The Mustard Tree is the painting behind the website name. Many of my paintings have an accompanying text. Here is the story behind The Mustard Tree.
THE
MUSTARD TREE
I love trees!
They have such intricate-branch patterns in winter, beautiful-lush
foliage in summer, covered with snow, they are magnificent, and their autumn
colors are legendary.
I searched the Bible looking for indigenous trees in Biblical times. I found fir trees, olive and almond trees, Cyprus trees and the mustard tree.
Have you ever seen a mustard tree?
I googled mustard tree and found one photo.
It made a seriously boring painting, green leaves-brown trunk. I added my favorite colors and abstracted it a bit.
Jesus used the mustard tree to help us visualize the amount of faith he wants from his followers. The mustard tree starts as a tiny seed, much as the love of God starts in our own hearts. It grows from that minuscule seed into a tree so large that birds are able to land in its branches.
Jesus tells us, that if we have as much faith as a mustard seed, then we
will be able to move mountains. (Mathew 17:20 He replied, “…. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed,
you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move.
Nothing will be impossible for you.”
Faith is very important to Jesus. He chastises the
disciples for their lack of faith, and praises those who believe.
Faith in Jesus must be based on belief in the reality of his deity and
the acknowledgement that we, ourselves, have sinned.
Sin is an archery term that means “off the mark.”
Obviously there are many times when we are not on target, and missing the
mark causes us painful consequences.
For me, the most comforting words in the Bible
are written in Hebrews 11:1,
“and without faith it is impossible to please God.”
If you believe, and have faith, you will please the King of Kings, the
Everlasting Father, and the Lord of Lords. He will delight in you because you
have been adopted into his family.
Your faith has set you free!
THE
MUSTARD TREE
I love trees!
They have such intricate-branch patterns in winter, beautiful-lush
foliage in summer, covered with snow, they are magnificent, and their autumn
colors are legendary.
I searched the Bible looking for indigenous trees in Biblical times. I found fir trees, olive and almond trees, Cyprus trees and the mustard tree.
Have you ever seen a mustard tree?
I googled mustard tree and found one photo.
It made a seriously boring painting, green leaves-brown trunk. I added my favorite colors and abstracted it a bit.
Jesus used the mustard tree to help us visualize the amount of faith he wants from his followers. The mustard tree starts as a tiny seed, much as the love of God starts in our own hearts. It grows from that minuscule seed into a tree so large that birds are able to land in its branches.
Jesus tells us, that if we have as much faith as a mustard seed, then we
will be able to move mountains. (Mathew 17:20 He replied, “…. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed,
you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move.
Nothing will be impossible for you.”
Faith is very important to Jesus. He chastises the
disciples for their lack of faith, and praises those who believe.
Faith in Jesus must be based on belief in the reality of his deity and
the acknowledgement that we, ourselves, have sinned.
Sin is an archery term that means “off the mark.”
Obviously there are many times when we are not on target, and missing the
mark causes us painful consequences.
For me, the most comforting words in the Bible
are written in Hebrews 11:1,
“and without faith it is impossible to please God.”
If you believe, and have faith, you will please the King of Kings, the
Everlasting Father, and the Lord of Lords. He will delight in you because you
have been adopted into his family.
Your faith has set you free!
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