In today’s reading from Luke, the Apostles asked Jesus to increase their faith, and you’d be thinking, well, that’s a fair enough request. But Jesus answered, ‘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. He didn’t say, “sure, I’ll make you more faithful.” Instead he basically told them that they had all the faith that they needed. He was saying to them that you don’t need more faith. So don’t ask me to increase it for you.
To understand why Jesus answered the way he did we need to understand why the apostles asked Jesus to increase their faith…
Jesus had just finished talking to them about repentance and forgiveness. Now forgiving someone is a hard command, it’s not easy to forgive, so the apostles asked him to increase their faith, like this was going to be the easy solution to this commandment. Give me more faith so that I can be more forgiving. Jesus was probably a bit exasperated with them, so he basically told them that they were getting it wrong. Faith is not going to magically get things done. It’s not going to do the heavy lifting, it’s not going to do the chores, or feed the kids, or take the washing off the line, or drive the neighbour to his medical appointment. Faith won’t help you forgive, and it won’t help you to serve God and others; you need to just do it.
So then he gave them a lesson about service and obedience. To serve Jesus means that we roll up our sleeves and do what he wants us to do. Forgiving others is just one of those things. And we shouldn’t expect any thanks or special treatment either. Jesus hammered this home to the apostles. He said: So you also, when you have done all that you were ordered to do, say, “We are worthless slaves; we have done only what we ought to have done!”
In the Gospels, Jesus gives commands, like a master to a servant. He doesn’t make suggestions. Well, he is the Son of God after all, so he’s not going to say “pretty please with sugar on top.” But this is only one aspect of our relationship with God. There are many layers to our connection with the Almighty. We are also children of God and through the cross and resurrection we’re adopted sons and daughters. Another relationship we have is that we are the sheep of his flock, and Jesus is our shepherd. Jesus is also a teacher and we are his students.
Being a sheep, a child or a student, are one way relationships, directional ones, we can’t shepherd God and we can’t be the parent of God, and we can’t teach God. But our relationship to God as his servant is so beautiful, so rich, because this is a two way exchange. Jesus commands us to serve, serve God and serve each other, like it’s a duty, or a job, and what is expected of us as Christians. But at the same time, and I love this, Jesus serves us. He showed us physically when he got down and washed his Disciples’ feet. This is one of the most touching events in Scripture; Jesus, the son of God and Lord of Lords, humbling himself to serve his beloved Disciples in this very personal way.
Jesus served: when he fed the hungry, when he cast out demons, and cured the sick. His time on earth was all about service to others, no matter their rank in society; he lowered himself and made himself the least among us, as prefigured in Isaiah, who talked about the suffering servant. Love one another as I have loved you, can also mean, serve one another as I have served you. We are duty bound to be obedient, just as Jesus was obedient to his Father. And Jesus adds, that doing one’s duty is not something to be praised, or made a big deal over. If someone praises you for doing something good, that’s great, that’s lovely, but ultimately the praise should go to God, and that’s what needs to be kept in our minds. Like the words of the hymn; all glory praise and honour to you redeemer King. All honour to God. Even Jesus, who is the Son of God pointed this out about himself, in the story in Luke 10.
“As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. ‘Good teacher,’ he asked, ‘what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ ‘Why do you call me good?’ Jesus answered. ‘No one is good – except God alone.’ ” Now when we hear this we’re a bit baffled. Of course Jesus is good, he’s God! But here, he doesn’t put himself forward as divine, he presents himself in human form, with human attributes. He’s speaking as the ultimate servant, therefore he reminds the man that only God is good. Jesus’ fundamental lesson here is that goodness flows not from a person’s deeds, but rather from God himself. This is the example of service that Jesus himself gives us, that we are not to be praised for our good works or our service to God and others. We receive praise humbly, but we must always give the glory to God for he is the one who tells us to serve, who bestows on us the grace that motivates us to put others before ourselves. It is all God, everything we work for and we achieve, should be in his name.
