Living Room Study

Luke 17

“The apostles said to the Lord, ‘Increase our faith.’  ‘If you have faith the size of a mustard seed,’ the Lord said, ‘you can say to this fig tree, “Be uprooted and planted in the sea.” and it will obey you.’”  Luke 17:5-6

Depending on your bible translation, the tree thrown into the sea( in today’s passage) is either: a mulberry, sycamore, or fig tree. It may be confusing to some, as to why the translators would choose different trees. Actually, sycamore & mulberry trees are types of fig trees. The scholars obviously didn’t take into consideration that most of us in the 21^st century wouldn’t know much about trees!

All that being said, Jesus is once again using the mustard seed as a comparison to His Kingdom. The mustard seed is in contrast to the fig tree, which represents what Temple worship had become.

In Matthew 24, Jesus predicted the destruction of the Temple. He eluded to its destruction again, when He taught on the parable of the fig tree in Luke 13…and other places in the gospels. Jesus’ cursing of the fig tree in Mark 11, is a direct fulfillment of prophecy.

“Woe is me!  For I am like the fruit pickers, like the grape gatherers.  There is not a cluster of grapes to eat, or and early fig, which I crave.  Micah 7:1

In the Bible, whenever someone or something is thrown into the sea, it is the direct result of sin.

“Pharaoh’s chariots and his army He has cast into the sea; and the chicest of his officers are drowned in the Red Sea.”  Exodus 15:4

“Then they picked up Jonah and they threw him into the seas, and the sea stopped it raging.”  Jonah 1:15

If course, in Luke 13, Jesus compares His Kingdom to a mustard seed, which miraculously grew into a tree, where the birds of the air (nations) nested.

So, what is our take-away?

Jesus is telling His disciples that the only way to break a bad tradition, is by putting their faith into action. When God’s people live according to his Word, a distinction between right & wrong is clearly seen. Based on the testimony of crucified lives in action, bad tradition is clearly identified as sin, and discarded.

Blessings.

Steve Wiggins