Sunday, October 2, 2016

Sermon - Pentecost 20, Year C

Luke 17:5-10                                                                         

                                                               Having All That is Needed


“The apostles said to the Lord, ‘Increase our faith!’”  I don’t think there were punctuations in ancient Greek, but did you notice there is an exclamation mark in the English translation?  There is an urgency to their words.

I can understand the urgency.  Can’t you?  What they are saying to Jesus has got to be one of the most urgent comments ever made.  “Increase our faith!”

I do sort of wonder about the tone of their comment.  Tone affects things; tone greatly alters how a comment is heard and received. 

Are the apostles begging for something?  As in “Please, please, please God.  Please increase our faith.”

Maybe their tone is mingled with confession.  Perhaps they are saying, “We admit we don’t have what it takes and so we are asking you to help us address our shortcomings.”

What is the tone?  What is the mood behind their comment?

There is a third option.  (You knew there would be, right?)  This third, possible option might also allow us to link the opening exchange with the short parable which completes this morning’s appointed reading.  This third option might be heard this way: “Lord, we know that you grant your children all that is needed.  We know that faith is not something we can obtain, rather it is something that we receive, as a gift, from you.  As we face the passing of this hour, increase the faith found among us so that we might forgive - as you have forgiven.  And so that we might offer healing and wholeness in your name.”

“Lord, we know that you grant your children all that is needed.  We know that faith is not something we can obtain, rather it is something that we receive, as a gift, from you.  As we face the passing of this hour, increase the faith found among us so that we might forgive - as you have forgiven.  And so that we might offer healing and wholeness in your name.”

Slaves turn to their master - knowing that their master will provide the tools necessary to accomplish their assignments.  The apostles are asking for an increase in faith.  Jesus tells them to go about their assigned tasks and be assured they will be given all that they need.

Anytime slavery is mentioned, in our day and time, much of what else is said is lost.  Our country and our communities continue to suffer from the vestiges of the slavery practiced in the early years of our country.  This morning I want to ask you to try, at least for a moment, to set this aside our experience and hear a few things about slaves in the time of Jesus.

But even before I talk about slaves, I need to say address the process of translating the bible into English from Greek.  The word translated “slave” can also be translated “servant.”  In today’s verses, “Servant” might be more helpful when a reference is made to reading into this parable a gratitude on the part of the “servant”.  The trouble in translating it as “servant,” leaves open the possibility that the relationship might be seen as one which could be voluntarily terminated.  Servants can be dismissed; they can be thanked and sent on their way.  The relationship to which Jesus points is more permanent.  It is a relationship which figures heavily into defining one’s identity.

The slave in Jesus’ day was not treated as livestock or property.  However, the slave in Jesus’ day could depend upon the master.  They master bore responsibility for the slave, to provide home and hearth and all that was needed.  In serving, the slave was assured they would be cared for.

The apostles come to Jesus, asking that he “Increase our faith!”  They come to him as servants, confident that the master will do what is needed and necessary.  Their request is for the master to do for them what they cannot do for themselves.

Another exercise in “tone.”  What is the tone of Jesus’ reply?  In too many congregations Jesus’ words will be heard as scolding or blaming.  Unfortunately, some while hear him saying, “If ONLY you had a tiny bit of faith.”  Thus allowing erroneous notion to continue that we lack even this smidgen of faith, and thus we stand condemned.  “Unfortunately.”  “Erroneous.”  Did you hear those words?  I want to communicate how WRONG such a hearing is.

Well, wrong at least when you stand in the tradition of the one who wrote the book of Luke, and in the tradition of a reformer by the name of Martin Luther.

Jesus looks at the apostles and tells them not to worry.  “You are fine.  You will be fine.  And your master has already given you all that you need.”  He tells them, “While I would be happy to do so, you don’t need me to ‘increase” your faith.  Even the tiniest amount is enough to make that tree over there jump in to the sea.”

The tradition of interpretation which we can trace through Martin Luther and back to Luke is one in which God is seen as the one who provides – even before we ask or when we don’t know to ask.  God provides, as a master provides for his slaves.  God gives - gives us what we need and all that we need.  Without him, we would be worthless.  But with him we have a name and a place.

I hope that I have so much about what I am going to say next that some of you will begin to repeat it with me.  Yes – I am once again going to talk about prevenient grace.  Prevenient grace is the grace which acts on us before we act on our own.  Luther learned of this way of understanding grace in his years as an Augustinian Monk.  But much of Protestantism gave up on it, preferring instead to seek a personal conversion and public proclamation of beliefs. 

Prevenient grace is grace spoken of in the Hymn “Amazing Grace,” when the hymn writer says “T’was grace that taught my heart to fear; t’was grace my fears relieved.”  God’s grace acts first, provides all that we need.  God’s care of us allows us to do all that we “ought to have done.”

The disciples know that they won’t be able to face all that they will need to face without a healthy dose of confidence and trust in Jesus.  In the immediately preceding verses, they have struggled to cast out demons and to offer forgiveness.  They have just been told that they must forgive and forgive – as many as seventy times.  To do what their master hopes, they will need more from their master and Jesus assures them they will have it.  Every master provides for his slaves the tools needed to do the task that has been asked of them. 

“Don’t worry,” Jesus tells them.  “You have sufficient faith.  Don’t worry about what you have or don’t have – get to the task at hand.  Put on your apron.  Serve as you have seen me serve.”


Amen.

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