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Increase Our Faith







Increase Our Faith
Lk 17: 5 – 10
27th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Introduction

Today’s gospel speaks about two things. First, about faith and second, about servanthood.  These two things, which may seem to be distinct from one another, might just be so related to one another: one needs faith to remain a servant of the Lord.

The Gospel
5 And the apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.” 6 The Lord replied, “If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you would say to [this] mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.
 7 “Who among you would say to your servant who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field, ‘Come here immediately and take your place at table’? 8 Would he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare something for me to eat. Put on your apron and wait on me while I eat and drink. You may eat and drink when I am finished’? 9 Is he grateful to that servant because he did what was commanded? 10 So should it be with you. When you have done all you have been commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do.’”

Reflection

Today’s gospel can be seen having two parts. The first part talks about faith while the second part talks about servanthood.  In the first part, we hear the disciples asking the Lord to increase their faith. This means that faith is something we can pray about and ask for.  But what then, is faith?
First, faith is a gift. It is not something of our own making. We receive faith from the Lord who also makes it grow.
 Second, faith gives us this sense of certainty that while we may not see the things we hope for at the moment, we know and are certain that these would be realized in time ( see Heb 11: 1). Faith then is a way of seeing and knowing. It is believing in the things that are not yet and could not yet be seen or have not yet been realized; yet we believe in them, even if we don’t see them yet.
Third, Jesus tells us that when one’s faith becomes great, then it would have the power to move and become operative in one’s life.  Jesus himself describes the power of such faith; how such faith can make a mulberry tree uproot itself and throw itself to the sea. This metaphor simply tells us that one’s faith can indeed do incredible things right before one’s own very eyes.
The second part of the gospel talks about servanthood. Jesus simply talks about how a servant serves his master, even after a hard day’s work. The servant continues to be a servant even after having worked in the fields.
At first, it might seem that this story about the servant has nothing to do with the first part of the reading which talks about faith. Luke places this imagery about the “useless servant” immediately after the disciples ask the Lord to increase their faith. But the two may be related in the following ways:
The image of the servant that continues to serve his master even after toiling in the fields speaks about a person who continues to do his work as a servant despite the rigors and hardships of working. So must a man of faith do so. A man of faith continues to persevere and does what must be done; he does  not tire in doing his work because he knows he works for his master.
The parable of the useless servant tells us that faith allows us to serve the Lord unceasingly, even amidst the struggles in life. Faith allows us to course through difficulties in life and helps us to persevere in the work that we do, knowing that it is the Lord whom we serve.
For all the people who continue to live through difficult times, and still believe that their hard work has meaning because it is done for the Lord, their faith shall not fail them. For all the people who struggle through life because of their honesty, their values and their integrity; they who continue to believe that living for the Lord would mean serving him and working for him despite the difficulties of life; they who believe shall not be disappointed in the end.
It is people then, who have faith who will have this sense of servanthood until the end, never tiring, never quiting or giving up because they firmly believe that one day, all that they have hoped for shall be given to them by the Lord whom they have served as faithful servants. 


Prayer

Dear Lord, increase my faith. Increase it so that I may persevere in the work you tell me to do despite the hardships that I may encounter. Allow my faith to give me the certainty of what I hope for, never doubting for a moment that you will reward me as one who has served you faithfully until the end.  Amen.


“The Just man because of his faith, shall live “ – Habakkuk 2: 4

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