Breaking the Word

 And the apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith." The Lord replied, "If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you would say to (this) mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you. "Who among you would say to your servant who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field, 'Come here immediately and take your place at table'? Would he not rather say to him, 'Prepare something for me to eat. Put on your apron and wait on me while I eat and drink. You may eat and drink when I am finished'? Is he grateful to that servant because he did what was commanded? So should it be with you. When you have done all you have been commanded, say, 'We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do.'" (Lk 17:5-10)

 

 

The apostles have listened to Jesus and his teachings on the kingdom and the demand of the kingdom. The apostles find it difficult and it is hard to live up to the expectation. So they ask for ‘increase of faith’. Jesus answer is very interesting. The disciples are asking for greater quantity of faith and Jesus is talking about the faith in the size of a mustard see. Yes, what the apostles need is not greater faith but faith in a greater God.

 

Many times, people argue saying that the faith is little and the faith is not sufficient etc. People are worried about the quantity of faith and the size of the faith. Ut the question is whether they have faith in God at all. Their faith is on something else than on God. Faith even to the size of a mustard seed should be placed on God and God only, then things will happen beyond the expectations.

 

Another shocking lesson to the apostles is regarding the work done for God. Many times the apostles, and so also we, feel that we have done enough for God. How many of us say that we have done more than expected. How often we hear that we have done hard work etc. We should realize that we never put God in our debt however hard we might have worked. All genuine work done to God is done out of gratitude and not to earn anything from God.   

 At that time the disciples approached Jesus and said, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" He called a child over, placed it in their midst, and said, "Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me. ¹⁰ "See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father. (Mt 18:1-5,10)

 

 

During the public ministry of Jesus, besides preaching and teaching and working the deeds of the kingdom, he was forming the disciples, training them with the values of the kingdom. He cleared may of their doubts about the kingdom. One of such doubts is what they ask Jesus today. ‘Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven’. The disciples think that the kingdom of heaven also works like the kingdoms of the earth with greatest and smallest.

 

The disciples are taught to become like the little children. For the children there is no greatest and smallest. They do not work on profits, gains, power, position and they do not play politics. They only seek for the basic things like food etc. They do not manipulate.

 

The representatives of the children are already in heaven. Each child has his/her representative (angel) in front of God. The angel is the link between God and the child. Hence a child should not be despised.