October 5, 2025

Sermon title:  “Mustard Seed Faith”

Scripture:  Luke 17:5-10

(Other lectionary suggestions include Lamentations 1:1-6, Psalm 137, and II Timothy 1:1-14.)

Luke 17:5-10

5The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” 6The 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’? 8Would 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’? 9Do you thank the slave for doing what was commanded? 10So 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!’”

          This mention of faith the size of a mustard seed is in Matthew and Mark, as well as in Luke. So, I’m guessing that the early church thought this was an important story. Now a little personal note.....I knew my mother liked the story of a mustard seed, and so during my teenage years I bought her a bracelet with a mustard seed attached, and she loved it!

          As I researched the internet, I found this from a sermon given a few years ago by the rector of Christ Church Greenwich and I don’t know if that’s Greenwich, Connecticut, or Greenwich, England. It probably doesn’t matter, but I’m going to guess it was in this country. Says the rector of Christ Church Greenwich, “For most of us, faith is no easy task. We suspect that others have more faith than we do. The English novelist E. M. Forster described one of his characters as having faith with a small “f.” Most of us suspect that our faith is of the small “f” variety. After all, we haven’t experienced any burning bushes, lightning bolts , or blinding lights like Moses, Elijah, or St. Paul.”

          In Matthew’s telling of the story, Jesus says you can say to a mountain, “Move from here to there,” and the mountain will move. Says Jesus, “Nothing will be impossible for you.” As we have said before, Jesus sometimes used dramatic language to make a point - and the rector of Christ Church Greenwich says, “Faith may accomplish great things,

but usually it does not relandscape our yard or countryside.”

          Faith is really better understood as TRUST. If somebody says, “I believe in God,” fine. But what really matters is DO WE TRUST God. There is a story about a guy pushing a wheelbarrow across a waterfall. The guy pushing the wheelbarrow is walking across a tightrope. One observer is asked, “Do you think he can do it?” The observer says, “Yes, I do believe he can do it.” But the question of TRUST comes in when the observer is asked, “Would you go with him in that wheelbarrow?” If he says YES, then that is TRUST!

          Jesus is urging his listeners to have humility. And being truly humble is very hard to achieve. There is a book written by a man who may be making a joke. The book’s title is, “Humility and How I Achieved It.” Clearly, if you think you have achieved humility, you haven’t! “One of the paradoxes of humility is that, unlike the other virtues, those who really possess it usually don’t have the slightest idea that they do.” And I’m reminded of the true statement that it is really impossible to be TOPS in humility!

          What about doubt? I personally think it’s okay to doubt. And so does the rector of Christ Church Greenwich. In fact, he says, “We Christians must be absolutely rigorous in our thinking so that we can discern the truth. A healthy skepticism can ensure that we do not settle for a flimsy set of beliefs that will wash away in a storm.”

          So, for a faith that puts us in touch with God, says the rector, “We long for a faith which can also help when we or someone we love is very ill or deeply troubled or suffering from a loss.” But faith isn’t magic. It’s not like saying “Abracadabra.” Says the great writer Joan Chittister, “The problem is that we are not sure that we have faith in faith.” Remember that guy whose child Jesus heals? He says, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief.” That’s from Mark 9:24.

          Again, quoting the rector of Christ Church Greenwich, “Many of us have full lives, but we sense that something is still missing. We find ourselves envying people who have a strong faith, who have a hopeful, positive outlook. We see the difference that faith makes in their lives, and we want that for ourselves. We want to be calm, joyful, and less anxious. We long to live by faith and not by sight alone. Faith helps us to know that in all situations God has our back. No matter what confronts us, God is with us. Faith is thus the absence of fear. The world is a fearful place, and our heroes, government, money, and our own strength cannot dispel our fear.”

          No wonder the disciples said, “Lord, increase our faith!” Amen.

Pastor Skip