Increased Faith - A Sermon for Sunday October 2, 2022

GOSPEL: Luke 17:5-10

The holy gospel according to Luke.

Glory to you, O Lord.

On the way to Jerusalem, Jesus instructs his followers about the power of faith and the duties of discipleship. He calls his disciples to adopt the attitude of servants whose actions are responses to their identity rather than works seeking reward.

5The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” 6The 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’? 8Would 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’? 9Do you thank the slave for doing what was commanded? 10So 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!’ ”

The gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, O Christ.

The apostle’s ask Jesus: “Increase our faith!”

This question comes with assumptions,

and you know what happens when you assume…

The first assumption is that faith is ‘ours’

“Increase our faith!”

Increase my faith.

More on that shortly.

The second assumption is on the definition of faith.

So what is faith?

I can tell you what faith is not:

faith is not intellectual assent.

Faith is not thinking the right things

or agreeing with the right doctrines.

Faith is not certainty.

The opposite of faith is certainty.

I don’t need to say I believe in the bible.

there’s a bible right here,

and on the lectern.

I can touch it, read it.

I am certain it exists.

For Martin Luther,

the bible is like the manger that holds the Christ child.

The bible witnesses to Jesus,

so it’s not about believing in the bible,

but believing in the God of the bible.

When it comes to the things of God,

we are not given certainty,

we are given faith.

Faith comes from outside of us.

Martin Luther put it this way,

in explaining the third article of the Apostle’s Creed,

about the Holy Spirit:

“I believe that by my own understanding or strength

I cannot believe in Jesus Christ my Lord or come to him,

but instead the Holy Spirit has called me

through the Gospel,

enlightened me with God’s gifts,

made me holy

and kept me in the true faith,

just as the Spirit calls, gathers,

enlightens and makes holy

the whole church on earth

and keeps it it with Jesus Christ

in the one common, true faith.”

Faith, belief is about God’s work,

about the gifting by Holy Spirit,

through God’s Word.

We can learn from our Anglican friends in this way.

They talk about participation with Christ.

Lutherans are quick and correct in proclaiming that

we are saved by God’s grace through faith.

Faith in Jesus saves.

Galatians 2:16 is a key verse:

“We know that a person is justified (or righteous)

not by the works of the law

but through faith in Jesus Christ.”

But that phrase “faith in Jesus Christ”

in the ancient Greek is also translated

“faith of Jesus Christ.”

We are saved by the faith of Jesus Christ,

we participate in Christ’s faith,

The faith we have is Christ’s faith;

Christ’s faith is given to us.

Faith is a gift from God,

given through the Holy Spirit

calling us through the Gospel.

Third assumption with “Increase our faith”:

It assumes that faith can be measured,

or quantified.

It allows for comparison:

I have way more faith than that person,

or I wish I had that person’s faith.

I could be wrong,

but I don’t think faith is something measured by quantity,

maybe it’s more about quality.

Sometimes I wonder if faith is like a belly button.

everyone’s got a belly-button,

everyone has faith.

The belly button is either an innie or an outie:

some have a faith looks inward

and for others it looks outward.

Is your faith in God,

or in something or someone else?

For Luther, faith is about trust,

and that in which we place our trust

is our god.

Do we look to ourselves for fulfilment and purpose,

do we look to our sports teams

or the car we drive

or the celebrities we admire?

Do we trust our own intellect

or our financial savings

or other lower case ‘g’ gods,

or do we trust God Almighty?

Imagine there are two parents,

and they have a lively discussion

about sending their child to the store

for a couple groceries.

One parent is confident

that the child will return with the correct items

and correct change,

while the other parent has their doubts.

The parents decide to trust their child,

and send them to the store.

Which parent has more faith in the child?

The one who is confident

or the one who has their doubts?

I say it doesn’t matter.

In the end,

both parents decide to send the child to the store:

the action of trust is the same,

regardless of their thoughts or emotions.

Both display their faith in the child externally,

doubts or not.

Faith is found less in the mind

and more in the action.

Jesus warns the disciples

not to cause any of God’s little ones to stumble:

children,

the most marginalized in society,

new disciples.

Jesus tells them to forgive sins,

even if someone sins against you seven times a day,

you must forgive.

It’s with this seemingly impossible task,

That the apostles ask “Increase our faith!”

“If you had faith (even) 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.”

But you can’t plant trees in the sea.

That’s salt water.

I’m no expert,

but I don’t think mulberry trees like salt water.

And uprooting a tree with words wont work.

That’s the kind of thing only God can do.

“If you had faith”

It’s not your faith, it’s Christ’s faith.

