When
you have done everything
you were told to do,
you should say,
“We are unworthy servants;
we have only done our duty.”
you were told to do,
you should say,
“We are unworthy servants;
we have only done our duty.”
Luke
17:10 (read 17:5-10) NIV
The
apostles were impressed by the power of Jesus and requested that
their faith be increased so that they, too, could do great things.
Jesus’ reply to the request was divided into two parts: first,
using the figures of a small mustard seed and a large mulberry tree
and, second, the figure of the relationship between a
servant and his master.
According
to Jesus, faith is like a small mustard seed. Although it is small it
is very powerful. Even a small faith can command a well-rooted
mulberry tree to be plucked up by its roots and cast into the sea!
Recognizing
that power, even spiritual power can lead to pride Jesus added the
second part about the relationship between master and servant.
He
used the social structure of that time and culture as an
illustration. Masters considered the work of servants to be a duty
and not a favor that deserves gratitude or praise. The lesson is that
whatever we do is only the fulfillment of duty. Faith should be used
for humble service and not to accumulate merits or to gain power.
Faith brings with it the temptation for pride in what is
accomplished. There is nothing grand about what we do, but “faith
people” often end up as prideful power grabbers. True faith
produces humble service without expecting praise and recognition. A
strong faith is humble faith!
Often
in religious institutions faith becomes an instrument of authority
and dominion instead of, compassion and humble service. ÉPOCA
MAGAZINE (edition
12/07/2004),
reported the case of a bishop who exercised his authority by accusing
and dismissing a woman pastor for witchcraft. She was of African
descent and of humble social origin who gave pastoral care to
prostitutes in the “Praça da Luz” area in São Paulo! A grateful
prostitute gave her a humor bumper sticker that read: “Witch on
board”, and she put it on her car. The bishop heard complaints and
used his "power of faith" to simply dismiss the minister
without trial and leave her without a salary and the prostitutes
without pastoral care! (We stood by her side and helped her through
her crisis.)
Worse
yet, the council of bishops condemned the pastor for going to civil
court to seek justice in defense of her rights that had been denied
by the church. To the ecclesiastical authorities it was more
important to defend their position of power than to support the
pastor in her ministry among prostitutes. It's easier to throw stones
than to give bread.
There
was no sign of compassion and humility on the part of the leadership
of the church. They trampled the pastor. In recounting the episode,
the "secular" magazine was far more prophetic than the
religious authorities who supported the injustice practiced by their
peer.
Jesus
used his faith to serve with humility. He did not place himself in
authority over others or use miracles as a means of promotion. He
knew that people have the tendency to run after miracles and love
displays of power and mighty works. He refused to use his power as a
tool of manipulation – and this led to the cross.
In
the real world the "deep-rooted mulberry trees" throw
"small mustard seeds" into the sea, sometimes in the name
of faith. In contrast, the Kingdom of God is not of the big and
powerful but those who seek to serve and are often judged and
condemned. Jesus told the religious authorities of his day that
prostitutes and tax collectors would enter heaven before them!
(In
some places our society even criminalizes those give a helping hand
to the needy.
LUKE
17:5-10 – NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION (NIV)
The
apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!”
He
replied, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say
to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and
it will obey you.
“Suppose
one of you has a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Will he
say to the servant when he comes in from the field, ‘Come along now
and sit down to eat’?
Won’t
he rather say, ‘Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on
me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink’?
Will
he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do?
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