CHART B: LUKE AND FAITH

Background Data:

The word faith is found eleven times in the Gospel of Luke. Ten times the word is attributed to Jesus: 5:20, 7:9, 7:50, 8:25, 8:48, 17:6, 17:19, 18:8, 18:42, 22:32 and once the disciples use the word in a question in 17:5. Seven times in seven vignettes Jesus says someone either has or does not have faith: 5:20, 7:9, 7:50, 8:25, 8:45, 17:19, and 18:42. The other three times Jesus speaks of “faith” as an essential item: with a small amount you could throw trees into the sea (17:6), God will come to the earth at the end of time looking for it (18:8), and it must not be lost by a disciple, especially after failure (22:32).

Nine of the usages seem to be functionally tied together. These nine define what faith is: the seven vignettes and the dialogue with the disciples (two references) as to how to obtain faith in chapter 17. Faith is defined by observation. It takes place (or does not take place) in daily experience in the seven stories and then when asked how to obtain faith Jesus again took them back to daily action. Faith is thus defined by doing something, and it is also obtained by “doing” something in daily life. Understanding what faith was came by watching something being done in daily life and was obtained by doing something in daily life. However, what was to be done to obtain faith was different in each story depending on the situation.

Key to understanding the way Luke taught his readers about faith appears to be centered on the disciples’ quest for it that opens chapter 17. What appeared to motivate the disciples to inquire about obtaining more faith was that they had heard Jesus speak of faith in such a praise-worthy manner (5:20, 7:9, 7:50, and 8:48). The praise seemed to instill a desire to gain more of it. They were told in 8:25 that their faith was lacking and so wanted their own faith to be stronger. In addition, in the five vignettes preceding Chapter 17 faith appears to be tied to either doing miracles (5:20, 7:9, 8:25 and 8:48) or obtaining forgiveness (7:50). It seemed to them to be a very desirable commodity.

The Definition of Faith:

A. Why the Disciples Desired Faith: the First Five stories.

Three powerful healings had been witnessed and one dramatic experience of forgiveness and all those receiving either forgiveness or healing are said to have had faith.

5:20 The property destroying friends lowered their paralytic friend through a roof to get him into Jesus’ presence.

Jesus saw their determination to get their friend help and called their action faith.

7:9 The centurion sought help for his sick servant and obtained it by aggressively seeking help from Jesus and then by attempting to protect Jesus from critique.

Jesus said He had not seen such faith in Israel.

7:50 The prostitute sought Jesus’ favor in the midst of judgmental religious leaders.

Jesus said her faith had saved her.

8:48 The poor woman was healed of her 12 yr. long suffering by touching His clothes.

Jesus said her faith had made her well.

The exception or the only “lack of faith” story.

8:25 The disciples panicked when almost drowning on the Sea of Galilee.

Jesus asked them where their faith was.

B. How to Obtain Faith: 17:1-10.

In 17:5 the disciples asked Jesus to increase their faith. His answer was in two parts. In verse 6 He began by saying that if they had just a small portion of faith they could do the impossible (with a small measure of it they could throw mulberry trees into the sea). It did not take much, just a little bit was very valuable and powerful. In verses 7-10 He proceeded to answer their question about increasing their faith.

1. Beginning Framework: Luke frames the discussion of faith that takes place in 17:5-6 with a short teaching section in 17:1-4 and a short parable in 17:7-10. There is a double agenda in the teaching section in 17:1-4: take care of those who are most vulnerable for the little ones should be a key concern (17:1-2) and the disciples were to forgive those who had offended them (17:3-4). In the first instance, great judgment will come the disciples’ way if they hurt the little ones. They will need to risk that pleasing God in the life to come is more important than pleasing the rich and powerful in this life. Here faith entails risking advancement by putting the less powerful in a privileged position.

In the second teaching, they were to confront those who sinned against them to their faces concerning what they had done. They were not to talk behind their backs or fester inside. If the offender apologized then the disciples were to forgive no matter how many times the mistake was made. It takes faith to let things go as one loses control when they do so. We foolishly believe that we retain a measure of control if we hold on to the grudge. If the disciples were to forgive they would have to risk that they could be happy if they obeyed God. Here too, faith would be to take a risk.

2. Concluding Framework: Jesus told a parable (17:7-10) after telling them in verse 6 that faith was extremely powerful. He neither explained the parable nor did it seem, at first light, that the parable related to the discussion of faith. The parable was about fulfilling one’s duty without expectation of praise. If one looks at the section of 17:1-10 as a whole the parable ties all of it together. The passage’s structure is as follows:

A. Two duties taught: take care of the weak and forgive offenders: 1-4

B. The discussion of faith in 5-6 has two parts: the request to gain more faith and the promise by Jesus that what they seek is valuable, even miraculously powerful.

C. The parable in 7-10 also has two parts: the parable (7-8) and the exhortation based on the parable (9-10). The exhortation in 9-10 is about doing one’s duty. This seems to be the answer to how one gains faith: obey Jesus’ teaching without seeking reward. Risk that His way of conducting life is best and they would be doing so by faith and faith is gained in the doing. They were to do the right thing (1-4) and not expect to be praised; it was their duty (7-10). Faith is obtained in the doing of the proper things: taking care of the weak and forgiving. Faith is thus grown in the actual experiences of life when His followers sheltered the weak and forgave their offenders.

