Is Enough Enough?

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!' "

Reflection

How much faith do I need? Is enough enough? If I need more, how do I get more?

It seems here that even a tiny bit of faith can do things beyond what I could ever imagine. But, who wants to plant trees in the sea?

Do I ever give a servant a break? After a hard day of work, do I burden then with more work and then tell them they'll get a break when they are done taking care of me? Am I the servant or the master? And if I'm the master; who do I think I am?

Does the slave get a thank you? The slave did the job expected... no thanks! Worthless slave!

More questions and mystery with this short passage than I can handle!

It seems that this passage is about quantity of things. Is enough enough?

Well, it depends. I can't do enough to make my keep. I can't do enough to repay God for all that God has done for me. What I do do is so much smaller than the mustard seed that it would be an embarrassing offering.

This reminds me of Cain and Abel. Cain came with gifts and Abel came with gifts to offer to God. Cain came in the pretense that he was born first and offered his gift to God knowing that he was the firstborn and thus chosen by God to be number 1 by his birth. No faith needed for Cain. Cain believed his gift would be pleasing to God because his gift was from the firstborn son of Adam and Eve. Abel came with his gifts having faith that God would accept his gift because he knew God was a good and loving God. Abel came humble before God with his gift.

God saw a little bit of faith with Abel. God saw a smugness with Cain. God liked Abel's gift because it was given in faith. (That's my twist on God's reaction... you'll have to find out from God if it's right or not... so will I)

With this reasoning... I can only think that Jesus is telling his disciples that just a tiny bit of faith is more than they can handle. And on top of that... Jesus is giving them and us this tiny bit of faith. Faith to be used. Faith to be put into action. Faith that is enough to plant that tree into the sea... but let's do something better with our faith than  that.

How about we free the slave? How about we thank the Master! How about we work with the slave in thanks to the Master for all he has done? How about we be the slave, the servant, the disciple and do what God has called us to do? How about we feed the hungry, go to the sick, visit the imprisoned, help the homeless find a home? How about we love one another and stop all the fighting and the hatred? How about we turn to our enemy and offer peace?

I begin with questions and end with questions. Begin with impossible questions to answer and end with questions that, with a little bit of faith, move us to respond with action through faith in God.

Just think... with only our little bitty tiny speck of faith in God... God responds with a faith in us that we can't even begin to quantify.

Isn't that why we respond?

It's about God... not about us!

Thanks be to God!

Music

Prayer

Lord, use me and increase my faith; today, tomorrow and forever. --- Amen