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“Increase
Our Faith”
a sermon by
Thomas L. Jenkins
Text: Luke 17:5-10
“The apostles said to the Lord, ‘Increase our faith!’”
DEAR SISTERS AND BROTHERS today is World
Communion Sunday. Now,
there are close to 2 billion Christians all over the world.
And on this day of worship, we have about 70 million Christians
celebrating World Communion Sunday. Sure,
there are more than 70 million of our sisters and brothers in Christ
worshiping today, along with probably a greater number than that having
communion too. Still—think
about this—close to 70,000,000 Christians are literally living this
day in the name of World Communion Sunday. 70
million of us are hearing this as today’s name.
World Communion Sunday was
started in 1936, as the first Sunday in October, by the Presbyterian
Church in the United States of America. Has something big happened? Did
the Presbyterian Church, in an act of faith, say to a mulberry tree “Be
uprooted and planted in the sea”?
A seed giving a command to a tree seems like a rather big
happening; does it not?
Something big has come from this. Yes, maybe I am bragging about the
Presbyterian Church. But,
God has called all of us into this wonderfully Reformed congregation.
I am so proud to be in the Presbyterian Church.
Jesus told his first 12 apostles that if they “…had
faith the size of a mustard seed” that a mulberry tree would obey
their command, and plant itself in the sea.
There is no seed smaller than a mustard seed.
And, to command a tree to plant it’s self under water is
unbelievable. Now our first
reaction probably comes in a question like this: “Is Jesus implying to
his apostles that they do not have any kind faith to increase?”
And the next question we probably have sounds like this: “Is
Jesus teaching us about the power of faith if we do have it?”
Following those thoughts, there is the second part in our Scripture
where Jesus pictures the relationship between owners and slaves and how
obedience is simply what is owed, and the owners feel in control, while
the slaves, even after their work, say, “We
are worthless slaves; we have done only what we ought to have done!”
Here are three clear questions and thoughts that this passage
brings out in each one of us: (1) Do we have faith? (2) A
little faith can command something big and new.
(3) God owes us nothing.
One of the wonderful aspects of the Reformed faith, that we apply to our
having faith and at the same time, seeking understanding, is that
instead of primarily talking about ourselves first and foremost, let’s
start with talking about God. We
shall make God the subject first and then see where that leads us in
understanding ourselves better.
Before we ask ourselves if we have faith, we may simply ask, “Does God
have faith?” Well, YES, of course God has faith! We certainly believe that, don’t we? It may be only fools who believe there is no God; however, it
would even be more of a fool who believes there is a God, but doesn’t
believe that God has faith. Do
we see how just moving from making ourselves the subject of faith, to
God as the subject of faith reveals to us that we do have faith the size
of at least a mustard seed?
Believing that God has faith, and that even a little faith can command
something big and new, I wonder if we can even imagine how big and new
our life is, that God has commanded?
God in God’s faith, commanded the Word of God to be united to you, the
very soul of your body, including you in God’s Spirit, in God’s
divine relationship, and blessing you with all the treasures of heaven
for all eternity. Jesus
told his apostles that if they had faith the size of a mustard seed that
it could command a tree what to do, “and it would obey it.” If
because of faith there would be obedience, in creation, how much
obedience would there be among the divine persons of the Trinity?
Look at where this has led us, when we chose to have God as our subject,
before having ourselves as the subject.
We are shown how much we do believe in God. This is a wonderful
aspect of Christian learning that is taught in the Reformed faith of the
Presbyterian Church.
God owes us nothing. Even
if we kept the law perfectly, God still owes us nothing.
We owe to God the very keeping of the law.
Well, if God does not owe us anything, then God is free to make God’s
choices. God is love. God
is free, within our souls, to give us God’s love.
“And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three, and greatest of these
is love.” (1 Cor 13:13)
God’s faith, within God, commands love within God, love to and for you
and me, and each and every one of us.
70 million Christians, all over this world, are coming to this
table, to share in the communion that Jesus Christ has with God the
Father in the Holy Spirit. Very much like the way in which the Word became flesh in the
birth of Jesus Christ into this world, Christ is real and present with
us in table fellowship.
God is increasing our faith by sharing God’s faith with us.
God has blessed us by calling us into the Presbyterian Church.
This does not make us any better Christians than other churches.
But, we are not just worthless slaves.
We are sisters and brothers of our Lord Jesus Christ, being led
to share God’s gifts in this world.
Let us come to the Lord’s table.
Let us pray…
Amen
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