Readings:
Habakkuk 1.1-4;2.1-4
2 Timothy 1.1-14
St. Luke 17.5-10

We join Jesus and the disciples this morning immediately after Jesus has given these followers of his a good hard punch to the gut – one that has left them all reeling: Jesus has just told the disciples that they must forgive others over and over and over again – as much as seven times – and you know of course that in The Jesus Story, seven never means just seven – rather, more like seven times seven – and then, seven times over – which is, if my math is right, 343 times – at the very least. This sort of teaching, of course, does not sit well with the disciples – not then, not now. While we do like God to forgive . . . . us, we are, at the same time, not so hot on us – or God for that matter – we’re not so hot on us having to forgive that S.O.B. three rows in front of us in church.

No, the disciples would like something . . . different . . . from Jesus, something a little bit more to their liking – please Jesus, perhaps something more useful. So, “Increase our faith!” they demand. Hey, a great and noble request! Right? And so Jesus replies, “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.” Really, Jesus? Really? Mulberry trees are good and sturdy and they produce a fruit that is sweet and juicy and plentiful, a fruit whose juices are useful for the tanning of hides, a fruit that makes for luscious jams and pies . . . and even wine! Why would anyone want to uproot something so valuable, so productive, so very useful – and then go and dump it into the sea – which means certain death for that mulberry tree?? What sort of faith results in uprooting something both rich and practical and the getting rid of it??? We want a faith that’s . . . well, useful, just like the mulberry tree. Which of course is what the “prosperity gospel” according to Joel Osteen is all about. You know – be full of faith, and the rewards will just keep on rolling in and in and in, and life will be just ducky, and if things aren’t ducky, well then, it’s probably due to your lack of faith, you slacker, you! (And if you don’t know who or what Joel Osteen is and preaches . . . consider yourself fortunate .) But, yeah, the disciples are looking for some sort of prosperity faith – some “faith” based on an “if/then” principle – you know, “if we’re faithful to you Jesus, then we get a reward.” (Which of course isn’t the Gospel – but most assuredly is law.) Jesus, being no dummy, however, and being in somewhat of a sour mood as he wonders if this bunch of goofball disciples is ever going to catch on, Jesus says to them, “Forget about expecting some sort of award merely for breathing, merely for taking up space on the planet – in fact, forget about every sort of reward system – forget about earning anything.” Which, of course, is merely Jesus’ way of saying, “If you think faith is going to get you ahead, stick around for a while . . . wait till you see where it gets me – and wait until you see where it’s going to get you too . . . . out of the eleven faithful of you (Judas out of the equation, for now), only one of you will not be murdered on account of your faith. So – you want me to increase your faith, do you?”

The whole idea that faith should remove all suffering and instead get us ahead is, of course, nothing new. In the first reading this morning, we heard the prophet Habakkuk complaining to God about all the violence that surrounds him. “Wrong-doing is on every side, justice never prevails, strife and contention arise, congress is dysfunctional and the government is shut down . . . where, O God, is it going to end? How long O Lord do we have to cry out for help? How long must we point out to you the violence of the world and you continue not to do anything about it? What good is faith if we don’t get something in return for it – and now? What good is faith if there is no moral progress? What good is faith if it does not feed the poor? What good is faith if it does not bring about reform? What good is faith if it does not result in the betterment of society?”

The Lord’s answer here is a bit less harsh than when the Lord answers the twelve disciples: Ah – but I do have the end of history in control. Wait for it. All will be well, you know. In the meantime, just look at the high and mighty. Their spirits are not right – not one bit. But you – whether your tomorrows be filled with good or ill – your faith, your trust in God, will indeed carry you – mark well: you will not carry anything – rather you will be carried – faith, trust, it’s all a gift. And have no fear. It is yours, even if and when you don’t feel it one little bit. And really, don’t expect an increase of faith to do anything other than enable to you walk through the storm, to walk through the dark, to walk through the valley of the shadow of death, trusting that this little light of mine (not your little light, says the Lord, but mine) – no all faith will do is to give you trust that in the midst of the darkness this little light of mine does shine, and will not go out – but will one day increase until it is all and in all. In the meantime, this little light that the darkness comprehendeth not will lead you singing, even to the grave, ‘Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.’ Singing, through the tears, the pain, and the sorrow – this gift of faith – it does and it will lead you to sing songs of praise even at the foot of the cross.

This, of course, is what the Apostle Paul is saying to us in the Second Reading – Paul, in prison – proclaiming in the midst of his own suffering and fast approaching death, proclaiming thanks to God, proclaiming to Timothy that God in Jesus Christ who is one with the Father, proclaiming that this God will bring to Timothy grace, mercy, and peace – even as Paul is convinced of the enigma that in Christ Jesus death itself has been abolished. And all of this faith that Paul commends – all of it a gift, not the result of any works of any sort.

“Increase our faith,” we pray. And the answer? Christ upon the cross. God forgiving, taking away, the sins of the world; God forgiving, taking away, death and the grave; God forgiving us, taking away from us, our fears and our failures, great and small. God erasing, God removing – sin, death, grave, fear, and failure. And all of it, a gift. Useless, of infinite worth – leaving us content to live and to die, safely – and forever – at home in God.