The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.” The Lord replied, “If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.
“Who among you would say to your servant who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field, ‘Come here immediately and take your place at table’? Would he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare something for me to eat. Put on your apron and wait on me while I eat and drink. You may eat and drink when I am finished’? Is he grateful to that servant because he did what was commanded? So should it be with you. When you have done all you have been commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do.’”
Gospel Trivia:
Jesus describes true faith not in terms of quantity (which is what the apostles had in mind), but in terms of quality. If one had the right kind of faith, then one can accomplish apparently impossible actions.
Jesus gave the example of a servant who carried out the orders given by his master. Upon completion of his task, the servant is expected to remain available for the next one. The servant does not claim any special reward or gratitude since he is only doing what is expected of him.
As a disciple, the way to increase faith is not to ask for rewards for one's service, but to see the service as already the reward. If one has the kind of faith that Jesus is talking about, then no task would be impossible.
The gospel teaches two things:
- Our service is not a favor; God does not owe us because we served.
- Secondly, our faith enables us to carry out the orders received from God, and our humility recognizes that God is the power behind it all. When we serve, it is NOT us using the power of God, but the power of God using us.
By the way, if you’re wondering just how small a mustard seed is, and how big a mustard tree is, then see the pictures below. Also, the roots of the mustard tree is so great that the tree can resist 600 years of any weather!
Reference: A Kingdom For All by Nil Guillemette, SJ and Exploring God’s Word
No comments:
Post a Comment