Written by Scott B. Hayashi
Luke 17:5-6 (NRSV) The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” The Lord replied, “If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.”
I play the guitar. I have a handmade Stratocaster style guitar with a Fender Twin 65 reissue amp plus a number of pedals to dirty up the guitar’s tone. My goal is to sound like Jimi Hendrix. Guess what? I still sound like me…and that is not good. If I want to improve my guitar-playing ability, no one can do that for me but me. Even if Jimi Hendrix were my teacher, it would still be my responsibility to practice, take chances, and risk making mistakes.
The apostles ask Jesus to increase their faith. Their request is a good one—but Jesus can’t do it for them. They must take personal responsibility for their own growth. Perhaps this is why Jesus answers their request the way that he does.
Increase faith? Encouragement from others helps, but increasing our faith requires each of us to actively practice our faith—to trust, to take a leap.
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