Sermon Notes on Luke 17:5-10

 

Faith is what we do.

 

Star Trek has always been an interesting show to me. Not just because I am a science fiction geek, but also because the writers of Star Trek used real engineering concepts in their stories, concepts that people are studying right now. The stories in Star Trek imagine what the world might be like if these ideas become reality.

 

One of the things that they talk a lot about in Star Trek episodes is antimatter. Hey, if you think an atom or hydrogen bomb creates a lot of power, you ain’t seen NOTHING like a matter-antimatter reaction!

 

Picture this, there is enough energy in one Styrofoam cup to destroy all of New York City if it were used in a matter-antimatter reaction. Now that’s a lot of power in a tiny little package!

 

In our text for today, Jesus is trying to tell his disciples that, compared to the power of faith, anything else, even a matter-antimatter reaction, is nothing, just a sparkler.

 

Before today’s text, Jesus had just given his disciples some tough instructions about forgiveness, basically saying that their willingness to forgive must have no limits. Their  reaction was, “Lord, increase our faith!” In other words, “You must be joking!” I guess they got one thing right. They realized that the power to forgive in this way could not possibly come from them.

 

But then Jesus said something to them that was a little unexpected. I think they were hoping for him to perhaps lay his hands on them and transfer some of his faith mojo to them. Instead Jesus says, basically (my interpretation), “You already have all of the faith that you need. It’s not the amount of faith that’s important. It’s understanding the power that faith contains.”

 

Now there are some scholars who, at this point, think that Jesus changes the subject. They think that he goes off on the different topic of doing our duty as disciples without feeling the need to be thanked for it. I have a different point of view.

 

I believe what Jesus is doing here in Luke’s Gospel is giving his disciples an illustration of what this sort of faith looks like. I think Jesus is trying to get it through the heads of his people that obedience to God, doing the things God calls us to do, IS faith. Faith is not some extraordinary thing, it’s routine. When we obey God and do the things God is telling us to do it shouldn’t be praiseworthy or surprising. When the mulberry bush flies into the sea we should say, “Well…no problemo,  just doing my job.”

 

You see, this is where we followers of Jesus get confused and paralyzed. Somehow we think that faith is some intellectual attitude of belief. We see it as holding to some sort of creed or statement that sums up our doctrines. We find ourselves asking God to strengthen our intellectual belief or trust so that we will behave differently.

 

In this text, I think Jesus is telling us that the power of faith is not unleashed in this way. I believe that Jesus is making it clear that the power of faith is unleashed through our ACTION. I believe that Jesus is telling us they are one in the same. Faith = action.

 

Here’s how it works. I can look at this electric drill all day and say, “God, help me to believe that there will be electricity enough to drill the hole I need to drill. God help me believe that there will be enough power for me to accomplish this task.” But until I put this drill bit to the wood and pull the trigger I won’t see any power because, until I pull that trigger there is no power! There is potential power, but it isn’t realized until I act.

 

Faith is action. Until we move out and do what God is calling us to do we won’t see much of God’s power in our lives. Once we move out and do what God is calling us to do, we will be awed by God’s unlimited, mulberry-tossing power working through us.

 

There was a time when we were completely unable to know this. God’s amazing love, this power to change the world was hidden from us by sin. There was a time when we were stuck. But Christ has come! By his life, death, and resurrection he has destroyed the power of sin and reconnected us with God. People of God, the power is ON.

 

If we step out in obedience to what God has commanded us to do, there isn’t anything we can’t accomplish. If we limit ourselves to our own resources, even what little we think we can do might be optimistic.

 

When we act, when we obey God’s calling, when we live and plan and do ministry according to God’s priorities, it is God’s unlimited power that moves through us.

 

Do you want more power to drill holes? Pull the trigger on that drill! Do you want more faith? Get going! You will discover that what you do in Christ’s name is your faith. God provides all the faith we need as we do what Christ calls us to do. As we go and do we will find that God supplies us with all of the power and faith to do it.

 

And, as Jesus said, this is not some great, praise-worthy thing for which we should expect an award. This is how the life of a disciple is supposed to look. God’s routine for us, the norm, is world-changing, awe-inspiring, life-giving faith and power.

 

Jesus, our Lord and savior, died for our sins and rose again, setting us free. So often we muddle around in fear behind a wall of sin that has already been destroyed. Let’s stop muddling, kicking around the rubble of that ancient wall, asking for faith that is already there. God longs to pour out power and faith like fuel into our hearts as we follow Christ, embracing his priorities. I can’t wait to get going!

 

God will give us all the faith that we need along the way. Amen