5 The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” 6 And the Lord said, “If you had faith as a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this sycamore [JB — mulberry] tree, ‘Be rooted up, and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.
Example of service
7 “Will any one of you, who has a servant ploughing or keeping sheep, say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and sit down at table’? 8 Will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me, and gird yourself and serve me, till I eat and drink; and afterward you shall eat and drink’? 9 Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded?
Only our duty
10 So you also, when you have done all that is commanded you, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.’”
EXPLANATION
Introduction
This is a very short reading, six verses only, and yet it contains two main points. The first, verses 5 –6 on the request for more faith, and the second, verses 7 –10, on the difference faith makes to one’s service of God.
5 The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” 6 And the Lord said, “If you had faith as a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this sycamore tree, ‘Be rooted up, and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.
“The apostles said to the Lord, ‘Increase our faith!’ And the Lord said” — “The apostles” are mentioned here for the first time since Lk 9: 10. This adds to the importance of their request for an increase of faith.
The word “Lord”, the divine title, occurs twice in these few words. Implied is that the apostles see the necessity of the divine gift of faith to accept the teaching and way of life offered by Jesus. They realise that they cannot live what he teaches without his help. Note that the request was formulated by the apostles, an indication that the other disciples were not yet as fully aware of the depth, sublimity and demands of Jesus’ teaching.
“Increase our faith!” — On his journey to death in Jerusalem, Jesus is training his apostles and disciples in fundamental teachings. He has just instructed them on compassion (chapter 15), on the Christian attitude to money and wealth (chapter16), on causing temptation to others (17: 1–2) and on the necessity of frequent forgiveness and reconciliation of others (17: 3–4). The apostles are aware that on their part these qualities need the fundamental virtue which is faith to prop them up. They realise that they are not very strong in faith so they beg for an increase.
“‘If you had faith as a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this sycamore tree, “Be rooted up, and be planted in the sea” and it would obey you.’” — Nothing is too difficult to a person with faith, no matter how small his faith is.
“a grain of mustard seed” — The mustard seed is one of the smallest of seeds, about the size of the head of a pin, — it describes how little faith is required. This is the second time Luke gives this example (Lk. 13: 19).
“sycamore tree” is sometimes translated as “sycamire” or “mulberry tree”. Both these trees are difficult to remove because their roots are so strong, extensive and deep. They were thought to live for more than 500 years. They were known not to flourish in the sea. Faith would be really strong to make them grow in the sea.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church states: “Faith is an entirely free gift that God makes to man. … To live, grow and persevere in the faith until the end we must nourish it with the word of God; we must beg the Lord to increase our faith; it must be ‘working through charity,’ abounding in hope, and rooted in the faith of the Church.” (162).
7 “Will any one of you, who has a servant ploughing or keeping sheep, say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and sit down at table’? 8 Will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me, and gird yourself and serve me, till I eat and drink; and afterward you shall eat and drink’? 9 Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded?
“Will any one of you, who has a servant ploughing or keeping sheep, say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and sit down at table’?” — This passage opened with a teaching on faith. Now a second teaching is offered, this time on Christian service.
The word here for “servant” means “slave”, a person with no rights or privileges. Ordinary, not very big farmers would have one servant/slave. This man would be expected to work in the fields alone, ploughing, taking care of the animals, milking, cleaning, and everything else. Then at the appropriate time he would return to the house to cook and serve, wash up and make tidy. During all of this the farmer did next to nothing.
“Will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me, and gird yourself and serve me, till I eat and drink; and afterward you shall eat and drink’? Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded?” — The master has no obligations to thank his slave who must do all that he is told and commanded.
10 So you also, when you have done all that is commanded you, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.’”
“So you also, when you have done all that is commanded you, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.’” — The example of the servant/slave is now applied to the Christian.
Jesus adopts the example of the slave to demonstrate that we Christians are not capable of meriting any rewards from God our Father. Whatever we do is from his gifts to us. He has given us all our gifts and abilities. We have nothing which is our very own; everything is his gift to us. Because everything we have is from God as a gift, we could never adequately repay him for what he has done for us.
