Homily- Luke 17:5-10: Michael Stubblefield

This homily was shared at our Sunday Evening Eucharist service on October 2, 2022.

The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!" The Lord replied, "If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you. "Who among you would say to your slave who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field, 'Come here at once and take your place at the table'? Would you not rather say to him, 'Prepare supper for me, put on your apron and serve me while I eat and drink; later you may eat and drink'? Do you thank the slave for doing what was commanded? So you also, when you have done all that you were ordered to do, say, 'We are worthless slaves; we have done only what we ought to have done!'"

-Luke 17: 5-10

How many of us are often turned down when we hear news that does not uplift us? We may get news such as “Hey, we could not approve you for this loan” or a simple email that says “We do not want to give you this opportunity,” but does not explain why. I recently went through the latter, and I had very little faith after thinking I could not find an opportunity that was as intriguing as the one I had not received. Ultimately, the revelation I received from this turn of events is that if God wanted me to have this opportunity, He would have done it. That’s the word for today: faith. As Jesus said in the Gospel today, “If you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘may you be uprooted and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you!” The thing is, we all know He can do it, but how many of us just need that simple reminder “with man it is impossible, but with God all things are possible”? Because I know I need that reminder all the time. I get in modes where I think I can do anything in front of me, when in actuality, I know I cannot. Another thing I want to add is complacency. All of us here are Christians, and the walk with God is neither an easy or short journey. It lasts our whole life. For us, it is very easy to become complacent with what we do. Going through the motions with the same routine everyday: wake up, pray, life, read our word, pray, go to sleep. It becomes second nature. It is important for all of us to keep that fire in our lives, because as creatures of habit complacency is a dangerous thing, knowing that in our walk with Christ, there is room for growth everyday. And trust me, complacency may not be a problem now, but it will eventually catch up to you. Each and every day is an opportunity to better our relationship with Christ, just by us simply reminding ourselves He can do it. And just knowing He can do it shows our faith that we have in Him.

Mike Stubblefield is a junior engineering major at Louisiana Tech. Since he started attending the Wesley, we have had the privilege to get to know Mike as a faithful servant of Christ, and if you see him, chances are he’ll be sporting a clean fit! He enjoys playing basketball, lifting weights, and eating out with friends.