There should be no dismay in this humility, because our Lord loves us so much. He will not leave us empty handed when we come before him, and the least shall be first in the Kingdom. Humility is part of this package. This is such an underrated virtue. Humility is inspirational, especially in the young. When I see this quality in youth, it gives me hope for the future. To achieve humbly and to serve humbly without fanfare or self glorification is a foundational property of a deep connection to God. The actor, Denzel Washington, showed great humility in 2002 when he won the Academy Award for Best Actor. In his speech he said, “God bless you,” three times. He said, “Oh God is good,” “God is great. God is great. From the bottom of my heart, I thank you all.” He shifted the attention away from himself and onto God in a very public way.
We don’t expect praise but we do expect joy and satisfaction. In the parable of the talents in Matthew 25, the master said, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful and trustworthy over a little, I will put you in charge of many things; share in the joy of your master.’ Sharing in God’s joy, is what we strive for and what will occur when we serve well, with love and dedication. We don’t do it for reward or kudos or to get a one way ticket to heaven. Charles Spurgeon said, “One of the greatest rewards we ever receive for serving God is the permission to do still more for him.”
So why do we serve God? Because that’s what Jesus commands us to do, it’s on our duty statement. And why do we do what Jesus wants us to do? That’s easy too, because we love him. Love, pure and simple. Loving Jesus means that we’re happy, overjoyed to serve him, to submit to him in all things. We live for it, and it’s not slavery, it’s not servitude in a negative sense, it is actually freedom. Thomas F Wilson, an actor and a Christian podcaster, said – To serve God, to love God, to enjoy God, is the sweetest freedom in the world.
So how do we serve God? Some people will say, I don’t know what God wants me to do, so how can I do God’s will? That’s sad because God’s will has been all spelled out for us. God’s given us an instruction manual, written by Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. In the Gospels, Jesus gives us 49 commands. I looked it up, you can even go online and download a PDF, and put it up on your wall. And they’re not especially hard to do. Jesus said my yoke is easy and my burden is light. And what makes them easy is the willingness and motivation that we have to do them. We do as our Lord commands because it’s what we love doing. The yoke is as light as a feather, and in actual fact it’s not really a yoke, it’s more like a pair of wings.
Without motivation, service can’t happen. Leaders need to know how to motivate people to work for the greater good. I’m sure a lot of you remember our Aussie Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser’s unfortunate response to economic hard times in 1971. He said “life wasn’t meant to be easy.” What he said was true, but instead of motivating people to try harder, it just made them hostile, understandably so. I guess he just didn’t have the charisma to get away with that one.
In contrast to this was John F Kennedy’s naugural address in 1961, when he said, “And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country.” His emphasis was on the nation, something bigger than the individual, this kind of call galvanises people and moves them to effort because they’re not doing things for themselves, they’re doing it for the greater good. This message says your efforts are necessary, important, valued, worthy, your country needs you. We can’t do this thing unless we all work at it and contribute. And the beauty of this is that if everyone does their bit, then everyone will receive the benefit of this work and effort, no one loses or is left without. If everyone serves, everyone gets served. Feeling that you’re needed is a very good thing.
Another big example of motivation is Winston Churchill’s famous speech during World War 2, the “we shall fight on the beaches” speech. He expressed confidence that if everyone did their duty, that their nation would be victorious. And how amazingly the people of Britain, this small country, fought back against the might of the Nazis, and prevailed, everyone who could, served as best they could.
Right now Jesus isn’t asking us to go to war or to undertake heroic or monumental feats, he asks us to serve him and serve each other, with love and humility, knowing that we’re part of a cycle of giving and receiving, and nothing is lost. God’s love and grace circulates to everyone. A prayer to work for God is a prayer to lose yourself, and find yourself again in Christ. There’s nothing magical or holy about obediance and service, but it is the heart of a holy and divine relationship that we are a part of.
And this is why we serve Jesus our Lord. Amen.
Tell Out My Soul 
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