He has also invited us to do his work, not independently of him but in his presence. It is his work and he is doing it with us. We are following him, not for our own glory but to manifest the glory of God to others. Our following is a following of love and love does not expect or demand a return or reward. Should love expect or demand a return it would be a clear indication that love is not love because love does not seek to acquire but to share oneself.
Jesus did not look for a return in response to the giving of his life for our salvation. That is all he sought, our salvation and our eternal happiness. Salvation is an absolutely gratuitous gift from God through Jesus.
Many Jewish rabbis preached that correct observances of the Law would earn a reward from God (Lk. 18: 9 –12). Disciples are told in this verse that they are “unworthy servants” merely doing their duty. This does not mean that they will receive nothing in return. It is the generosity of God that will reward them because of the faith and the love they show in serving him.
APPLICATION
It is not easy to live in a scientific age such as we do and believe. In scientific facts, that are provable and easily acceptable, everything can be experienced by senses or experiment. That is one reason why so many people now have difficulty in believing. Religion is not verifiable by fact or experiment. It depends on what God reveals. In today’s Gospel reading the apostles were having a rough time with their new way of life. Jesus had just shared a parable with them about wealth and its dangers and then about causing temptations and scandals and finally about the need to forgive and forgive and forgive umpteen times. The apostles felt that things were getting out of hand and too much was being expected of them. So they asked for an increase in faith. They were beginning to see that they were not going to be up to the standard Jesus was expecting from them.
“Faith” was a word used only five times so far in Luke’s Gospel and on a few occasions it might be mixed up with ‘fidelity’ or ‘faithfulness’. It is not a surprise that the word can cause some confusion. We have to be clear about it.
The apostles thought that they did not have enough faith. For them it seemed too small to be of any great benefit. Jesus corrected them immediately. Faith is not judged by size. So powerful is even a pin –head size that great miracles and extraordinary events can be accomplished by it. What the apostles needed, he told them, was not quantity but confidence in the almost invisibly small amount they had. That would be adequate.
Here is a thought which could build that confidence. Man is created by God and for God and the desire for God never leaves the human heart. It is there always, put there by God. On his part God never ceases to draw the human being to himself. He made him for himself. There is an intimate and vital bond between man and God unless rejected or forgotten by man. God would never reject his creation made in, by and for love.
God revealed his plan for man’s eternal destiny as his child through his incarnate Son Jesus Christ and through his Holy Spirit. In this way God wished to make people aware that they had access to his divine nature; they could share his life and nature as his beloved children. That is a truth which many feel is not fully realised by God’s children. A large number would not accept that God looks after them like a father in their daily lives. They would say that God does not enter their lives regularly. Their expectations from God are limited to immediate and comforting needs for the present material world. Love for God can play little or no part in their relationship. They look on God as their indulgent servant.
Perhaps they have no idea as to what faith is. Fundamentally faith is about awareness of God’s presence in our daily lives. God is the very centre of our lives. We should acknowledge that. Because of that we have responsibilities and should want to live according to his pattern. We have commitment to him for whom we were brought into existence. We were created in his image and likeness, that is with intellect and will. Accordingly we have to think and love like him. That is what makes us fully human. An immediately quality that flows from this is generosity. We want to be like him in total giving. We are not self –seekers, people who do things for reward. Everything we think and do is done for his glory and honour; that is our very essence.
After the apostle asked for an increase of faith, Jesus told them a parable to explain his answer. They were accustomed to seeing small farmers with a single slave. That slave did not work for wages or for any other reward. His whole life centred on his master. Jesus concluded that the apostles also should not look for reward. They held a special relationship with God their Father, so, if you like, he was their reward. To live in his presence as his child was sufficient for them. Thinking of this with worldly eyes may seem difficult. Then like the apostles, a fervent, “Lord, increase our faith” or with the centurion “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief”.
