How much faith do we need to be saved?

“How much faith is enough faith?” a friend of mine asked. She then said, “How do we measure faith?”  I responded, “Jesus tackled this question with an image. If we have faith the size of a mustard seed we can move mountains.”  Jesus knew that the mustard seed is the tiniest of seeds.

Jesus is telling us that even faith as small as a mustard seed is enough to be saved.  Our loving God accepts that incredible size to forgive our sins seventy times seven and even many times more if we need it.  

God responds to faith no matter how little, because God has abundant mercy for believers. God always prefers mercy to punishment.  When we waiver and need healing, God rushes in to help, because God sees us as His children. And with God’s healing mercy, God restores our dignity.  This renewal frees us to use our gifts to build His kingdom.  God never forgets that He is our God and we are His people.

In gratitude, God desires that as the tiny mustard seed blossoms into a tree big enough to give hospitality to the birds of the air, He wants our renewed faith to open our heart and arms to embrace all those around us.  It is simply our way of sharing His goodness which we received as pure gift.

In the generous way we receive this goodness, we openly share it as nourishment, shade, rest, and comfort with others.  Jesus says in Luke’s gospel “What is the kingdom of God like? And to what should I compare it? It is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in the garden. It grew to become a tree and the birds of the air made nests in its branches.”

This description is what Jesus wants faith to do for everyone.  As our faith blossoms from even a tiny seed, we learn to love God, love others, and ourselves.  We begin to flourish under the Lord’s watchful care and nourishing grace.

Sometimes we grow slowly and at other times more quickly, but always reaching out to the others who journey with us.  God wants our branches filled with all God’s children.  Faith ought to blind us to size, shape, or color and to see others as God does – children who need love and mercy.

God’s kingdom flourishes when we open-mindedly fill our branches.  It is then that the wonder of God’s miraculous power happens.  Remember, it all starts with the tiniest seed of faith and yet becomes the immeasurable size called eternity.