Lord Increase our Faith - Luke:17 5-10

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.

“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’? 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’? Do you thank the slave for doing what was commanded? 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!’ ”

Commentary

In nearly 60 years of going to church, I have to say I can't recall ever hearing the second half of this reading before. It took me enough by surprise that I double checked the Lectionary to be sure I had copied the section that I was supposed to. It's right. Maybe I was so busy chewing on the mustard seed that I just stopped listening with that. Maybe you have done the same.

There are three different statements in this reading that to me jar the senses. I want to be sure we spend time on all three. Putting it in current jargon, in the first statement, Jesus says, “If you had any faith at all, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you”. I don't know about you, but that statement insults me. I like to think that I have faith, but I wouldn't even attempt to command a mulberry tree to uproot itself. Is Jesus just using hyperbole, or do I not have any idea what faith is? I am going to go down the second possible path. So when Jesus talks about faith, what is he thinking about. I suggest that the answer comes from the rest of the reading.

The second statement, which is really an entire vignette, concerns the treatment that slaves are subjected to. Apparently as a matter of course. As I understand this little story, a slave, who has been out plowing or tending sheep all day, needs to expect that when he finishes that work, he will then be commanded to prepare and serve supper for the master, and wait until the master is done before he can expect to be able to eat himself. Furthermore, he should not be expecting any thanks for his efforts. I find this little story also jarring. I suppose that just gives witness to what a sheltered life I have led. I have never owned slaves, nor even lived in a society where anyone else did. I understand the concept of slavery as free labor. But I would not expect that it would extend to the point of being exempt from common courtesy. My mind set says that Jesus ought to be criticizing the master for failing to treat his slave like a neighbor. But he doesn't. I think that just shows how far apart our world is from that in which Jesus actually lived.

But now the last sentence really is a punch in the gut. As I read it, we are told that we are worthless slaves. So what does that have to do with faith?

Pulling this all together, I hear the apostles asking to have their faith increased, and as an answer they get the statements that they have no faith at all and they need to view themselves as worthless slaves. The only way I can close the loop here is to assume that what Jesus is doing is holding up a slave as an example of faith. The slave apparently has no expectation that his work will ever be done, nor that his work will ever be appreciated. Yet from hints we have been given elsewhere, it seems that the slave is not exempt from the expectation that he worship God. So this slave must truly have faith. This slave must have the faith that there is a loving God, in spite of constant indications to the contrary. This slave must have the faith that there is a place for him in the kingdom, in spite of constant indications that he is to be shut out from all good things. I think Jesus is telling us that the only way to increase our faith is to try it. I suggest the faith muscle is just like every other muscle. The only way to get it is to exercise it. It doesn't come from class work, even if your teacher is Jesus.

So going back to the question in the beginning, What is Jesus thinking about when he talks about faith. The answer seems to be that to Jesus faith is what would allow a slave to worship God, and give thanks for his situation. And by that definition, he is right, most of us have no faith worth speaking of. May we set our sights higher, and take up the challenges put in front of us willingly.

Amen