Sunday October 6th, 2019 17th Sunday after Pentecost Luke 17:5-10
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." (verse 6)
What would it be like to do as a famous science fiction pilot did in a popular movie and levitate cargo boxes and a full-size fighter plane by faith alone? Imagine having such faith that we could cause a mulberry tree to uproot itself and be planted in the sea! What about a mountain, uprooted and flung into the sea?
Such stunts, of no particular great use, might impress the credulous, but that is not what faith is all about. Some of us have greater faith than others, of course. Martin Luther said it is like a satchel of treasure being handed to different people. Some grasp it with strong steady hands, others with a weaker, shakier grip. The treasure is the same. In this case, it is not big either, just a tiny energetic particle the size of a mustard seed.
Like the serving slave in today’s reading, we do what we have to do and do our best, without expecting gratuitous recognition or thank-yous. Our mustard seed size faith will see us through.
Thank you, Lord Jesus, for enabling us to serve you and our neighbours, empowered with only a tiny energetic particle of faith. Amen. — LI
Contributed by Levitating a fighter plane
What would it be like to do as a famous science fiction pilot did in a popular movie and levitate cargo boxes and a full-size fighter plane by faith alone? Imagine having such faith that we could cause a mulberry tree to uproot itself and be planted in the sea! What about a mountain, uprooted and flung into the sea?
Such stunts, of no particular great use, might impress the credulous, but that is not what faith is all about. Some of us have greater faith than others, of course. Martin Luther said it is like a satchel of treasure being handed to different people. Some grasp it with strong steady hands, others with a weaker, shakier grip. The treasure is the same. In this case, it is not big either, just a tiny energetic particle the size of a mustard seed.
Like the serving slave in today's reading, we do what we have to do and do our best, without expecting gratuitous recognition or thank-yous. Our mustard seed size faith will see us through.
