Sermon on Luke 17:5-10 | October 5th, 2025

 Written and Read by Pastor Mary Elise Scott, Ballard First Lutheran Church

This morning, we began the discernment process to determine the needs of Ballard First during our transition process as well as moving forward into the future. To do that, we’re meeting over the coming weeks to see where we’ve been, where we are, and where we want to go. In other words, we’re having our very own Christmas Carol like experience ... while there is no Ghost of Christmas past, Christmas present, or Future Christmas to lead us through these discussions - that is indeed what we’re doing - looking to our past, present and future.
Thus, to that end, I prepared for today’s first session on Ballard First’s past by reading up on Ballard First’s history - specifically by looking at the booklet that was put together for our 100th anniversary entitled “A History of the Ballard First Lutheran Church 1894 -1994.” Now,
clearly, we’re still missing a good chunk of history since 1994 was now over 30 years ago. But, the book is very thorough with the history of that 100 year period. As I read, I was especially struck by one story - the story where the King of Norway came to worship at Ballard First Lutheran Church. I must confess if it had been me preparing this booklet, it wouldn’t have even cross my mind to wonder how the King of Norway came to worship here at BFL. But, the historians of our congregation who put this book together had much more curious minds than my own and thankfully, they included the how of how this came to be.

According to the book, Pastor Unseth caught word that the King of Norway would be traveling to the United States and that his trip would include a stop in Seattle. Thus, Pastor Unseth took the bold action of writing to the king directly and inviting him to attend one of our services. The book states, “To nearly everyone’s astonishment, the king replied that he would be pleased to visit.” And visit he did - he even insisted on staying after worship to shake hands with every worshiper before leaving. Indeed, one could say that this took a relative amount of chutzpah on Pastor Unseth’s behalf. Writing a letter to the king of Norway and inviting him to come to worship had to have taken a great amount of courage. Surely, even as he wrote the letter, Pastor Unseth must have doubted whether the King would respond, much less
whether the King would actually accept the invitation.

To me, this act by Pastor Unseth took courage - it took faith that I think many of us - myself most especially included - wouldn’t have had the courage to use. And thus, I think it’s a little bit of a “God-wink” - a term someone taught me this week as she relayed a story about how everything had fallen exactly into place at exactly the right time to ensure that she wouldn’t be without housing for a period of time - in other words, how it’s like a wink from God when things go more smoothly than we could ever imagine - especially when things are particularly difficult and hard. Yes, to me, it is indeed a God-wink that this story of the mustard seed is our
assigned text for the day we begin discerning our future here at Ballard First Lutheran.

Because to me, the stories of our history here at Ballard First Lutheran - most especially the story about Pastor Unseth inviting the King of Norway to worship here in this very sanctuary - are indeed illustrations of exactly how faith the size of a little, bitty mustard seed can move
mulberry trees. For the stories of such faith abound in our history - stories about providing emergency housing for families, stories of this building in which we sit being imagined and
built, stories of our child care facility starting, stories of I-Care Sundays getting started, the list goes on and on and on of how even with just a little faith, big things have transpired here at Ballard First - things that have continued to impact the lives of our members and of our community for years and years. All you have to do is watch how many people cry out to Ms. Karen each year as we march in the 17th of May parade to see the difference that the ministries here at Ballard First have made in other people’s lives. I must confess that this lesson is never the one that comes to mind when I think about the Parable of the Mustard Seed. Instead, I often think of the Parable from Matthew, Mark and even earlier in Luke. For you see, these parables are different. In these parables, Jesus tells the parable of the mustard seed to show how faith the size of a mustard seed can spread and grow as Jesus compares the mustard seed to the kingdom of God -attesting that despite the fact that it starts from the
smallest seed, it grows up to become the greatest of all shrubs - putting forth large branches so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.

