITY OF OUR FAITH?
• DEEP FAITH MUST HAVE THE PROPER FOCUS:
• FAITH MUST BE FOCUSED ON CHRIST, HIS WILL, AND HIS GLORY, AND NOT ON THE PROBLEM, NOT ON THE ANSWER TO THE PROBLEM, NOT ON OUR DESIRES, AND NOT ON MAN’S GLORY.
• READ 1COR 2:5
• THE QUALITY OF FAITH IS DEEPENED IN TWO WAYS:
• =1= BY EXPERIENCE:
• THE MORE YOU USE YOUR FAITH, THE MORE YOU LEARN ABOUT HOW FAITH WORKS AND HOW GOD HONORS IT.
• THE MORE YOU USE YOUR FAITH, THE MORE YOU LEARN ABOUT YOUR PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD.
• READ ROM 1:17
• THE BELIEVER IS TO WALK DAILY BY FAITH.
• FROM FAITH EXPERIENCE TO FAITH EXPERIENCE WE LEARN ABOUT GOD AND HOW GOD WORKS IN OUR LIVES PERSONALLY.
• =2= BY READING THE WORD OF GOD:
• THE MORE YOU LEARN ABOUT WHO GOD IS, WHAT IS HIS WILL, AND HOW HE WORKS IN THE LIVES OF PEOPLE, THE MORE YOU DEEPEN YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM.
• THE MORE YOU DEEPEN YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD, THE DEEPER YOUR FAITH WILL GO.
• THE KEY TO DEEPER FAITH:
• DILIGENTLY SEEK GOD. DEEP FAITH IS BASED ON THE DIVINE NATURE AND CHARACTER OF GOD (HEB 12:2 1PET 1:21)
• WHAT IS THE CENTRAL TRUTH OF THE PARABLE OF GRAIN OF MUSTARD SEED?
• IF WE HAVE THE RIGHT QUALITY OF FAITH, EVEN A SMALL AMOUNT IS SUFFICIENT TO SURMOUNT EVEN THE MOST DIFFICULT OF PROBLEMS.
• FAITH IS THE MOST SIMPLE OF THINGS AND YET THE MOST COMPLICATED TO UNDERSTAND. IT IS THE MOST MIS-UNDERSTOOD, THE MOST VIOLATED, AND THE MOST UNBALANCED OF CHRISTIAN DOCTRINES.
• FOR EXAMPLE, THERE IS THE “NAME IT, CLAIM IT” GROUP WHO THINK THAT GOD IS NOTHING MORE THAN A BENEVOLENT SANTA CLAUS WHO WILL GIVE YOU WHATEVER YOU WANT. ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS “NAME IT AND CLAIM IT”!
• IF THAT IS FAITH, THEN IT DOES NOT EXPLAIN THOSE OLD TESTAMENT SAINTS WHO DID NOT GET WHAT THEY WANTED, WHAT THEY PRAYED FOR, AND YET GOD COMMENDS THEM FOR THEIR FAITH.
• IN HEB 11:10, IT SAYS THAT ABRAHAM LOOKED BY FAITH FOR A CITY MADE BY GOD. HOWEVER, ABRAHAM NEVER SAW THAT HOLY CITY IN HIS LIFETIME.
• READ HEB 11:35-39
• THIS IS A LIST OF THOSE WHO HAD FAITH AND DID NOT OBTAIN THE PROMISE.
• THESE VERSES PROVE TO US THAT THE TRUE NATURE OF FAITH IS IN GOD AND NOT FAITH IN THE OBJECT DESIRED.
• THE REQUIREMENTS OF FAITH:
• FAITH REQUIRES STABILITY
• READ JAM 1:5-8
• FAITH REQUIRES WORKS AS EVIDENCE
• READ JAM 2:17-20
• IF YOU ARE SO CONVINCED THAT SOMETHING IS TRUE THAT YOU PUT YOUR FAITH IN IT, THEN YOUR ACTIONS WILL AUTOMATICALLY CORRESPOND TO WHAT YOU ARE CONVINCED OF DEEP IN YOUR HEART.
• WHAT FAITH IS NOT:
• FAITH IS NOT MENTAL ASSERTION (AFFIRMATION). (JAM 2:17-20)
• MENTAL ASSERTION (AFFIRMATION) IS BASED IN THE MENTAL PROCESSES, WHICH IS IN THE SOUL OF MAN.
• FAITH IS NOT THE PROCESS OF SAYING THAT SOMETHING IS TRUE WHEN IN REALITY IT IS NOT TRUE. TO SAY IT OFTEN ENOUGH WILL NOT MAKE IT BECOME TRUE. THIS IS SIMPLE ORAL CONFESSION.
• ORAL CONFESSION IS IMPORTANT ONLY IF IT IS BASED ON THE REALITY OF GOD.
• THIS FALSE ORAL AFFIRMATION IS PRACTICED BY THE CULTS SUCH AS CHRISTIAN SCIENCE, THE SCIENCE OF MIND GROUPS, ETC.
• FAITH IS NOT BLIND DETERMINATION.
• BLIND DETERMINATION IS ACTING LIKE SOMETHING IS TRUE WHEN IT IS NOT AND IGNORING THE REALITY.
• THIS IS THE PROCESS OF WORKS AND NOT FAITH.
• WHAT FAITH IS:
• FAITH IS BASED IN THE SPIRIT OF MAN WHERE THE HOLY SPIRIT INDWELLS THE BELIEVER.
• FAITH IS BEING SO PERSUADED THAT GOD’S WILL IS TRUE AND WILL COME TO PASS BECAUSE HE IS FAITHFUL, BECAUSE HE LOVES ME, AND BECAUSE HE IS IN CONTROL, THAT MY LIFE’S ACTIONS CAN’T HELP BUT REFLECT WHAT I KNOW TO BE TRUE IN MY SPIRIT.

