Mustard seed

A very small seed which grew rapidly into a substantial plant. It was used in parables by Jesus Christ to encourage the faith of the individual and to illustrate the growth of the kingdom of God.

The mustard seed and the faith of the individual

Luke 17:5–6 See also Matthew 17:14–20

The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” And the Lord answered, “If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.

The mustard seed and the kingdom of God

Matthew 13:31–32 parallels Mark 4:30–32, Luke 13:18–19

He put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a man took and planted in his field. Although it is the smallest of all seeds, yet it grows into the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.”