Luke 17:5-10
Proper 22 / Year C
The Apostles have
been with Jesus for some time. They have
witnessed his miracles. They have heard
his profound teachings. They have seen
him challenge the corrupt establishment.
Each of his actions has been grounded in a captivating spirituality; enticing
them from their homes and families and careers in order to follow Jesus from town
to town and encounter to encounter.
In
today’s gospel reading the Apostles come to Jesus with a request: “Lord,
increase our faith.” “Help us to do what
you do.” That Luke says it is the
Apostles who approach Jesus, not the broader, more diverse followers he calls ‘disciples’,
is significant. The Apostles are the
ones who one day will be the leaders of the Early Church. They will be the ones who travel much of the
known world proclaiming Jesus as the Risen Lord. They will be the ones who willingly welcome
martyrdom rather than shrink back from their witness to the truth.
“Increase
our faith.” Jesus responds with two
teachings. First, he says if your faith
is the size of just a tiny seed you will have the ability to uproot a tree and
cast it into the sea. Then he reminds
them of the role of a servant who, after working in the field all day, still
comes into the house and serves his master a meal; all the while believing he
is doing merely what is required of him.
The
image of the seed directs our attention not to the Red Sea-parting, spectacular
acts of faith, but to the simple, basic, day-to-day encounters which come our
way. Your faith may be tested by the
earthshaking events of your life, but it is built over time in small, perhaps
imperceptible ways.
Our
prayers are with all of the people whose lives have been devasted by Hurricanes
Fiona and Ian. I cannot begin to imagine
what they have endured, what they have lost, what they now bear, and what they
will have to face. If Jesus is right about
faith being like a small seed than their challenges will have to be met one
small step at a time. They will have to
be able to celebrate one small victory at a time. Strong faith is able to detect God working in
seemingly insignificant ways which, over time, redeem and transform the world.
Today
we celebrate St. Francis Day. Now
Francis did many fantastic things in his life.
He renounced his share of the family fortune and embraced a life of
poverty. He worked mightily to repair
dilapidated church buildings across Europe.
He formed faith communities which changed and shaped the Western world;
communities which thrive to this day. He
confronted corruption and apathy in the Church and initiated reforms bringing new
life to a tired, crusty institution.
And
given all these incredible things, what is it we remember most about
Francis? We remember he was kind to
animals. And we remember through his
reference to brother sun and sister moon how Francis’ sense of spirituality was
grounded in a vital connection with the beauty of nature. Surely these are the smallest aspects of the
great works he accomplished in life, but it is exactly their smallness which is
most telling.
Every
now and then, someone will say something to me like “I don’t know how a person
can join the ordained ministry or become a missionary because I don’t have that
kind of faith.” I respond most people
don’t seek ordination or a mission field because they have profound faith, but
because they have a deep sense of being called by God. I have heard colleagues describe fighting off
the calling for a long time and never having peace until they embraced it. I have never heard a colleague directly
connect their ordination to having great faith.
Perhaps
this surprises you, but it shouldn’t.
Faith is more closely related to the small acts than to a huge
commitment. Jesus said as much when he
taught the person who is faithful in a little will also be faithful in much. You increase your faith one small step at a
time.
The
story about the servant also says something significant about the ‘littleness’
of faith. It suggests you build you
faith not on the mountaintop, not in a great cathedral, not in the spectacular
moment, but in the regular course of the daily round… where you live, in the common
tasks you do, face-to-face with the people of your community. It is formed and fashioned through
attentiveness to others. It is formed
and fashioned by participation in community worship and perseverance in private
prayer. It is formed and fashioned
through personal reflection. It is
formed and fashioned by applying what you know of the teachings of Christ to
the mundane routines and unexpected encounters of your daily life.
Who
among us wouldn’t want to have more faith?
Who among us doesn’t crave great personal reserves to draw upon when the
chips are down? Who among us wouldn’t
like to have an inner strength which translates into profound outward
action? Jesus tells the Apostles their
faith can grow, and will grow, if they commit themselves to doing it one small
step at a time.