Often, when I hear these parables, I tend to think about how our faith is more like kudzu or blackberry bushes - spreading in unruly, messy ways into all arenas of our lives and the lives of others. But, here in this part of Luke, Jesus isn’t referencing to the mustard seed as an illustration of just how contagious God’s love can be in spreading the Gospel of the Lord. Instead, Jesus uses this story of the parable almost as a way to personally empower the disciples in their faith - encouraging them in the fact that they can do the hard, mundane things that faith requires of them - that they have enough faith already in them to do those things - for even faith the size of a mustard seed can move mulberry bushes, can move mountains. Several commentators point to the fact that the lectionary authors do us a disservice this morning in only including verses 5-10. They argue that in order to truly
understand this text, we have to at a minimum include the preceding verses 1-4. In these verses, Jesus says to his disciples, ‘Occasions for stumbling are bound to come, but woe to anyone by whom they come! It would be better for you if a millstone were hung around your neck and you were thrown into the sea than for you to cause one of these little ones to stumble. Be on your guard! If another disciple sins, you must rebuke the offender, and if
there is repentance, you must forgive. And if the same person sins against you seven times a day, and turns back to you seven times and says, “I repent,” you must forgive.” Indeed, is it any wonder then that the disciples begin our portion of this morning’s text by crying out to Jesus,
“Increase our faith!”

After all, given the difficult commands and the harsh words about stumbling that precede these verses, it’s no wonder the disciples seem distraught and are begging Jesus to increase their faith! And these are hardly the hardest things that Jesus has told the disciples they have
to do since we started into this portion of Luke, often referred to as Luke’s Travel Narrative.

Indeed, the disciples in recent weeks have been told that they will have to get rid of all their possessions, that their families will be divided, that they cannot serve both

God and money - none of it has been easy. But, this portion directly preceding today’s verses - well, it’s particularly hard - especially now when society often tells us that we shouldn’t push people to forgive - that doing so can be harmful to them and others - that it can worsen
the trauma of already traumatic events. So, why wouldn’t the disciples cry out, “Increase our faith!” Isn’t this a cry that’s universal for us all - aren’t we all often crying out sometimes consciously, sometimes subconsciously for God to increase our faith too! Don’t we need an increase of faith in order to do the hard things that God calls us to do.

Jesus’ answer this morning - while forthright, is also a little exasperating. Some commentators go so far as tocall it snarky.

But, to me, it just feels like Jesus is pounding his head - saying to the disciples, how can you not get it already! I am with you! You’ve witnessed the healings and the miracles and the casting out of demons. You’ve witnessed the power of forgiveness and love - and yet,
here you are crying out to me to increase your faith! No, Jesus reminds the disciples and us - we are not in need of more faith. For it only takes the faith of a mustard seed - a little, itty bitty mustard seed - so small, you can probably hardly see the one I’m holding right now in my hands. It doesn’t take great faith - it takes only a little faith - and with that little amount of faith you can do anything you set your mind too - even moving a deeply, deeply rooted mulberry tree so that it can be planted in the ocean.

On some fundamental level, I think we all know that this is true. That in Christ, we can do great things. That in Christ, Jesus’ kindom comes to life.

But, we resist it. Because we know that the easy thing to do is often not the right thing to do and the right thing to do is often not the easy thing to do. The many chapters of Luke’s Travel Narrative that have preceded the verses we hear today have reminded us of this. Life is not an easy, straightforward journey. It is full of twists and turns, of things that we don’t really want to do, of obstacles and issues that we have to overcome.

But, God has given us the faith to do it - or as the author of our epistle text reminds us, God has not given “us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline.”

Our history here at Ballard First attests to just how true this is. Maybe, we won’t have the chutzpah or faith a size of a mustard seed to write to the King of Norway again so that he can attend worship here. But, there are all kinds of other things that our faith will call us to do -
hard things, good things, things that we could almost hardly imagine, things that may make us cry out like the disciples, “Increase our faith!” But, in all these things, God goes with us. In all these things, God gives us not a spirit of cowardice, but a spirit of power and love. The spirit to share God’s love in all that we do and with all whom we encounter. Where, oh where will our faith take us? What great things will God have us do? Amen.