Truth and Trust

Luke 17.5-10

5The apostles said to the Lord, ‘Increase our faith!’ 6The Lord replied, ‘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.

7Who among you would say to your slave who has just come in from ploughing or tending sheep in the field, “Come here at once and take your place at the table”? 8Would you not rather say to him, “Prepare supper for me, put on your apron and serve me while I eat and drink; later you may eat and drink”? 9Do you thank the slave for doing what was commanded? 10So 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!”’

Dulverton Sermon

The apostles ask Jesus "Lord, increase our faith" as they begin to get the hang of his expectations of them regarding the spread of his message and they are not sure that they are up to it. He doesn't respond directly but assures them that if they have faith even as a mustard seed he can work with it and make it grow until it is adequate for any demands made upon them.

Each of us has faith but none of us has sufficient so that we can deny the need for growth. We too need to petition the Lord "Increase our faith".

There are two aspects to faith - one creedal and the other personal. We need as much truth and trust as we can get. There are two hymns by John Henry Newman that reflect these two aspects of faith - "Firmly I believe and truly" and "Lead kindly light". Newman was a 19th century Anglican priest who was a leader of the Oxford Movement before he became a Roman Catholic priest. Later he was made a cardinal and has recently been beatified.

In 1865 Newman wrote "The Dream of Gerontius" which included "Firmly I believe and truly".
The first aspect of faith is belief in revealed truth. It is summarised in the historic creeds of the Church. It is not for change or amendment. It is to be received, proclaimed, and passed on. If we have intellectual difficulties i.e. doubts about any of it is we who need to grow in faith and not the Church which needs to reduce the deposit of faith to accommodate us. Our prayer must be "Lord, increase our faith".

Newman wrote "Lead kindly light" at sea in June 1833. It was to become the marching hymn of the Oxford Movement. He was returning from a six month sabbatical in Italy which he had taken to try and shake off a mood of sadness brought on by his concerns about the state of the Church of England. He felt that it had lost its former glory and needed renewal. He was beginning to think that God wanted him to lead a revival movement to do something about it. His ship had a cargo of oranges and was fog bound and becalmed . He was lonely, home sick, and recovering from a viral attack which had brought him to the brink of death. He exclaimed "I shall not die; I shall not die, for I have not sinned against the light and God has a work for me to do in England". He was groping spiritually and unsure of the way ahead "led on by God's hand blindly, not knowing wither he was taking me". The second aspect of faith is personal trust in God's providence. We are not alone in this life. God has the whole world in his hands. He has you and me in his hands. In darkness, as well as in doubt, our prayer should be "Lord, increase our faith".

This simple and direct appeal to God for aid in need will always be answered positively. Like the apostles we too will be enabled to believe and to do whatever God wills best in our discipleship and apostleship.

We too should become grateful and humble because at the end " we shall have been only servants and done no more than our duty".