10-5-25                       Luke 17:5-10

5 The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” 6 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.  7 “Who among you would say to your slave who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field, ‘Come here at once and take your place at the table’? 8 Would you not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me; put on your apron and serve me while I eat and drink; later you may eat and drink’? 9 Do you thank the slave for doing what was commanded? 10 So you also, when you have done all that you were ordered to do, say, ‘We are worthless slaves; we have done only what we ought to have done!’ ”

Grace and peace are for you from the Lord who gives you faith and waits to see what you will do.

This gospel lesson presents these two comments of Jesus to his special 12 followers.  This teaching seems to be hanging out there without the benefit of any context. What was going on, why did the apostles make this request for more faith? They were evidently in the midst of a serious conversation about sin. Perhaps one of those 12 had gotten into a little trouble, or maybe even something happened between a few of them. And then as they have been ministering to the people, they had those interactions to deal with, needing to maintain patience and concern for them even when they had really messed up their lives. It became apparent that they were not as well equipped to deal with relationships and their own egos as they may have thought. Prior to his mustard seed illustration Jesus had reminded them that a variety of temptations confront them regularly. He said: (Luke 17:1-4)

“Occasions for sin are bound to come, but woe to anyone through whom they come! 2 It would be better for you if a millstone were hung around your neck and you were thrown into the sea than for you to cause one of these little ones to sin. 3 Be on your guard! If a brother or sister sins, you must rebuke the offender, and if there is repentance, you must forgive. 4 And if the same person sins against you seven times a day and turns back to you seven times and says, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive.” 

We know that these 12 had faith in Jesus. They had left everything to follow him. They were giving it their all, completely dedicated! Yet, it may have been the case that a little pride had crept in causing them to be a mite bit overconfident. With the constant need to forgive now staring them in the face, they recognize some feelings of inadequacy.  Jesus expects them to function as a true community, watching out for one another. If someone sins, they need to see it, so the community does not become harmed by that behavior or attitude. If it is a sin against you personally and the sinner repents, you must forgive. Jesus knows that the best of us, the most dedicated, still make mistakes. His concern is for reconciliation, to patch up the issue and reunite people again. The disciples now understood how daunting this task was going to be. So, they figure what they need is more – more faith, cause they aren’t feeling so ready anymore.

Jesus’ answer may seem a little abrupt. Faith the size of a tiny seed should satisfy any needs that face you, he claims. Faith is not measured like M&Ms for a sweet tooth, or cups of coffee for a caffeine addict. Faith is more like the soap on your wet sponge, if the sponge doesn’t get scrubbed all around, how much soap and water is on it won’t matter. There is a Native American folktale that explains this in a more delightful way. It lets us explore our concern with size and our mindset that bigger is better.

There was a great river filled with a multitude of fish and such pure waters that all the animals came to its bank to drink. One day, a giant moose came to the river to drink. The moose was so big and drank so much water that the river began to dry up! The beavers worried that their lodges would collapse. The muskrats were anxious that they would have to find another place to live. The fish were beside themselves with terror, as the great moose continued to drink up the river. They would be left high & dry.

So all the animals gathered together to devise a way to drive that moose off. Yet because the moose was so huge even the bear was afraid to approach him. Then the fly spoke up. “I will make the moose leave,” he said. The animals laughed at the very idea: “You? How could one little fly scare a giant moose?”  The fly ignored their jeers and waited for the moose to return for a drink. Then the fly went to work. First, he bit the moose on the leg causing him to stamp his hooves into the ground. Every time he stamped his foot, the ground sank, and water poured in filling it. Then the fly began to bite the moose all over – his head, shoulders, his backside. The mammoth creature snorted and ran trying to avoid the annoying little bug. It was no use; he could not escape the pesky fly. Finally, the moose could stand it no longer and ran away, never to return.

The fly had done it! “Even the small can fight the strong,” the fly responded, “if they make use of what little they have.”   (Connections Oct -2010)

A Christian whose confidence is weak can accomplish much, if they but trust what they have been given and use it. It is all about depending upon and making use of your faith. Do not listen to the voice that puts you down. Don’t pay attention to the voice in your own head that says you are not good enough, you don’t possess enough faith. Do not leave faith sharing and serving to those who have more training or bow to the fear you will put your foot in your mouth if you try to witness and stand up for your faith. Jesus taught his disciples that forgiveness is to be offered freely, so it is okay if you goof up occasionally. Like the fly you must trust the abilities you have been given and use them.

I would remind you that faith is a gift. It is what Paul was repeating to Timothy in the second reading. I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that lived first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, lives in you. 6 For this reason I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is within you through the laying on of my hands, 7 for God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline. (2 Tim1:5-7)This faith can’t be brought, earned, or traded for. That mustard seed size is plenty for you to work changes, for the miracles they bring into being are not your doing, but God’s. The humility which characterize the saints’ achievements are dismissed lightly. We are to recognize, along with those servants, the words in Jesus’ explanation that “We have done only what we ought to have done.” As a servant we take on the way of our Master, who also came to serve. As a baptized child of God, we each have received the potential of faith, yet we are not always confident or aware that that faith needs to be put into action to be actual.

We may be like this sixth grader who went to his mother with this homework question: “What’s the difference between potential and actual?”

 Mom thought for a moment, and then replied, “Go ask your dad, your brother and your sister what they would do if they found a million dollars and no one knew they had it. Would they turn it in or keep it?”

 He goes first to his older brother with the question. “Are you kidding? That would pay for college and set me up in business. It’s probably drug money anyway. Of course I’d keep it.”  The sixth grader writes down his brother’s answer and then goes to his sister.

“Of course I’d keep it, silly. It’s probably a bribe or payoff that got lost anyway. I’d shop till I dropped and then bank the rest. I’d be set for life.”  The student writes down her answer and then goes to talk to Dad.

Dad reasons, “Well, anybody who loses a million bucks can probably afford it. I’d do over the house, put you kids through school, and then have something left for our retirement.” The student goes back to Mom and shows the answers.  “Now do you see the difference between potential and actual?” she explains. “Potentially, we are an honest family, but actually you and I live with three conniving thieves.”   (This funny, but perhaps true story, comes from this week’s Connection publication.)

 We can understand that “potential” is realized only if we “actually” live the principles and beliefs we confess. Faith uses the gratitude and humility of the servant in today’s Gospel: to realize that we have all been created in the image of a loving God and that the only meaningful return we can make for this life is to love and honor one another as fellow “servants” at Jesus’ table. We have all the faith potential we need, it will grow with its use, and so will we. Use this grace-filled gift you have been given.