Commentary on 27th Sunday of the year C 2.10.2016
TEXT: LUKE 17: 05–10
Increase our faith
5 The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” 6 And the Lord said, “If you had faith as a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this sycamore [JB — mulberry] tree, ‘Be rooted up, and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.
Example of service
7 “Will any one of you, who has a servant ploughing or keeping sheep, say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and sit down at table’? 8 Will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me, and gird yourself and serve me, till I eat and drink; and afterward you shall eat and drink’? 9 Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded?
Only our duty
10 So you also, when you have done all that is commanded you, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.’”
EXPLANATION
Introduction
This is a very short reading, six verses only, and yet it contains two main points. The first, verses 5 –6 on the request for more faith, and the second, verses 7 –10, on the difference faith makes to one’s service of God.
5 The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” 6 And the Lord said, “If you had faith as a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this sycamore tree, ‘Be rooted up, and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.
“The apostles said to the Lord, ‘Increase our faith!’ And the Lord said” — “The apostles” are mentioned here for the first time since Lk 9: 10. This adds to the importance of their request for an increase of faith.
The word “Lord”, the divine title, occurs twice in these few words. Implied is that the apostles see the necessity of the divine gift of faith to accept the teaching and way of life offered by Jesus. They realise that they cannot live what he teaches without his help. Note that the request was formulated by the apostles, an indication that the other disciples were not yet as fully aware of the depth, sublimity and demands of Jesus’ teaching.
“Increase our faith!” — On his journey to death in Jerusalem, Jesus is training his apostles and disciples in fundamental teachings. He has just instructed them on compassion (chapter 15), on the Christian attitude to money and wealth (chapter16), on causing temptation to others (17: 1–2) and on the necessity of frequent forgiveness and reconciliation of others (17: 3–4). The apostles are aware that on their part these qualities need the fundamental virtue which is faith to prop them up. They realise that they are not very strong in faith so they beg for an increase.
“‘If you had faith as a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this sycamore tree, “Be rooted up, and be planted in the sea” and it would obey you.’” — Nothing is too difficult to a person with faith, no matter how small his faith is.
“a grain of mustard seed” — The mustard seed is one of the smallest of seeds, about the size of the head of a pin, — it describes how little faith is required. This is the second time Luke gives this example (Lk. 13: 19).
“sycamore tree” is sometimes translated as “sycamire” or “mulberry tree”. Both these trees are difficult to remove because their roots are so strong, extensive and deep. They were thought to live for more than 500 years. They were known not to flourish in the sea. Faith would be really strong to make them grow in the sea.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church states: “Faith is an entirely free gift that God makes to man. … To live, grow and persevere in the faith until the end we must nourish it with the word of God; we must beg the Lord to increase our faith; it must be ‘working through charity,’ abounding in hope, and rooted in the faith of the Church.” (162).
7 “Will any one of you, who has a servant ploughing or keeping sheep, say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and sit down at table’? 8 Will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me, and gird yourself and serve me, till I eat and drink; and afterward you shall eat and drink’? 9 Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded?
“Will any one of you, who has a servant ploughing or keeping sheep, say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and sit down at table’?” — This passage opened with a teaching on faith. Now a second teaching is offered, this time on Christian service.
The word here for “servant” means “slave”, a person with no rights or privileges. Ordinary, not very big farmers would have one servant/slave. This man would be expected to work in the fields alone, ploughing, taking care of the animals, milking, cleaning, and everything else. Then at the appropriate time he would return to the house to cook and serve, wash up and make tidy. During all of this the farmer did next to nothing.
“Will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me, and gird yourself and serve me, till I eat and drink; and afterward you shall eat and drink’? Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded?” — The master has no obligations to thank his slave who must do all that he is told and commanded.
10 So you also, when you have done all that is commanded you, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.’”
“So you also, when you have done all that is commanded you, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.’” — The example of the servant/slave is now applied to the Christian.