HOMEWORK
THE PARABLE OF THE MILLSTONE AND THE LOST SHEEP (MAT 18:1-14) AND
THE PARABLE OF FORGIVENESS AND UNMERCIFUL SERVANT (MAT 18:21-35)
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FORCORRECTION.

• APPLICATION OF THE PARABLE OF THE GRAIN OF MUSTARD SEED (MAT 17:19-21)
• REVIEW YOUR NOTES ON FAITH. PRAY THAT GOD WILL SEAL A NEW UNDERSTANDING OF BIBLICAL FAITH IN YOUR SPIRIT.
• WRITE DOWN A STATEMENT OF YOUR FAITH (THAT WHICH YOU ARE THOROUGHLY CONVINCED IN THE SPIRIT TO BE COMPLETELY TRUE.)

• DETERMINE TO CAUSE YOUR FAITH TO GROW IN QUANTITY AND QUALITY AND WRITE THE STEPS THAT YOU WILL TAKE TO ACCOMPLISH IT.

• PREPARATION FOR THE PARABLE OF THE MILLSTONE AND THE LOST SHEEP (MAT 18:1-14) AND THE PARABLE OF FORGIVENESS AND THE UNMERCIFUL SERVANT (MAT 18:21-35)
• THE PARABLE OF THE MILLSTONE AND THE LOST SHEEP
• READ MAT 18:1-14
• TO WHOM DID JESUS SPEAK THE PARABLE?

• WHAT DOES JESUS MEAN BY, “HANGING A MILLSTONE AROUND ONE’S NECK”? (6)

• WHAT DOES JESUS MEAN BY, “CUTTING OFF A HAND, A FOOT, OR AN EYE THAT OFFENDS”? (8-9)

• WHAT DO THE 99 SHEEP REPRESENT? (13)

• WHAT DOES THE 1 LOST SHEEP REPRESENT? (13)

• WHAT IS THE CENTRAL TRUTH OF THE PARABLE?

• THE PARABLE OF FORGIVENESS AND UNMERCIFUL SERVANT
• READ MAT 18:21-35
• WHO DOES THE KING REPRESENT?

• WHO DO THE SERVANTS REPRESENT?

• WHAT DOES THE DEBT OF THE SERVANTS REPRESENT?

• WHY WAS THE ONE SERVANT CALLED, “WICKED SERVANT”? (32)

• WHAT DO THE “INQUISITORS (TORMENTORS)” REPRESENT? (34)

• WHAT IS THE CENTRAL TRUTH OF THE PARABLE?

• MEMORY VERSE: EPHESIANS 4:32