Faith Tested by Fire

The Misguided Request for Increased Faith

In Luke 17:5 (KJV), the apostles approach Jesus with a request: “Increase our faith.” This plea follows His command in Luke 17:3-4 to forgive a brother who sins repeatedly, even “seven times in a day,” provided he repents. The demand for relentless forgiveness is amplified in Matthew 18:21-22, where Peter inquires if forgiving seven times is sufficient, and Jesus responds, “I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.” This call to forgive “seventy times seven” times—an expression of boundless forgiveness—underscores the radical obedience required. Such forgiveness demands humility, patience, and endurance through relational pain, reflecting the sacrificial love of Christ’s atonement on the cross. The prophecy in Daniel 9:24-27 foretells the Messiah’s work to “make an end of sins” and “bring in everlasting righteousness,” fulfilled at Calvary, which provides the model and power for such limitless forgiveness.

The apostles, sensing their inadequacy to meet this standard, seek a greater quantity of faith, perceiving it as a resource that, if augmented, would simplify the costly act of forgiveness. Their request reflects a misconception that faith is a measurable commodity, capable of bypassing the effort and suffering involved in obedience. This desire for an immediate solution reveals a reluctance to engage in the sacrificial process of forgiving without limit, preferring a quick fix to avoid the emotional and relational cost exemplified by Christ’s cross.

Jesus responds in Luke 17:6: “If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you.” The mustard seed, known for its smallness, illustrates that faith’s effectiveness lies not in its quantity but in its source—God’s word. Romans 10:17 declares, “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God,” indicating that faith is generated through engagement with God’s revelation. The apostles, having heard Jesus’ teachings, already possess sufficient faith, provided they trust in God’s power, revealed through the cross and prophesied in Daniel. The imagery of uprooting a sycamine tree—a deeply rooted mulberry tree—and planting it in the sea underscores the extraordinary potential of even small faith when aligned with God’s authority, enabling acts like boundless forgiveness.

By refusing to grant their request, Jesus redirects the apostles to apply their existing faith, trusting God’s word as revealed at Calvary. The command to forgive “seventy times seven” times tests their faith, requiring them to mirror Christ’s sacrificial love despite relational cost. Prayer emerges as a vital practice, enabling communion with God and alignment with His will, sustaining faith in such challenges. The apostles’ plea for increased faith overlooks the necessity of this testing, which refines faith and fosters obedience, setting the stage for a deeper understanding of faith’s connection to Christ’s atoning work.

Faith as Obedient Duty

The parable of the servant in Luke 17:7-10 further illuminates faith as obedient action, countering the apostles’ desire for an easier path to forgiveness. Jesus asks, “But which of you, having a servant plowing or feeding cattle, will say unto him by and by, when he is come from the field, Go and sit down to meat? And will not rather say unto him, Make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird thyself, and serve me, till I have eaten and drunken; and afterward thou shalt eat and drink? Doth he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I trow not” (Luke 17:7-9). He concludes, “So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do” (Luke 17:10).

This parable presents faith as a humble commitment to fulfill God’s commands, regardless of personal cost or recognition. The apostles’ request for increased faith reflects an attempt to avoid the suffering inherent in obeying Jesus’ command to forgive repeatedly, a demand intensified by His call to forgive “seventy times seven” times in Matthew 18:22. Such forgiveness requires endurance and sacrifice, testing faith through relational pain. The parable corrects this reluctance by portraying obedience as a servant’s duty, not an act deserving reward. The revelation of Calvary, where Jesus’ sacrifice fulfilled Daniel’s prophecy to “make reconciliation for iniquity” (Daniel 9:24), models this obedience, offering grace that empowers believers to forgive without limit.

The example of Jesus Himself, who “learned obedience by the things which he suffered” (Hebrews 5:8), reinforces this truth. Though divine, Jesus’ human experience involved trials—temptation, rejection, and the cross—through which His obedience was perfected. Similarly, the apostles’ faith must be tested through the suffering of forgiveness, refining their trust in God’s word. Romans 10:17 establishes that faith arises from hearing God’s word, and the apostles had received Jesus’ teachings. Their challenge was not a lack of faith but a reluctance to apply it through obedience. Prayer serves as an essential practice, enabling the apostles to seek God’s strength to endure the testing of forgiveness, mirroring Christ’s prayerful submission in Gethsemane (Luke 22:41-44).

By refusing to increase their faith, Jesus emphasizes that faith is not a means to bypass effort but a call to act on God’s word, even when it involves suffering. The apostles’ duty to forgive reflects the grace of Calvary, where Christ’s obedience through suffering made atonement possible. This parable challenges believers to view faith as a duty, expressed through obedience to God’s commands, tested in the crucible of challenges like boundless forgiveness.

The Mustard Seed and the Kingdom – Faith’s Growth 

The Parable of the Mustard Seed in Matthew 13:31-32 provides a broader perspective on faith, connecting the apostles’ small faith to the grand narrative of God’s Kingdom. Jesus declares, “The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field: Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof.” This parable, echoed in Luke 17:6, illustrates that God’s work—whether in the Kingdom or in faith—starts small but grows through His power, not human effort.

The apostles’ request for increased faith reflects a focus on their own inadequacy rather than God’s sufficiency. The mustard seed imagery corrects this misconception, demonstrating that faith, though small, is sufficient when rooted in God’s word. Romans 10:17, “Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God,” indicates that faith is initiated by God’s revelation, which the apostles received through Jesus’ teachings. The Kingdom’s growth from a tiny seed to a great tree parallels the growth of faith, which matures through testing and obedience, such as the command to forgive “seventy times seven” times. This boundless forgiveness reflects the grace of Calvary, where Jesus’ atoning sacrifice, foretold in Daniel 9:24-27, brought reconciliation and righteousness, enabling believers to extend limitless grace.

Faith’s growth requires testing through experience, often involving suffering. The apostles’ reluctance to forgive repeatedly reveals a desire to avoid this testing, preferring an instant increase in faith to simplify obedience. Yet, Jesus’ own obedience through suffering (Hebrews 5:8) models the process of faith’s refinement. His trials culminated in the cross, fulfilling Daniel’s prophecy and demonstrating that faith, tested through obedience, produces eternal fruit. Similarly, the apostles’ faith must be tested through the suffering of forgiveness, trusting God’s word to sustain them.

Prayer is integral to this process, enabling believers to engage God’s word and seek His strength during trials. Just as Jesus prayed in Gethsemane to align with God’s will, the apostles could rely on prayer to endure the relational pain of forgiveness, strengthening their faith through experience. The mustard seed parable assures that small faith, when tested and applied, contributes to the Kingdom’s expansion, mirroring the transformative power of Christ’s sacrifice.

This parable challenges believers to trust that their faith, though small, is sufficient when rooted in God’s word and tested through obedience. The call to forgive without limit, grounded in the revelation of Calvary, requires faith to be applied in the crucible of experience, producing growth that aligns with the Kingdom’s eternal purposes.

Conclusion

These chapters present faith as a dynamic trust in God’s word, tested through obedience and suffering, as exemplified by Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. The apostles’ request for increased faith reflects a desire to avoid the cost of forgiveness, but Jesus redirects them to apply their faith through God’s word, with prayer as a vital practice. The connection to Daniel’s prophecy and Calvary underscores the limitless grace that empowers such obedience, ensuring that tested faith yields fruit for God’s Kingdom.