3^rd October 2010

Published Sunday 3 October 2010

Rev Dr Max Champion at St John's UCA Mt Waverley

Lessons -- Psalm 101; Luke 17:5-10

The disciples said to the Lord, 'Increase our faith!' (Luke 17:5 RSV)

We often envy individuals whose faith is strong and churches which thrive on 'faith ministries' while our faith is so fragile. We may marvel at the 'unshakeable faith' of those who've been through hell or whose trust in God leaves no room for doubt -- thinking of faith as a cure for failure and a guarantee of success. NV Peale's Power of Positive Thinking encourages this idea. Stories abound of individuals and churches where faith in God has increased so much that they become happy, wealthy, powerful and influential.

Jesus' reply to the disciples seems to support this view. Faith, he says, can accomplish things that are otherwise impossible, like uprooting the almost immovable mulberry tree and transplanting it in the sea (v6). Such faith works wonders in transforming our expectations of what God has in store for the world.

As usual with Jesus, however, the nature of that transformation is surprising! It even shocks his disciples. We can see this by looking at what has happened leading up to the demand to have their faith increased.  As always, context is important in understanding individual sayings.

Jesus' disciples have been astonished by his teaching about the extent of God's mercy to the lost (15:1-32) and by his insistence that they too show mercy without limit to penitent souls who have wronged them repeatedly (17:1-4). Because of what Jesus has said about God's grace and his condemnation of those who show no mercy (16:19-31), they want their faith enlarged.

In effect they are asking to believe in God's mercy for the lost and to live in a way that mirrors God's compassion even for those who harmed them. Such a transformation in their understanding of faith would be like an immovable mulberry tree being uprooted and thrown into the sea.

Thus the disciples learn that the true miracle of faith:

• is not to be found in an unshakeable belief in God's power to do whatever God chooses;
• is not to be found in having no doubts about the enduring goodness of God in a world of conflict, disappointment and affliction;
• is not to be found in the amount of self-belief or positive thinking that we can muster to cope with life or build a successful church.

The true miracle of faith is that the tiniest speck is enough to serve God's grand purposes (vv 5,6). A smidgeon of faith is a powerful force that is sufficient to 'increase' our awareness of God's compassion for the lost and to 'increase' our sense of responsibility in serving Christ by being merciful to them.

When faith is 'increased' in this way, then, paradoxically, we won't be tempted to 'increase' our reputations as faithful individuals or churches by boasting of our great personal faith or church success.

This attitude to faith is expressly ruled out in what Jesus says about masters and slaves (vv 7-10). He begins by outlining the custom of the day. Slaves were expected to do what their masters required by working in the fields during the day and serving their evening meal before they had their meal. They didn't deserve to be praised for doing what was part and parcel of their daily work. They just did what was required.

The disciples well understood the custom. But what was hard to accept was that an 'increase' in their faith meant a massive 'decrease' in their self- importance. They are to act, not like the 'masters' with whom they naturally identify (v7) but like 'slaves'. They are forced to re-think their faith radically!

They learn that 'increasing their faith' is not a means to boost their esteem in the eyes of those (like slaves) who naturally look up to them.  Nor is it a means to boost their self-esteem. Contrary to what is said in some churches today they aren't told to have greater self-belief. They are invited to be faithful (like their slaves) in simply doing what is required without thought of approval by God or others -- or themselves!

So they learn that a speck of faith 'decreases' self-belief and 'increases' awareness of God's compassion and their responsibility to be merciful.

The story is very liberating -- personally and for the church. We are free to be 'servants of grace' who don't need to boast of our increased 'faithfulness' or 'worthiness' but are glad to do the work of the 'Master' without thought of public approval or divine reward. What freedom it is to realise that 'the whole idea of merit is to be abandoned in our faithful response to God'. (GB Caird, The Gospel of St Luke, p 194.)

'Increased faith' doesn't bring us 'increased' power, status, rewards or success. We wish it did because we want credit for what we do for others and the community -- personally and as a church.

But that is not the way of the Gospel! A smidgeon of faith is sufficient to increase our ability to live faithfully in response to the miracle of God's grace in Christ. It may often seem that what we do is worthless (v10). In a society like ours which celebrates human achievement and rewards self-belief, this speck of faith will seem useless.

In fact, however, it is most worthwhile and useful because it increases our awareness of God's mercy for the lost and our compassion for those who are lost -- including those who are desperate for recognition. We don't need to prove ourselves. It is a great freedom to say, 'We are unworthy servants and deserve no credit; we have done only what we ought to have done!' (v10 RSV.)

With just a smidgeon of faith, we don't need to be worried about success, power or applause. We won't need to over-rate ourselves. We won't want quick-fix solutions to personal, social or church problems. We won't confuse faith in God with faith in ourselves or be taken in by mega- churches promising success for those who have great faith in God or themselves. Instead, we'll gladly serve God without thought of reward, knowing that we are 'unprofitable servants' (v10).

It is a great freedom to know that a speck of faith is all that is required to increase our awareness of God's grace and so to decrease our faith in ourselves and our own imagined goodness. When Jesus increases our faith, he decreases our desire for power, rewards and success. Our faith is increased when we realise that the tiniest speck is sufficient to worship God and to do unselfconscious acts of service in response to God's incredible and undeserved faithfulness to us in Christ.

It is good to know that, no matter how faltering, uncertain or weak our faith may be, the tiniest speck is enough!

At the same time, it is very vulnerable. Therefore we must constantly pray that our faith in God's grace revealed in Christ shall be increased even as our faith in ourselves and the desire to be rewarded for our faithfulness decreases.

The humility of faith is splendidly expressed in the second verse of Charles Wesley's fine hymn (AHB 473):

'. . . to thee our humble hearts aspire, and ask the gift unspeakable; increase in us the kindled fire, in us the word of faith fulfil.'

May this be our prayer as we seek to be faithful servants of Jesus Christ and glorify the God of grace!

Prayer: Most gracious and faithful God, Have mercy on us your unworthy servants. Increase our faith, that, trusting your power to work in us and through us, we may never be afraid of testifying to your faithfulness and may serve you all our days, To the honour and glory of your Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ, in whose name we pray. Amen.

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Rev Dr Max Champion is minister in the St John's Uniting Church, Mt Waverley, Victoria, Australia. Dr Champion is Chair of the Assembly of Confessing Congregations within the UCA.