Luke 17 - The way to increase faith!

I find it fascinating that people (like myself) can overlook fundamental Biblical instruction when it openly stares us in the face. When the disciples ask the Lord to teach them how to pray, we are given Luk 11 and a zillion of sermons flowed forth from that instructing us on how to pray. When I read this piece, “Lord increase our faith” I knew deep in my heart that this cuts very deep, for after all, out of the commandment to wholly love our God also comes the fact that without faith it is impossible to please Him (euarestesai – well-pleasing). So, to increase our faith is fundamental to our walk with God. Here Jesus explains to His disciples how they can increase their faith, and in my many years of Christian life I have yet to hear a teaching or sermon on it! Here are some thoughts on it after chewing it over many times.

Purists might insist that we go back as far as Luk 15. 1 for context, but personally I do not see too much relevance to this, it was a simple question answered by an allegory, which reads as follows in Luke 17:5-10, “And the apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith." So the Lord said, "If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,' and it would obey you. And which of you, having a servant plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, 'Come at once and sit down to eat'? But will he not rather say to him, 'Prepare something for my supper, and gird yourself and serve me till I have eaten and drunk, and afterward you will eat and drink'? Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I think not. So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, 'We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do.' " (NKJV). Verse 6 links up with Mark 11. 22; which Jesus spoke at a different occasion. 

He addresses the first part to the disciples, and then turned the story into the third person half way through the story. That’s about personalising it and then portraying the important principles thereafter. The servant in this story doubtlessly is a “good” and “faithful” servant/ slave (doulon).  He had ploughed the field the Master designated to him, the field represents “the ground designated to him to make fruitful” and in practical terms that often speaks of our area of ministry.  He also faithfully shepherded the flock the Master assigned to him. Now after doing what was expected of him, he returns “tired” to the Masters house. We can assume that, because of Jesus statement about whether the master would immediately say, ‘come and recline at the table for supper’ the inference being for he had worked hard all day. That is a key to understanding this process of increasing your faith. He was already a faithful slave of the Master fulfilling what he was commissioned to do. He had total clarity and conviction about his calling as the Master’s slave, but now once he enters the Master’s house, the Master is there to welcome him and says, “prepare (make ready) what I may eat, gird yourself (quickly) for service (perizonnumi), and after that I (and mine) have eaten and had drunk, then you can eat and drink”. I believe another key here for understanding the practical process of increasing your faith is to understand that the Master does not dine alone, it is embedded in Jewish tradition that family and friends are included in all main meals. The slave would understand that.  Jesus then continues and addresses unrealistic expectations. “Does the Master thank the servant for serving Him after making the food and preparing the drink and getting washed and dressed to serve Him?” Jesus said, “I judge that He would not” (paraphrased). Now Jesus still addresses the disciples (‘no more story, I’m talking to you’) and says that once they have fulfilled all things that is commanded of them, they should say, “we are only unprofitable slaves, we have done our duty (for that which we were bound to do) we have done. And that is how you increase your faith!

No wonder it is a scarce topic, for when I read it at first I said what in heaven and on earth does this mean? How does this explain to me how to increase my faith. I became interested in the process more than the principles, as I really would like to have my faith increased.

Some key issues that helped me digest this better was the following. The slave was a good slave and was doing what was expected of him. He understood the call to doing over and above what was expected of him at all times (as the immediacy of girding indicates), as the Master has need of him. He needed to understand the Master’s palate to prepare the food that would bless His Master. Jesus said, ‘my food is to do the will of the Father’. So what would you like or prefer for me to prepare for you to eat now my Master? It not the normal response of most Christians after toiling day and night in the Father’s business.  So there is a ‘tuning into’ the Father’s hunger when we have already ministered for Him, there is a girding ourselves not to work for Him but to bless Him (and His household) in a more personal way satisfy His hunger and thirst. It means separating ourselves for that particular purpose, we might still smell of sheep and be full of dust ploughing, so there is a cleansing (sanctification with the washing and the words of the Holy Spirit) and dressing ourselves, girding ourselves for the privileged call of our duty we are bound to, to serve our Master graciously and see Him (and those with Him He particularly wanted to feed on that occasion) pleased. Then the fireworks happens, faith rises up and lives are changed and God is supremely glorified, and we stand by and it was all His doing, I served, but He did it He shifted heaven and earth through my service and I can take no credit for it, my joy is being able to do my duty for my Master whom I love and serve faithfully, whose fulfilment is my ultimate bond, I am but His slave. No that’s how you increase your faith! It would be very helpful to read John 15: 9 – 17 which will shed more light on this gem.

I am glad to see that in a time where people use Matt 11. 12 as licence for rude aggression (instead of it’s intended passive voice, ’pushing in, in spite of violent opposition’); there is a clear mandate for gracious and active service in the presence of the Master as Jesus’ way to increase your faith.

Prophetically as God’s people we need to know and embrace our assignments, remain diligent and faithful in performing them, but we need to always and at all times be ready to meet our Master’s immediate need, feed the hunger of His heart, rather than our perceived ‘doing what He expects of us’ or our own needs. That may call for a separate preparation, going aside and getting ready to serve Him over and above what has been designated to us already, and then the acts of faith is released through such obedience. It is no small thing that unbelief can also be translated as disobedience in some instances.