麻豆约拍

Good morning.

This week, I鈥檝e been focussing on the parables of Jesus as little prompts to prayer and as ways of seeing the world with fresh eyes. It seems to me that these deceptively simple stories are actually sophisticated teaching tools that act as a mirror to our souls. They can also be simple words of encouragement that we can carry around with us through the day.

Today鈥檚 very short parable is a great example of all these things. It comes after Jesus heals a boy with epilepsy and the disciples ask why they couldn鈥檛 do the same thing. He said; 鈥楾ruly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 鈥淢ove from here to there鈥�, and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.鈥�

We often feel overwhelmed by the mountains that stand in our way 鈥� they seem too big to move. I wonder if Jesus is inviting us to think about how the mountain might be moved by changing our perspective on it. One way to move the mountain is to look for another route round it or past it. Or it can be moved by walking over it, step by step, with just that tiny grain of faith needed to keep putting one foot in front of another.

We often feel that our faith is weak or small, or even non-existent. At those times, I find Jesus鈥檚 words to be of great comfort. A mustard seed is a tiny thing 鈥� almost invisible 鈥� but something good can grow from it.

Give us, O God, the faith to see a way through whatever troubles us, the faith not to be intimidated by obstacles that seem too big for us. Nourish that tiny seed in us, and bring it to fruition. Amen.