Luke 17:5 asks, “We need more faith; tell us how to get it.”
A pretty simple question posed by the Apostles to the God of the universe that provides God the open door He needs for explaining the process to getting and increasing faith. If you watch Christian television you would believe that faith is the most important thing God requires from us.
So here it is, a softball lobbed into God’s wheel house by His followers. His reply?
First, a rebuke.
God has a tendency to unpack the motive of our questions so that we can see the poverty of our hearts and our desperate need for a Savior. The question implies faith already exists; the issue isn’t some faith but more faith. God replies that if their faith were the size of a pin head, a mustard seed, they could uproot vegetation and have it walk into the sea.
Lesson one is that if you think you have a lot of faith you probably have very little faith. Work on getting a little faith and you will eventually have a lot of faith. But how?
Then God says a slave is expected to do all they are assigned without recognition or reward. A slave doesn’t do anything special by serving the master, though he serves he does only what he has been told to do.
What does this have to do with gaining more faith? Faith is inherent to obedience.
An element of trust is exchanged between the one who does what he is told and the one telling them what to do. The one doing trusts the one telling that what they are doing will be good, profitable, and rewarded.
Jesus was perfectly obedient. His perfect obedience allowed Him to accomplish the work He was assigned to do. His obedience demonstrated His faith in the plan of God and His love for God’s plan.
We love Jesus when we obey His commands. We demonstrate faith when we do God’s will for we show ourselves and the world that God’s way is better than our way.
As we increase in obedience we increase in faith for through our obedience we experience the wisdom of God and the presence of God. God’s ways are the best ways, not mine.
As I obey Him I demonstrate my faith in Him so the more I obey the more my faith grows.
God answered their question by reminding them they are servants of God and if they will faithfully, obediently serve God as they should, their faith will grow.
