Luke 17:5-10
5 The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” 6 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.
7 “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’? 8 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’? 9 Do you thank the slave for doing what was commanded? 10 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!’ ”
“Increase our faith!”
I’m always intrigued when I encounter one of the many functional agnostics who participate regularly in the life of the Church. They take great comfort in their involvement in worship and ministry, and they care deeply for their congregation. When pressed, though, they will admit that they don’t really believe all the stuff about Jesus. They simply can’t believe what can’t be proven.
My first response to these lovely, faithful, churchgoers is, Lord, increase their faith. I wonder, though, if that prayer isn’t misplaced. After all, we have all been given the gift of faith by the Holy Spirit. Also, faith the size of a mustard seed can do wonders. Maybe a more appropriate prayer would be, Lord, stir up the faith you’ve already planted in your servant. Or even, Lord, increase our trust in your promises.
Prayer: Lord Jesus: You have made it quite clear that our problem isn’t a lack of faith, it’s a lack of belief. Open our eyes to see you and our hearts to follow your lead. AMEN