Gospel Reflection Oct 5 – Fr. T. A. Carter
Sunday, October 5
Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time
Luke 17: 5-10
Gospel:
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.'”
Gospel Reflection:
In today’s Gospel, the disciples come to Jesus with a very natural request: “Increase our faith.” Like them, we too often desire deeper faith, free of doubt and strong enough to carry us through life. We might expect Jesus to respond with reassurance, encouragement, or an explanation of how to gain more faith. Instead, His answer is startling. He tells them that even the smallest amount of faith — as tiny as a mustard seed — is more than enough to unleash God’s power.
But then Jesus shifts the focus. Rather than emphasizing how much faith we have, He calls His followers to live as humble servants, simply obeying God and fulfilling our duty without expecting thanks or recognition. True faith, Jesus teaches, is not measured in feelings or certainty, but in the daily choice to serve God and one another. Faith is not something we possess alone, but something that comes alive in relationship — in our service, in our obedience, and in our love.
This is not an easy message. We would rather hear that faith guarantees blessings or shields us from hardship. Yet Jesus shows us that faith grows when we stop seeking rewards and instead give ourselves away in love. To serve without expecting thanks, to love without counting the cost, and to obey God even in small things — this is what it means to walk by faith and not by sight. And in doing so, our faith does indeed increase, because it is rooted in Christ Himself.
Fr. T. A. Carter