All 7 vignettes spoke of faith appearing in the daily situations of life and all seven were situations that required one take a risk: in 5:17, those with faith risked the anger of a teacher to get their friend healed; in 7:10, the centurion risked asking a religious leader of an ethnic minority who his army had oppressed to heal his servant and then the centurion took care of Jesus’ reputation, in 7:50 the prostitute risked the horrible judgmental attitude of the religious leaders in order to get forgiveness; and in 8:25, the woman risked the social condemnation of the community for defiling a rabbi. All four of these actions were actions of an aggressive nature.

Only in the panic in the raging storm had faith been said to not be present in the people of the story. The only failures were “the clergy”, the apostles. They did not stay calm when in a threatening situation. They gave into their fears. They did not risk that God was in control.

C. The Latter Two Stories: 17:19, 18:42.

Twice more Luke will record healings that Jesus attributed to people’s faith.

17:19 The Samaritan leper was healed, given a task and he obeyed. However, this one leper out of ten returned to say thank you and he was given valuable information. He heard some additional teaching the other nine healed lepers did not receive: Jesus said his faith made him well.

18:42 Despite discouragement from the crowd, the blind beggar asked for his sight in a persistent way. Jesus told him his faith had saved him.

Again, faith seemed to entail taking the appropriate risk. In chapter 17, when the ten lepers approached the famous Rabbi they risked being turned away. In addition, to be allowed to re-enter society a leper had to be evaluated by a priest and given the clearance that he was no longer a threat to society’s medical well being. One would not approach the priest for a ruling unless one thought he would find them clean. Thus, the 10 lepers risked facing deeper disappointment (and embarrassment) by attempting to go to the priest while they were still lepers. As they turned to obey Jesus, they were healed and later the Samaritan leper learned that his choice to obey was faith. He submitted his will to the will of God’s Torah and risked that his denial of own desire to immediately go tell everyone and forget the ritual put forth in Scripture was the best way to live life (he is the opposite of the Jewish man healed in chapter 5). The blind beggar demonstrated his faith by risking deeper disappointment if his efforts did not pay off and the displeasure of those around him because they had told him to stop trying to speak to Jesus. No doubt, as a blind man he feared their anger with him. When he persisted to obtain his sight it was seen by Jesus as faith.

III. The Necessity of Faith. Two other times: 18:8 and 22:32 Jesus taught how necessary faith was for obtaining what we need in prayer. In 18:8 (18:1-8) the issue is not quitting. Obstacles are to be met with persistence. It would take faith not to quit. In 22:32 the issue was not losing one’s faith when horrible mistakes were made as Peter did in denying his Lord. Jesus had prayed that Peter’s faith did not fail.

IV. What the Seven Stories had in common.

In all seven cases faith obtained some legitimate desire: healing (the paralyzed friend, the woman with the issue of blood, the leper, the Centurion and the blind man); forgiveness (the prostitute) and avoidance of death by drowning (the disciples).

In all seven cases there was some type of difficulty that stood in the way of obtaining the desired goal: (the impending waves in the disciples’ case), being the wrong race (the Samaritan leper and Roman Centurion), moral failure (the prostitute faced being publicly despised), the crowds (the paralyzed man and the blind man) and finally religious cultural pressure (the woman faced religious rules that forbade her touching Him). Faith was the means of overcoming the difficulty and obtaining the goal. The action in all seven cases was different and appropriate to the situation.

3) Often those having faith were not perfect people or from a good religious background. This is not a prestigious group.

The Samaritan (known to be heretics in Jesus’ day). 17:19

The Centurion (member of a hated conquering army, the Romans). 7:9

The Prostitute (despised by Jews in Jesus’ day). 7:50

The Property destroying friends of the paralytic. 5:20

The Frightened disciples (losing their courage in a time of stress) 8:25

The Poor: the poor woman (8:48) and the blind beggar (18:42).

4) All seven stories report a situation that is a crisis. Faith was necessary in a period of stress: health (5:20, 7:9, 8:48, 17:19 and 18:42), moral failure (7:50) and imminent danger of drowning (8:25).

5) The stressful situation produced a need that had to be met. All seven came to Jesus to have that need met.

6) All those involved took a risk, or should have taken a risk in the case of the disciples (the only failures of the group of seven). The risk had to be taken in the daily push and pull of life.

7) Faith was highly prized by Jesus.

III. Applications:

1) One does not need to be a church-goer, have good theology, be free of major sin, be free of mistakes, healthy, or be an important person, to have faith. It is open to all.

2) Faith is needed when things go wrong either with our health, our friend’s health, our safety, or when we sin. God will put us in crisis, not because He does not love us, but because He does love us. Facing tough times could be God’s way of giving opportunity to gain a great prize, faith.

3) Faith requires one to take a risk. One cannot play it safe. One has to be willing to brave disapproval, talk to people who may reject you, be persistent when people tell you to be quiet, have courage when you are afraid, etc.

4) Faith can also be obtained by obeying God’s teaching and taking the risk that we could still be happy if we took care of those who can not help us (17:1-2) or forgave those who hurt us (17:3-4). Faith has an obedience aspect to it. The story about the Samaritan leper stresses this (17:9).

5) In all seven examples the issue of fear of acceptance was present. They were not to fear they would not be accepted by God if they sought Him. The parable in 18:1-8 and the report of Jesus praying for Peter in 22:32 to not lose his faith are concerned with this issue of acceptance as well. The widow was to be persistent because despite her immediate experience of rejection, she would be accepted and her petition granted. Similarly, Peter was prayed for by Jesus that when he realized his sin (22:62) there was hope of reconciliation. Rejection was not the last word. God would accept Peter when he turned again to God. Christ did not want Him to lose his faith.