Increase Our Faith

August 28, 2023

Luke 17:1-10 |

The disciples make what seems to be a pretty fair, if not difficult, ask of Jesus: Increase our faith!

What's wrong with that?

Maybe nothing, but Jesus’ response doesn’t fulfill their desired intention.

Maybe our faith in God isn’t up to Jesus. Jesus is pretty powerful. He can heal, walk on water, multiply food, and mess around with the things of life and death. But can you think of a time in the gospels when Jesus gave someone faith?

Faith isn’t a substance. It is a choice to act upon a hopeful desire. That’s up to us.

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Luke 17:1-10

Jesus said to his disciples, “Things that cause people to trip and fall into sin must happen, but how terrible it is for the person through whom they happen. It would be better for them to be thrown into a lake with a large stone hung around their neck than to cause one of these little ones to trip and fall into sin. Watch yourselves! If your brother or sister sins, warn them to stop. If they change their hearts and lives, forgive them. Even if someone sins against you seven times in one day and returns to you seven times and says, ‘I am changing my ways,’ you must forgive that person.”

The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!”

The Lord replied, “If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.

“Would any of you say to your servant, who had just come in from the field after plowing or tending sheep, ‘Come! Sit down for dinner’? Wouldn’t you say instead, ‘Fix my dinner. Put on the clothes of a table servant and wait on me while I eat and drink. After that, you can eat and drink’? You won’t thank the servant because the servant did what you asked, will you? In the same way, when you have done everything required of you, you should say, ‘We servants deserve no special praise. We have only done our duty.’”

Psalm 37:1-7a

Don’t get upset over evildoers;
    don’t be jealous of those who do wrong,
    because they will fade fast, like grass;
    they will wither like green vegetables.
Trust the Lord and do good;
    live in the land, and farm faithfulness.
Enjoy the Lord,
    and he will give what your heart asks.
Commit your way to the Lord!
    Trust him! He will act
    and will make your righteousness shine like the dawn,
    your justice like high noon.
Be still before the Lord,
    and wait for him.

Prayer

God,

I suppose the fact that I’m praying to you demonstrates some kind of faith, right? Maybe not a lot, but it is something.

I do desire to trust more. It’s hard in a world that can be so untrustworthy. I just don’t know what’s to come and so trust is hard, God.

Faith? We humans treat it like a thing, but I see more and more how it is active, as a response to the right desire I have within. Or sometimes, a response above and beyond the wrong desire I have within. Sometimes my actions don’t align with my actual desires, Lord. (Actually, like…a lot of the time.)

So help me, God: I do see that you don’t dole out faith. But could you give me some strength? As I live this day, help me to speak and act according to what I say I believe, even if it is just the encouragement of knowing your presence with me.

By your spirit & in Christ,
Amen.