Increase Our Faith
Luke 17:5-6
5 The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” 6 And the Lord said, “If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.
Observations & Reflections
There is an alternate version of this verse that appears in Matthew. However, it’s entirely possible that they are two different events.
19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” 20 He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you. (Matthew 17:19-20)
The passage has more than enough uniqueness to be separate event. However, the scenarios depict the same core issue. The apostles lacked faith. Moreover, they were expecting Jesus to increase their faith for them; like some kind of genie. But that is not the way it works. Faith is not a substance or commodity to be taken and given. It’s internal to all of us. It is up to us to place the faith, that lies within us, in the Lord. Not the other way around.
[Featured image from https://www.flickr.com/photos/quinnanya/4578445081]