Sunday Gospel Reflection
27th Sunday in Ordinary Time
October 2, 2022 | Luke 17:5-10
The Greatness Behind the Smallness
Carlo S. Dureza
Jesus teaches us about faith. His disciples ask that their faith be increased. Their Master replies, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.”
What a hyperbolic figure of speech! In keeping with this imagery of smallness, the effectiveness of our faith has to do with even the slightest amount of trust we have in the power of our Creator.
How much or how little we believe that there are many possibilities in our lives does not really make a difference. What is important is that we turn to our Lord, fully confident that He will deliver us. He does not count or measure what we give in order to obtain His mercy.
It would not take so much to move God’s heart. He listens to our prayers. He will grant our desires even if we could only offer something miniscule, just like a mustard seed. He will make this seed of faith grow.
When the disciples asked Jesus to increase their faith, they were most probably thinking that a greater faith was needed to be saved. But, a simple turning to God is enough. This may appear to be small, insignificant, but this is all what is needed to increase our faith. Remember the little boy with five barley loaves and two small fishes that fed thousands.
Similarly, a servant isn’t expected to do more than just render the service for which he is compensated for. As the gospel points out, they are worthless servants, reduced to merely doing menial duties. Nothing more respectable could be accorded to them.
Again, worthiness is equated with something grand, or big. A servant’s worth is perceived as low; therefore, he is “small” in stature. In the eyes of many, he is weak and uneventful, just like a mustard seed.
But a servant carries a noble worth, a life of service, which is most identified with the life and mission of Christ. A servant decreases himself so that others may increase. He dies to self—to his pride—to humbly serve others that they may live with dignity.
As Christians, let us always look beyond the small things that we may oftentimes regard as unimportant or worthless. There is a certain greatness that lies behind them. A mustard seed grows into the largest of plants, and a lowly servant does the most noble work of serving others in their needs.
To add, as our Lord Jesus had always said, a child is greatest in the Kingdom. Though small, he has the greatest faith. Let us not underestimate small things. There is always something great behind these.
Happy Sunday! Godbless!!😃👏
