The faith that crossed Niagara

On July 1, 1859, news published in the American newspaper New York Times surprised everyone. Charles Blondin, a Frenchman, has bravely walked over Niagara Falls on a tightrope in the presence of tens of thousands of people. After this, he repeated this feat in various ways, walking blindfolded, carrying a log, etc. In 1860, a royal party came from England to watch Blondin perform. That day he continued his adventure by placing a sack of potatoes in a wheelbarrow. After that, he asked the royal families and all spectators: “Do you think I could cross Niagara with a man in this cart?” Everyone shouted: “yes, of course, you can”. Then the Blondin happily asked any spectators to get into the carriage. But no one was ready to board in. Although they believed in Blondin’s talent, they did not trust him to act according to their beliefs.

This is what happens when we look at our Faith. Though we all say we have Faith, we fail to act accordingly.

Let’s look at today’s Gospel. It begins with the disciples’ beautiful plea to Jesus to increase their Faith. Why do I say it is so beautiful? To know this, we need to look at the contest where this is happening. Immediately before this, precisely in the verses from Luke 17: 1-4, we see Jesus giving various instructions to the disciples. He teaches not to give evil impulses, and if a person sins against you seven times a day and seven times he returns and repents, you should forgive him. Following this, the apostles beg Jesus to increase their Faith. That means the disciples are convinced they do not have sufficient Faith to do the work they should do. Because not being scandal and forgiving are truly divine acts. To do so would seem either foolish or unnecessary from a humane point of view. Therefore, a very profound virtue of Faith is necessary to fulfil them. So the first thing we need to understand is that man needs Faith to think and act beyond the human level.

I think Faith is actually a word that is often misinterpreted or misunderstood. Faith is often understood as irrational. But the fact is that Faith is not unreasonable but is above reason. Faith is not a blind belief in something that does not exist, for which there is no reason, but Faith is the conviction in the unseen reality. That’s why it makes sense. Something below reason or irrational is called Superstition. Faith is not that.

Now look at Jesus’ answer to the disciples’ request: “If you had faith as a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this sycamine tree, ‘Be rooted up, and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you”. Look at the imagery Jesus uses here. Both are humanly impossible.

First, the sycamine tree, “Be rooted up”. The root of the sycamore tree can reach a diameter of about 50 feet, and Mishnah, the collection of Jewish traditions, even suggests that wells should be dug at least 50 feet away from the tree because it has an extensive root system. So it is very difficult to be plucked from the soil.

 Now, the second image, “go to sea and take root is”, more impossible and foolish than the first. Which tree grows in the sea? An absolute impossibility. But Jesus says that Faith is the invisible power that can do even the impossible things. This is a fact that we should think deeply about. It’s not just the fact that we have to think about how little Faith we really have, but at the same time, it gives us the opportunity to discover which sycamore tree needs to be uprooted from my life, from my heart. Asking a sycamore tree to take root in the sea is not only an impossible thing to happen, but Jesus also wants that no one may eat its fruits. So the sycamore tree is also a symbol of our sins, rooted in our hearts, that must grow in the sea, so that man may never eat its fruit.

Very often, I hear repeatedly in the confessional… “I want to turn away from sins, but some are rooted deeply in me, and they do not go away from me.” But Jesus comforts us and gives us the surety that, no matter how deep-rooted your sins are, if you have Faith like a grain of mustard seed, it will obey you. With great hope in these words, we can beg like the disciples: Lord, increase my Faith. Give me Faith like a mustard seed. It is also worth noting that Faith is like a mustard seed. Mustard seeds are very small. So what Christ is saying here is that it is not the quantity of our Faith that is the problem, but rather the quality. Regarding the quality of Faith, Jesus has already shown us examples of Faith in the Gospel of Luke.

These examples include the men who carried their paralytic friend to be healed by the Lord (see Lk 5:20), the Roman Centurion who expressed utter confidence in the power of Jesus’ word (see Lk 7:9), the sinful woman who overcame social barriers and the scorn of others in order to become a disciple of the Lord (see Lk 7:50), and the woman with the haemorrhage who approached Jesus for healing and was not afraid to touch Jesus (see Lk 8:48). Jesus is inviting us to imitate these examples of great Faith.

Finally Jesus ends his instructions by reminding us of something that will happen in the life of Faith. That is the parable of the steward in the second part of today’s Gospel. When even impossible things are fulfilled in a man’s life through his Faith, pride may creep in. Perhaps what comes across as a personal ego will later lead to the complete destruction of our spirituality. That is why Jesus tells us to consider ourselves as unprofitable servants, reminding us of the humility that should be cultivated in the life of Faith. No matter what good deed we do, His reward will be great if we think we have only performed our duty like servants.

Therefore let’s ask for the grace to imitate these great examples of Faith and to apply his teachings without expecting rewards.

May God bless you!