A mustard seed of faith can move sins the size of a sycamore tree
There’s an English saying, “the devil is in the details,” meaning that not paying attention to the details can turn out disastrous.
But I actually prefer to say that “God is in the details.” Because time and again, I am amazed by how even the tiniest details in the Bible can carry great significance.
For example, in the story of Zacchaeus, it is mentioned explicitly that he climbed into a sycamore tree. Why didn’t Luke just write “tree”? Why was the fact that it was a sycamore tree important?
Sycamore trees are mentioned only a handful of times in the Bible, but twice in the book of Luke. Obviously, one in the story of Zacchaeus and the other time just two chapters earlier in Luke 17 in a conversation between Jesus and His disciples.
The disciples were overwhelmed by the level of forgiveness Jesus demanded toward those who had hurt them and exclaimed, “increase our faith!” (Luke 17:5), because they realised that that amount of forgiveness required a lot of faith!
Jesus replies that they only need a mustard seed's worth of faith to move a sycamore tree (sometimes also translated as mulberry) into the sea (Luke 17:6).
In the next chapter, the disciples are overwhelmed again. Jesus tells them it’s easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter God’s Kingdom (Luke 18:24-26).
Enter Zacchaeus: a rich man, in a sycamore tree in need of forgiveness.
In Zacchaeus, we see the impossible: a very rich man entering God’s kingdom; a sycamore of sins and corruption moved to repentance and forgiven by both God and His community.
It just takes a mustard seed of faith in Jesus for Him to save you, forgive you, and throw your sins the size of a tree into the sea.
All you need to do is put your faith in Him.
