If I have learned anything so far in this new testament challenge it is that Jesus responds to “faith”, that “faith” is of utmost importance, that “faith” is one of the most important things I need to grasp. How many times has Jesus said “your faith has healed you”, or when frustrated with his apostles said “oh, you of little faith”. I remember when reading In Matthew 17, when Jesus healed a demon possessed boy who had seizures and suffered terribly, the boy’s father said he had taken him to the disciples, but they couldn’t heal him. Jesus referring to his disciples said “you faithless people”. The disciples went straight to Jesus and asked “Why couldn’t we cast out the demon?”. And the answer was “You don’t have enough faith”. The importance of “faith” has been all over the new testament so far. So in today’s reading when in verse 5 it says that the apostles said to the Lord, “Show us how to increase our faith?” my interest was piqued.
Jesus answered this question in verses 6-10. As in the past, in His answer he used a parable, this time about servanthood. When I boil it down, it sounds to me that Jesus is telling me that increasing my faith requires me to go beyond saying “I believe in you Lord, I trust you Lord, I acknowledge that you are God with skin on”. It sounds to me like He is saying, David, to increase your faith you need to also alter your view of yourself, you must view yourself as my servant, and an unworthy servant at that. You must obey me and simply view that as your duty as my servant.
Oh…did I interpret Jesus’s response right? Because if I did, and I have to alter my view of my life like that in order to increase my faith, that would require a big change. No wonder the apostles (and I) need to work on this for a while.
I think I kind of get the idea of serving being connected to faith. My wife has a lot of faith in me, and I have a lot of faith in her. Without even reflecting on today’s scripture, she willingly and generously serves me in so many ways. I never thought of that as evidence of her faith in me.