I recently listened to a podcast that talked about Matthew 17:20 and having faith as a mustard seed. I have always heard it taught that if you have faith the size of a mustard seed you can tell a mountain to move and it will move. Some Bible translations say the “the size of a mustard seed” and others say “like a mustard seed”. This is what the podcast said:
“If the disciples already had some faith, then why did Jesus say that’s still not enough faith? This is why this verse confused me until I found out what the mustard seed truly is. In the first century, the mustard plant was invasive. Once it took root in the garden, it spread fast. It crowded out and destroyed other plants. It dominated the soil until it owned the whole field. It was feared by farmers because it couldn’t be controlled. It became massive and it was impossible to get rid of. So when Jesus spoke and said, have faith as a mustard seed, his listeners at the time did not hear tiny. They thought uncontainable, invasive, dominating and unstoppable. This is the kind of faith Jesus was pointing to. Not just fragile or small, once planted, it spreads into every part of your life. It is unshakable and unwavering.”
From WHOA That’s Good Podcast
(Sep 29, 2025)
I had never heard this verse interpreted like this before so I was wondering what your thoughts were. Thanks!
Unfortunately, none of the Bible dictionaries and other resources that I reviewed in my Logos Bible Software mentioned anything about the mustard seed becoming a plant that “dominated the soil until it owned the whole field” and the rest of the comments.
My resources do say things such as, “The tiny seed would grow into a remarkable size plant (anywhere from 4-15 feet tall)” and other such statements to show the drastic change from small to large, which is what Jesus is conveying in his statement.
Without knowing what resource the podcasters were getting their information from, there’s not much more that I can say for or against their point. Either way, their point that “This is the kind of faith Jesus was pointing to. Not just fragile or small, once planted, it spreads into every part of your life. It is unshakable and unwavering” is biblical, even if their facts about the mustard plant are inaccurate.