Perhaps put another way,

even a tiny seed of Christ’s faith

can make the impossible possible.

increasing my faith wont make it happen

Christ’s faith given to us

means God can make the impossible possible

in and through us.

And I can imagine the look of confusion on the apostles’ faces.

So Jesus does what Jesus does, and tells them a story.

Likening faith to the relationship

between a slave and the slave master

A quick pause - we shouldn’t hear this story

as Jesus condoning slavery.

Jesus taught using worldly examples

that the people would understand,

like a mustard seed,

a mulberry tree,

or a slave.

Using this image,

the slave owner expects the slave

to do what they are ordered.

The employer expects the employee to do their job,

with or without thanks.

In this story, Jesus is the slave owner,

and the disciples are the slaves:

Jesus is the employer,

we are the employee.

The apostles ask for increased faith,

and are simply told to do what is commanded.

Like the two parents sending the child to the store,

one who is confident in sending the child,

the other who has their doubts,

Faith the size of a mustard seed

sends the child to the store,

even amidst doubts.

Big or small doesn’t matter,

faith is found in the action.

I think we have all had times that we have asked in our own way

“Increase our faith.”

Times when it has been hard to believe,

times when we’ve had an impossible task before us,

times when we experience a terrible loss

times of life transition,

times of overwhelming stress,

times when we don’t understand

times when we are gripped by doubts,

Perhaps when we cry out to Jesus with words like

“Increase our faith”

Jesus simply tells us to do what we are commanded.

To do faith.

To live faith.

We who follow Jesus are servants to our Master.

If you want faith to increase,

just do what Jesus says.

Maybe that’s faith in a nutshell:

obedience to Jesus,

trusting in Jesus,

and simply following orders.

So what are the orders of our Master?

What does Jesus command us?

Here’s what Jesus has said in Luke’s Gospel has said thus far:

Even if they sin against you seven times a day,

you must forgive.

Care for the poor.

Listen to Moses and the Prophets.

Forgive debts.

Make friends for yourselves

by means of dishonest wealth,

for you cannot serve God and wealth.

Rejoice over those who are found.

Give up all your possessions.

Carry your cross and follow Jesus.

Be committed to Jesus above all else.

Don’t take the seat of honour;

sit down at the lowest place.

When you give a banquet,

invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind.

Repent - return to the Lord your God.

Be ready for the Lord’s return.

Do not worry about your life;

what you will eat or what you will wear.

Strive instead for the Kingdom of God

and God’s righteousness.

Sell your possessions,

and give alms.

Be on guard against all kinds of greed.

Do not fear those who kill the body.

Ask. Seek. Knock.

Pray the prayer Jesus has taught us.

Sit at the feet of your Rabbi.

Show mercy to your neighbour

like the Good Samaritan.

Travel light,

bringing peace with you.

Eat what is set before you.

Cure the sick.

Proclaim that

“The kingdom of God has come near to you.”

Be ready to wipe the dust from your sandals.

Whoever welcomes a child in my name welcomes me

and whoever welcomes me

welcomes the one who sent me.

The least among you is greatest.

Deny yourself,

take up your cross and follow me.

Declare how much God has done for you.

My mother and brothers

are those who hear the word of God and do it.

Pay attention to how you listen.

First take the log our of your own eye,

and then you will see clearly

to take the speck out of your neighbour’s eye.

Do not judge and you will not be judged.

Do not condemn and you will not be condemned. 

Forgive and you will be forgiven.

Give and it will be given to you.

Love your enemies,

do good to those who hate you.

Bless those who curse you,

pray for those who abuse you.

If anyone strikes you on the cheek,

offer the other also.

Give to everyone who begs of you.

Do to others as you would have them do to you.

Do good and lend,

expecting nothing in return.

Be merciful as God is merciful.

My faith couldn’t do any of that.

But Christ’s faith in us

makes the impossible possible.

Faith isn't something you have:

it’s God’s gift given to you,

Faith is something you do, by God’s grace;

it’s something you live, by God’s Spirit.

We grow in faith

when we listen to Jesus,

when we simply do what we are ordered.

When we say

“We are worthless slaves,

we have done only what we ought to have done.”

But remember Jesus’ words in John’s Gospel

spoken to the disciples,

and spoken to us:

“I do not call you slaves any longer,

but I have called you friends.”

No one has greater love

than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.

Our Lord, Jesus Christ,

has shown us this great love,

and we are saved by that same love

the same faith of the Christ who calls us friends.

May you listen to Jesus

and find Christ’s faith in you.

May you simply do what Jesus commands

and find that you do grow in Christ’s faith

And while simply following orders,

May we trust that God’s Kin-dom is coming

in and among us.