A Reflection on the Twenty–Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

Luke 17:5-10

By Jerome J. Sabatowich

 

Today’s Gospel gives us a good example of how Near Eastern teachers like Jesus sometimes used exaggeration to emphasize a point. The apostles ask Jesus to increase their faith and he responds by saying that someone with faith the size of a mustard seed  could command a sycamore tree be uprooted and thrown into the sea, and it would happen.

Black mustard bushes grew wild along the shores of the Sea of Galilee not far from Capernaum where Jesus lived during his public ministry and where he did much preaching. Ancient people used the mustard plant for oil, as a condiment, and as an herb, so it was a common ingredient in the foods Jesus and his apostles ate.

Sycamore trees produced small yellow, sweet fig-like fruit. Growing along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea made the sycamore the logical choice for the tree cast into the sea in today’s Gospel.

In many of the Gospel stories, about Jesus’ miracles, faith is the reason he is able to make the lame walk, the blind see, and the sick whole. On the other hand, a lack of faith explains the only time in the Gospels when Jesus is not able to heal (Mark 6:1-6).

Recognizing the power of faith, the apostles ask Jesus to give them more of it. Jesus’ response is that this is not necessary because even with only a small amount of faith nothing is impossible.

In the second part of today’s Gospel, Jesus tells a story about a servant who spends the entire day plowing the field or herding sheep. When the servant returns home in the evening, his work is still not complete because he has to put on his apron, prepare supper, and wait on his master’s table. Being a good servant means the master’s wishes ae more important than his own comfort.

Just as the servant’s work is never done, we should never consider our service to God to be complete. There is always more we can do to spread the word about God’s love and forgiveness. We can never say we have done our share to build God’s kingdom and now it’s someone else’s turn. We can never take a break from being a follower of Jesus.

For Reflection

Pray today for those who passed on to you their faith in Jesus. Pray for your parents, priests or ministers, religion teachers, and anyone else who helped you develop a closer     relationship with the Lord, Jesus.

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