9-26-16 - More Faith, Please

We might imagine Jesus would be thrilled – his disciples say, “We need more faith, stronger faith.” They’re finally getting it – faith is what this enterprise called the Realm of God runs on. But Jesus implies that he thinks they have no faith to increase. “Let me tell you about faith,” he says. (This week's gospel reading is here.)

The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!”
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.

What prompted them to ask for increased faith? Let's see what's going on in the passage right before this in Luke 17: “If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them. Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying ‘I repent,’ you must forgive them.”

Ah – I would ask for more faith too! Who wants to forgive again and again? The disciples are right in thinking that, if that’s what Jesus is asking for, they need more faith. And how about us? Do we have anyone in our life who’s hard to forgive – or who gives us waaaay more “opportunities” to forgive than we’d like? Where does faith come into it?

Well, faith allows us to see the bigger picture – maybe to not get so hooked by the people who sin against us. Faith allows us to let God be the judge, instead of taking that role ourselves. Faith gives us the eyes to see that person with compassion, even as we hold them to the standards to which we ourselves want to be held. (Ouch…)

We canl talk about mulberry trees tomorrow. Today, let’s join the disciples in their prayer, “Lord, increase our faith.” Tell Jesus what areas of your life you feel your faith is the weakest; where you feel most challenged. And name the parts of your life where you feel faithful. Some of us feel faithful about finances but not about our children; or we trust God fully with health, but not work. Give thanks for the places where your faith is strong, and ask Jesus for more in the places you feel your faith goes out from under you, like a trick knee.

Ask the Spirit to fill you with the power and presence and peace of Christ.

Some of us have been taught it’s not polite to ask for stuff, or to ask for “more.” Well, that’s not true in the Life of God – there are some “more” prayers that God delights to answer. I’m betting “more faith” is one of them.