Increase Our Faith!
October 6, 2013
Luke 17: 5-10
This sermon was preached by Pastor Kurt Jacobson at Trinity Lutheran Church, Eau Claire, WI
Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ, grace and peace be with you all.
Imagine if you will, a trip to the circus. Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey is in town, and we all
go. We are sitting on bleachers under the big top having a wonderful time laughing at the clowns, watching
lions and tigers jump through the rings, and gazing in awe as the acrobats perform. We are caught up in the
excitement and join with thousands in thunderous applause after each act.
Then the lights go out. Next a small spotlight reveals the Ringmaster at center stage and he says, “Ladies
and Gentlemen. Let me direct your attention to the high wire.” Another spotlight shines on a the wire high
above our heads. The Ringmaster asks the crowd: “How many of you believe that these daring men can ride
safely over the high wire on bicycles while carrying someone between them? Raise your hands if you think they
can.” We all raise our hands with everyone else, a great chorus of belief. “Very well then,” says the Ringmaster,
“now, who would like to be the first to volunteer to sit on his shoulders?” And all the hands quickly go back
down.
There’s a keen difference between belief and faith. It’s easy to say we believe when we can stay in our
seats. But to climb onto the shoulders of that high wire artist – well, that is faith! Today’s bible reading has the
disciples of Jesus learning about faith.
A little background here. The disciples had been following Jesus for some time now. They’d left their
jobs, families and homes. They often were confused, uncertain, afraid. They had been wowed by Jesus’ healings
and they believed in him. They got nervous as they watched Jesus challenge powerful religious officials. They
watched his miracles and thought to themselves, “Wow, that’s great! But I could never do that.”
The disciples believed in Jesus. But Jesus wanted not belief, faith – because faith was needed to do the
things Jesus expected of them like: forgive, heal, and love enemies.
Today’s bible reading brings us to the disciples when they’re feeling overwhelmed and inadequate
facing the challenges of being faithful in a demanding world. So what do they do? They cry out to Jesus,
“Increase our faith! We need a faith boost. We need a little caffeine in our Christianity, a shot of espresso in our
discipleship. Please Jesus, make our faith greater because this is a big gig you’re expecting us to handle in a
challenging world!”
It’s a reasonable request don’t you think? May you’ve asked God for more faith when facing situations
in your life. I have. There are days I wonder if faith is really enough.
We live in a world of decreased faith. The problems on all fronts seem to be escalating: people are
scared and scarred. There is massive financial debt hovering over our nation, and a government that frustrates
many people. All of our systems--educational, economic, military, political, religious --all of our systems are in
some kind of crisis.
We might be tempted to say, with the disciples, "Increase our faith." What else would we say?
If our eyes are open to the world around us, we have these options: we can ask for more faith or we can
give up. To my dismay, it seems that more and more people are giving up on faith. Perhaps you know people
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who have chosen that option. Some of them say: “God is not going to fix the brokenness of this world so why
bother having faith.”
Jesus responds to the request for increased faith by saying to the disciples: “If you had just a little faith,
you would be able to do amazing things … if you had faith as small as a mustard seed.”
Jesus knew these guys around him had faith. Jesus knows you have at least a bit of faith – even if you
wonder sometimes. So to the plea for increased faith, Jesus says: “Even with faith the size of a little seed…you
have faith enough to do what its involved in following me.”
Mother Teresa, the much loved and admired woman, put her faith to work in extraordinary ways by
serving the poor and orphaned in Calcutta, India. She established, along with the Sisters of Mercy, an orphanage
and a hospital for the people who would have simply died on the streets of this incredibly impoverished city. I
visited both places a few years back. In the orphanage was a sign quoting Mother Teresa: “Our calling is not to
do great things, but to do small things with great love.” This bible passage before us today might be saying
something similar to us: we do not need more faith, we need to use the faith that we have! The disciples asked
Jesus to make their faith greater. Jesus replied that they already had as much faith as they would need to do
what he wanted them to do. And so do we.
Faith, this unseen gift of God’s Spirit– it comes in many different shapes and through a variety of people
and life experiences. Faith takes root in us and necessitates that we do something with it. To grow faith, just like
any good thing in your life, it requires effort. The faith growing self-disciplines of weekly worship with the
people of God, daily devotions, prayer, service to neighbor – all these activities make faith grow and bear fruit
in your life! And Jesus assures us that the One who planted the seed will be there to bless it as it grows. God
will nurture the seeds of faith that God has planted in you. So use the faith you have!
Twenty years ago Carol Kane wanted to help remove some of the barriers facing homeless people, the
underemployed and working poor, inmates just released from prison, battered women and displaced veterans
and others by providing furniture and household goods as they worked to establish homes for themselves. She
felt this calling by God to help by supplying stuff to folks in central Florida who lived in such situations
regardless of their background, life-story or religion. Carol didn’t have an enormous faith, but just enough to
start something that has had amazing results.
Carol’s mission started small. She began collecting in her garage used sofas and beds, toasters and
towels donated or purchased with her own money. In the next few years she expanded to large warehouses and
in just four years, The Mustard Seed Inc. was created as a non-profit corporation.
From one woman taking a little bit of faith to helping a few people get back on their feet, the Mustard
Seed Inc. has grown into an organization that helps over 4,000 people a year, distributing around $1.5 million
dollars worth of used couches, La-Z-Boys, hotel beds past their prime and Disney World T-shirts that didn't sell
at the theme parks – all free of charge! Just a mustard seed of faith, nurtured by God, and tended to by Carol
and the impossible became possible!
Today, Christian churches across the world observe World Communion Sunday and we, with millions of
others reflect on the faith that we have together. Last week I had the opportunity to visit the Vatican. Along with
the Trinity tour group and what seemed like 50,000 other people on the sidewalks and in hallways, we gazed at
the immensity and magnitude of this, the world’s tinest nation. The vast size and adornment of St. Peter’s
Basilica and the incredible beauty of the frescoes of the Sistine Chapel impressed me. But what struck me most
were the people, the enormous number of people moving, gazing, ooing and awing in front of paintings,
crosses, altars and statues. I thought to myself, “Kurt, look at all these people who have interest in this place.
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What if they’re all people of faith?” I went on to imagine that many of them possessed at least a tiny seed of
faith.
On World Communion Sunday, we stop to remember that we are connected by faith to a whole world
full of people. To put together my tiny faith, and your seed sized faith along with billions surely creates a
powerful love that can overcome any division. Surely this faith we share can help this world see there is an
abundance that can overcome any scarcity, a trust that can trounce any fear.
Yet, sometimes even as people of faith we see mostly obstacles, divisions, scarcity and fear, don’t we?
And so we ask, "Increase our faith." And Jesus says, gently, confidently, "You already have enough faith. Put it
into practice."
On World Communion Sunday, I hope you’ll think more deeply about our connection with
people of faith across the world, people who today are found in grand cathedrals, the orthodox domed church,
the little steepled white churches, and the grass hut churches in Africa – all together possessing seeds of faith.
Imagine the global church, people like us and people very different from us – but all people of faith, committing
together to use the faith we already have. It is not so much that we need more!
Today, the good news, the promise of Jesus, is that even the smallest seed of faith matters – and the
small acts of faith will extend the grace and mercy of God wherever we apply them. How will you do that this
week?
So on this World Communion Sunday we pray and hope that Christians and people with a seed of faith
across this planet:
Will pledge to possessing a love big enough for all people;
Will share the grace and mercy of God in Christ;
Will let go of divisions and judgmentalism;
Will forgive.
We don't need to do great things...but small things with great love.
We don't need more faith...but we need to use the faith that we have! Amen.
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