Only Doing what We are Obliged to Do

The words from St. Luke for this Sunday’s reading seem a bit disjointed. The passage starts with the Apostles asking Jesus to” Increase their faith.”  Jesus does not answer their wish with an understandable response to help them increase their faith. Instead, he tells them how limited their faith is and uses hyperbole to make his point.

Jesus tells them that if they had faith the size of a mustard seed, they would have the power to uproot a giant mulberry tree and deposit it in the sea. Over two thousand years later, the sea is not littered with trees. Does this mean that no one has faith as described by the Lord? Unthinkable, many people throughout history definitely had faith, and their lives directed by that faith have been rewarded as members of the eternal Kingdom of God. The Blessed Mother comes to mind straight away, who, through her faith, was instrumental in salvation and is now the Queen of the Universe.

Faith is not measured by the power of demanding a tree be uprooted and moved. The second part of the Gospel message today gives us the answer. We must first be aware that Jesus is answering those who already have some level of faith. This was true for the Apostles, and it is true for Christians hearing the Word.

Jesus utilizes a story to answer the apostles’ initial question, and it has little to do with a mustard seed or the transplanting of a mulberry tree. Jesus recounts a story about a servant and his master in the context of life back then. What master would say to his servant after completing a full day of work in the fields would welcome him to the table without finishing his duties? The last part of a servant’s work was to serve his master his dinner before he could expect his.

It is a little tricky for the modern mind to comprehend how harsh the master is in demanding his servant finish his work and showing no sense of gratitude. It seems quite rude, but that was the way of the world during Jesus’ time. The story’s moral is that the master would not be grateful or praise the servant if he only did what was expected and commanded of him. We do the same every day ourselves. No one gives accolades to a driver who stops at a red light. He is obligated to do so, and it is expected. It isn’t hard to understand that people who do what they are obliged to do should receive extra recognition.

The story of the master and servant explains how our faith is increased. The master is intended to be God, and the servants are his creatures. As creatures, we have basic obligations to fulfill by the nature of our existence. Parents are expected to care for and raise their children. Living in a civil society dictates that we do what is necessary to live in relative peace—in other words, obey the Ten Commandments.

Having faith in God without doing anything else also falls into the category of obligation. A reasonable mind cannot help but believe a higher power is ruling the universe. Those who cannot accept the obvious reality are blind and obstinate.

So, then, how does faith increase? It starts with the premise that we must believe in God, Jesus, His Son, and the Holy Spirit. We acknowledge Christ’s teachings, obey the Commandments, and become members of his Body, the Church, through baptism. These are the bare bones of faith: believe and follow what we must do.  

The saints in heaven had more faith than we have because they did more than what was expected of them. This is why they are rewarded with eternal life and recognized as faithful and holy people throughout the ages. The Mother of God is the ultimate expression of a faithful creature. The correlation between going beyond what is expected and obligated and an increased faith is unmistakable.

We now have the answer to increasing faith. It can be summarized in the cliché “going over and above” what is demanded of us. It can be as simple as visiting the sick or elderly, even though we are not technically obliged. It might be being charitable beyond what we are inclined to do. It could be praying for someone with whom we have little connection. It might even be helping another without feeling how good we are or expecting someone else to notice. The list of going beyond is almost endless.

The only question is whether we genuinely want our faith to increase, as the Blessed Mother and the saints did.as faithful and holy people throughout the ages

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