Jesus adopts the example of the slave to demonstrate that we Christians are not capable of meriting any rewards from God our Father. Whatever we do is from his gifts to us. He has given us all our gifts and abilities. We have nothing which is our very own; everything is his gift to us. Because everything we have is from God as a gift, we could never adequately repay him for what he has done for us.
He has also invited us to do his work, not independently of him but in his presence. It is his work and he is doing it with us. We are following him, not for our own glory but to manifest the glory of God to others. Our following is a following of love and love does not expect or demand a return or reward. Should love expect or demand a return it would be a clear indication that love is not love because love does not seek to acquire but to share oneself.
Jesus did not look for a return in response to the giving of his life for our salvation. That is all he sought, our salvation and our eternal happiness. Salvation is an absolutely gratuitous gift from God through Jesus.
Many Jewish rabbis preached that correct observances of the Law would earn a reward from God (Lk. 18: 9 –12). Disciples are told in this verse that they are “unworthy servants” merely doing their duty. This does not mean that they will receive nothing in return. It is the generosity of God that will reward them because of the faith and the love they show in serving him.
APPLICATION
It is not easy to live in a scientific age such as we do and believe. In scientific facts, that are provable and easily acceptable, everything can be experienced by senses or experiment. That is one reason why so many people now have difficulty in believing. Religion is not verifiable by fact or experiment. It depends on what God reveals. In today’s Gospel reading the apostles were having a rough time with their new way of life. Jesus had just shared a parable with them about wealth and its dangers and then about causing temptations and scandals and finally about the need to forgive and forgive and forgive umpteen times. The apostles felt that things were getting out of hand and too much was being expected of them. So they asked for an increase in faith. They were beginning to see that they were not going to be up to the standard Jesus was expecting from them.
“Faith” was a word used only five times so far in Luke’s Gospel and on a few occasions it might be mixed up with ‘fidelity’ or ‘faithfulness’. It is not a surprise that the word can cause some confusion. We have to be clear about it.
The apostles thought that they did not have enough faith. For them it seemed too small to be of any great benefit. Jesus corrected them immediately. Faith is not judged by size. So powerful is even a pin –head size that great miracles and extraordinary events can be accomplished by it. What the apostles needed, he told them, was not quantity but confidence in the almost invisibly small amount they had. That would be adequate.
Here is a thought which could build that confidence. Man is created by God and for God and the desire for God never leaves the human heart. It is there always, put there by God. On his part God never ceases to draw the human being to himself. He made him for himself. There is an intimate and vital bond between man and God unless rejected or forgotten by man. God would never reject his creation made in, by and for love.
God revealed his plan for man’s eternal destiny as his child through his incarnate Son Jesus Christ and through his Holy Spirit. In this way God wished to make people aware that they had access to his divine nature; they could share his life and nature as his beloved children. That is a truth which many feel is not fully realised by God’s children. A large number would not accept that God looks after them like a father in their daily lives. They would say that God does not enter their lives regularly. Their expectations from God are limited to immediate and comforting needs for the present material world. Love for God can play little or no part in their relationship. They look on God as their indulgent servant.
Perhaps they have no idea as to what faith is. Fundamentally faith is about awareness of God’s presence in our daily lives. God is the very centre of our lives. We should acknowledge that. Because of that we have responsibilities and should want to live according to his pattern. We have commitment to him for whom we were brought into existence. We were created in his image and likeness, that is with intellect and will. Accordingly we have to think and love like him. That is what makes us fully human. An immediately quality that flows from this is generosity. We want to be like him in total giving. We are not self –seekers, people who do things for reward. Everything we think and do is done for his glory and honour; that is our very essence.
After the apostle asked for an increase of faith, Jesus told them a parable to explain his answer. They were accustomed to seeing small farmers with a single slave. That slave did not work for wages or for any other reward. His whole life centred on his master. Jesus concluded that the apostles also should not look for reward. They held a special relationship with God their Father, so, if you like, he was their reward. To live in his presence as his child was sufficient for them. Thinking of this with worldly eyes may seem difficult. Then like the apostles, a fervent, “Lord, increase our faith” or with the centurion “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief”.