Loving God of all days, be with this dear reader in all they face; in Christ Jesus I pray, amen.
Our text for today comes from Luke 17: 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!' "
The apostles' request comes at an odd time in their ministry with Jesus. Two chapters back they heard Jesus speak of the way God seeks the lost and welcomes them back. One chapter back, Jesus deals with getting right with God and with each other, and so after seeing what they had seen, and hearing what they heard, their only request needs to be for Jesus to "increase our faith." They knew that to follow God and do what God wants requires a lot of faith. By asking their hope is to receive it like so many of Jesus' miracles with just a word; but Jesus says, if you had faith the size of the smallest seed, like the mustard seed, you could move this mulberry tree and send it even to the ocean. And then He says that a good slave/servants does what s/he is told, and should expect no recognition or reward in return for doing what needed to be done.
Strong faith comes from doing what one has heard is necessary to do. It is one thing to sit and learn, that is what a disciple is, but to listen, learn, and do, is an apostle. Jesus had taught them enough for them to get busy, but yet their unbelief was tied to their reluctance. So it is with us. We have enough faith, but what do we do with it? It is taking that first step or speaking that first word that is the hardest. And it is precisely the place so many Christians get stuck, in fear of that first step or word or action. The faithful one is the one who risks and takes a leap of faith in taking that first step, saying that first word, and leaving the results to God.
PRAYER: Loving God, help me in my unbelief and reluctance to take that first step or to share that first word. Let my faith be sufficient to see me through what today brings, but let me go beyond and above all, by trusting You. I ask this in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord.
Eradio Valverde
