Lamentations 1:1-6; Psalm 137; 2 Timothy 1:1-14; Luke 17:5-10
Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost- Proper 22- October 5, 2025
Luke 17:5-10 is about the disciples asking Jesus to increase their faith, and Jesus teaching them that even a small amount of faith can accomplish great things, emphasizing the importance of humility and service in the Kingdom of God.
When the disciples went to Jesus and said, “Increase our faith!” what do you think they were expecting Jesus to do? Would he lay hands on them and suddenly, mystically fill them with faith? Would he give them positive thinking mantras like “You can do it! God has a special plan for your life.” Imagine the times when you feel like your faith is in short supply, and you turn to God and say, “Increase my faith”, what do you think God would do next?
On this particular day, the disciples are feeling the weight of their responsibilities and the challenges that come with following Jesus. They approach him with a request, saying, “Increase our faith!” Their hearts are earnest, seeking a deeper connection with God and a stronger faith to sustain them through the trials ahead. Jesus, ever the patient teacher, responds to their plea with words of wisdom and encouragement, reminding them of the power of even a small amount of faith.
Jesus, in His characteristic manner, uses a vivid metaphor, comparing faith to a mustard seed. This comparison highlights the transformative power of even the tiniest amount of genuine faith. It serves as a reminder that faith, no matter how small it may seem, has the potential to accomplish extraordinary things in our lives.
In Luke’s Gospel, the impossible becomes possible with people who are ready to make a shift, people who are willing to risk, or change their thinking, cross a social barrier. Several times Jesus says, your faith has made you well. A woman with a hemorrhage touches the hem of his robe in a crowd, breaking all kinds of social taboos from Leviticus.
However, this passage challenges us to reexamine our faith, to embrace radical humility in our service, and to trust in the transformative power of even the smallest mustard seed of faith.
In today’s culture, “radical” might sound extreme, uncomfortable, even dangerous. But in the life of Jesus, it meant something entirely different—and far more powerful. Being radical didn’t look like leading armies or seizing thrones. It looked like riding a donkey into a city that would soon crucify Him. It looked like weeping over people who rejected Him. It looked like humility, self-sacrifice, and a deep, burning love for the brokenness of this world.
When Jesus entered Jerusalem on what we now celebrate as Palm Sunday, He didn’t ride in on a warhorse or demand attention with military strength. He chose a donkey—the symbol of humility. He entered the city not as a conquering king, but as a suffering servant. This was not weakness; this was radical strength under control. It was deliberate humility, modeled for us so we would understand what true greatness looks like.
How often do we associate humility with weakness? Yet Scripture says God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6). Jesus wasn’t humbled because He had to be. He humbled Himself willingly.
If we want to be radical like Jesus, it starts with humility. Not performative humility. Not forced humility. But a posture of the heart that says: Not my will, but Yours be done. The kind of humility that lays down pride, sets aside the need to be right, and puts others before ourselves.
Here’s the radical truth: humility never diminishes identity. Jesus knew exactly who He was. He was the Son of God. The Messiah. The Savior of the world. And yet, He still chose to come low.
Christians today often struggle with identity. We forget who we are—and whose we are. But Scripture tells us:
- You are a new creation. (2 Corinthians 5:17)
- You are the salt of the earth and the light of the world. (Matthew 5:13-14)
- You are God’s workmanship, created for good works. (Ephesians 2:10)
- You are more than a conqueror. (Romans 8:37)
Jesus didn’t just come to save us—He came to send us. And the world doesn’t need more lukewarm faith. It needs believers who are willing to follow Jesus all the way—into the mess, into the margins, into the radical calling of love. Let’s not play it safe. Let’s not aim for comfort. Let’s be the kind of people who turn the world upside down with humility, confidence, and Christ-centered compassion.
The reading from Lamentation illustrates the necessity of humility: “God has brought her grief because of her many sins” (Lamentations 1:5). Recognizing our limitations and need for God fosters a spirit of humility, drawing us closer to Him.
In 2 Timothy 1:9, Paul reminds us that God “has saved us and called us to a holy calling.” This is a profound truth that should shape your identity and purpose. You are set apart for God’s work, and your life has a divine purpose. Seek to fulfill this calling with dedication and joy, knowing that you are part of God’s grand plan.
My sisters and brothers, like the disciple in Luke 17, we are telling Jesus to increase our faith. The question then is for what? Let us start by recognizing that Jesus wasn’t just a teacher — he was a movement builder, a grassroots organizer and a radical leader of nonviolent resistance to injustice and empire. Do you know that Jesus devoted his life to confronting the structures of oppression and violence and changing them through active nonviolence? Are we doing this or are we ready to do this? Far-forward two thousand years, and the injustices of our world have evolved but remain strikingly similar essence; racism, economic exploitation, systemic poverty, sexism, heterosexism, xenophobia, human trafficking, occupation and colonization of territories- these are the modern-day equivalent of the temple corruption that Jesus found in the Temple. That’s why He turned the tables, broke the silence, and took action against injustice. Jesus wasn’t contemplating the world, he was contemplating and changing the world, and he expects the same from us. Why don’t we do the same?
When we ask for more faith, we ask for more strength and wisdom to do what Jesus did. That’s why we follow him. Remember, Jesus not only saved you, but he also saved you and sent you to this world to change it with good news. In other words, if we are followers of Jesus we need to practice radical humility. Amen & Ashe.