Luke 17: (1-4) 5-10

increase our faith, what then?

Each week at our weekly staff meeting we read and discuss the texts for the week. When we read the gospel for this week, on person said, that’s random.

It’s true that on first reading, it seems a random collection of Jesus’ sayings stitched together with no real connection to one another. But, on second reading I think there is a connection and it is this: in the New Testament, faith is nearly always linked to action. In much the same way that we speak of Spirit and Service, faith and action belong together. Faith, in this sense, is not about knowledge or even belief. It is about the capacity to follow the One who is calling us, trusting him with our very lives. In this sense faith has little to do with knowledge and less with belief in some abstract doctrine.

Faith, then, is a way of walking through this life rooted in trust, not in ourselves but in God and in God’s son, Jesus.

The cry of the disciples, which many of us have cried, “Lord, give us more faith!” is a plea to make us live like your disciples. How else but by deep trust in you can we possibly forgive another 7 x 7 times? We have a hard time forgiving once let alone twice or three times, but you, Lord Jesus, are asking us to walk every day in the way of forgiveness. Give us more, faith! That is, make us a people capable of trusting our very lives into your embrace so that we risk letting go of our way to walk fully in your way. Isn’t this what faith is: to align our patterns of daily living with Jesus’ way and renounce all other patterns, including our own?

For instance, the text says that people are going to stumble. It is the way it is an very human community including the community of faith. People stumble – do the very things they despise, hurt themselves and hurt their loved ones by the way their actions – did I say affair, alcoholism, gossip, petty bickering, lying, grudge holding, power grabbing, anger? People stumble. It is the way it is. Face it.

What to do? What else can we do, says Jesus, then be certain that the pattern of your life is not the occasion for the stumbling of another or the reason that the stumbling continues. Not much worse than instigating someone else’s fall, especially what that someone is an innocent child. You might as well jump in the river. ... and stay there.

This is tough stuff. No wonder the disciples cry, give us more faith! Why? Because faith is so connected with our actions. Give us more faith Lord so that we may trust God fully. How else could we possibly take the risks necessary to live in Jesus’ way, serving the purpose of God in this world – the way servants serve – not asking for much, just doing as we are called to do – forgiving, healing – doing the works of righteousness for God’s sake.

Jesus seems astonished by request. You want more faith? Faith the size of a mustard seed is all you need to do marvelous things for God in this world. Imagine that: faith the smallest of all seeds and you can move mountains.

On this world communion Sunday, I am reminded of Michael Geilenfeld in Haiti whom we visited last February on our mission trip. While temporarily working there he sensed a deep burden for the abandoned children of Haiti’s streets. That burden didn’t leave him even after he returned to the United States. Sensing God’s call to those abandoned children, he went back to Haiti with faith that he could do something good for God. So he took his faith and the little money he had to buy an small apartment that he turned into a residential community for six streets kids, where they would pray together, get a good meal and education and job training. The apartment could only hold six kids. So they prayed together and they followed God’s call to care for the least, the lost and the lonely. Soon word got out about this tiny, tiny effort to care for the children. An article showed up in the New York Times about a man who acted in faith in one of the most desperate places on earth. The floodgates opened, donors came forth along with resources and people who wanted to share in this adventure in caring the least. In Jesus’ words: mountains moved.

Now, twenty years later, St. Joseph’s home has become St. Joseph’s family of homes with three residential spiritual communities for orphans that have serve over 300 children. It all began with a mustard seed of faith and someone willing to trust God’s promise to do marvelous things with our efforts.

The disciples wanted more faith because the task seems so large. Jesus says only the smallest amount of faith is necessary for you to step into a whole new realm of possibilities where God will do marvelous things with your tiny seed.

What then are you waiting for? Our congregation was founded on a mustard seed of faith – one pastor and some seminary interns knocking on doors inviting people into a new community. Nearly fifty years later, we are flourishing with a vital mission and dreams for the future. We are poised to step into new adventures of discipleship with Habitat for Humanity, Crossway International, Living Waters for the World and more, including deeper sharing of our lives in small groups of learning, prayer and study.

What are we waiting for? Jesus says the tiniest measure of faith is necessary. Will you trust that God wants to do great things through your life and in our life together? I believe there is a mustard seed of faith in each of us today. The question is whether you will nourish that seed and step into God’s promise actually to use a people to accomplish the great work of healing and restoration in the world.

I believe history proves that the greatest works for God in this world have been accomplished when ordinary people imagined mountains moving by their faithful service. Will you imagine that for us? Only a mustard seed will do it.