Reading: Luke 17:5-10

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. “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’? 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’? Do you thank the slave for doing what was commanded? 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!’”

Reflection

How much faith is enough faith? The apostles wanted their faith to increase, but how exactly is that done? Is that really even possible? Growing up, many of my friends in school attended the Nazarene church in town. This group of kids seemed to always have it all together. They never seemed discouraged or got very upset about anything. I remember one time one of my friends who attended this church said that maybe I just needed more faith. I thought about it and read my Bible a little more for a time, and still, I never felt like I had any more faith than I did before. Were the Lutherans missing something that our fellow Nazarene friends knew about faith and we didn’t? Obviously not, because how much faith is enough and how exactly do we measure that faith?

Faith is a journey. Faith grows for a time, faith can remain for a time and faith can even falter a little for a time. Depending on the circumstances, faith is always different. At least that has been my experience. Faith is a lifetime of experiences in which we grow and learn. How much or how little faith we have at any given moment is impossible to measure. How we live our lives differently in response to our belief in a risen Jesus, that is faith. That is trusting and knowing we are enough and our faith is enough. Never question, never doubt.

–Amy Shuck

Prayer

Heavenly Father, help us to live lives of faith. In knowing the story of the tiny mustard seed that can uproot a mulberry tree and be planted in the sea, we trust our faith is always enough. Our faith comes from You and You dear Lord are always enough.

Amen.