27th Sunday

27th Sunday Ordinary
October 3, 2004

“How long, O Lord? I cry for help but you do not listen!” (Hab 1:2-3, 2:2-4). “’Increase our faith’…We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do.” (Luke 17:5-10).
The prophet is complaining to the Most High that his prayers for relief are not being heard. Jesus responds to his disciples' request that he do something about their lack of trust in him and his Father. He uses an analogy between discipleship and the life of a servant who deserves nothing more than to continue waiting on the master without complaining about when it might be his own turn to eat and rest.
This seems to be a strange, even hostile response from the master to the disciples' request. Something like, "do your duty, don't complain, and don't think about your own needs". Jesus was apparently responding to some nuance in the disciples' "request", and scolding them for avoiding responsibility. Were they asking him to do something for them that they should have been expected to do for themselves? By referring to the tiniest bit of faith as being enough, was he saying that they already had everything they needed as far as faith is concerned, and now should get on with living in it? Apparently it was no easier for the prophets, or the disciples who were close to Jesus, than it is for us.
How much faith do we need? Notice that the disciples asked for an increase of faith, implying that they already had some, but not enough. I wonder if sometimes we don't think of faith as "you have it or you don't". Jesus comments to the disciples seem to suggest otherwise. Faith is a living and growing thing, always there within us to one degree or another, waiting for us to accept it for what it is rather than for what we want it to be. Perhaps this idea would be more accessible if we focused on "faith" less as acceptance of doctrines (as important as these may be) and more on its original biblical meaning of "trust".
My brother Steve reminded me this morning as we were doing my morning "get me up" ritual, of my panic reaction when I first lost control of my body posture, afraid I would fall forward and do a "header". I have gradually lost my fear of falling, trusting in those who look after me to be there to prevent that. He also reminded me that they would continually reassure me that I was not in any danger. Until I had the experience of safety for a period of time, I could not internalize these reassurances. A little bit of trust is developing into a way of life. Is this like "faith", growing over time and experience? Less satisfying immediately, but more permanent and pervasive in our lives over the long term. Like the servant in Jesus' story, we are obliged to serve as we grow to maturity and trust in the Most High.