My Little Faith - Pt 1

The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” And the Lord said, “If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you. “Will any one of you who has a servant plowing or keeping sheep say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and recline at table’? Will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me, and dress properly, and serve me while I eat and drink, and afterward you will eat and drink’? Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded? So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.’” (Luke 17:5-10 ESV).

In our reading the apostles ask Jesus to increase their faith. I find myself often in the same position. I intellectually know the answers; however, applying them often requires more faith than I seem to have. Luke recalls how Jesus helped them with their seeming lack of faith. Both of these speak truth into their minds and souls. So, today and tomorrow we’ll examine each of them in the hope that it will help you develop even more strength in your faith too. First, he strengthens our faith by telling us that the crucial issue in accomplishing great things not the quantity of our faith, but the power of God. He says, “If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.” By referring to the tiny mustard seed after being asked about increased faith, he deflects attention away from the quantity of faith to the object of faith. God moves mulberry trees. And it does not depend decisively on the quantity of our faith, but on his power and wisdom and love. In knowing this we are helped not to worry about our faith and are inspired to trust God’s free initiative and power. Often we are confused with the admonition that we need to know more information. If I just knew more theology; or, if I knew the original languages of the Bible; or perhaps, if I could have more experience, then I could really believe. After all, doesn’t strength come from a good plan? And, doesn’t a good plan come from knowing all the pertinent information related to that decision? If I really knew the future, I could be strong in the present, right? NO! That’s simply wrong-headed. We don’t need to know the future because we can know the One who does. Knowing the One who does know the future we can also know that He only has our good in mind for every circumstance we may experience. Now my faith, my belief in those unseen things becomes easy to both possess and apply. Tomorrow is no step for a stepper; and, we walk with the greatest “stepper” of all!