Luke 17:5-10 Meaning: Why Ask for More Faith?
5The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.”
6The Lord said, “If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you would tell this sycamore tree, ‘Be uprooted and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.
7But who is there among you, having a servant plowing or keeping sheep, that will say when he comes in from the field, ‘Come immediately and sit down at the table’?
8Wouldn’t he rather tell him, ‘Prepare my supper, clothe yourself properly, and serve me while I eat and drink. Afterward you shall eat and drink’?
9Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded? I think not.
10Even so you also, when you have done all the things that are commanded you, say, ‘We are unworthy servants. We have done our duty.’”
5And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith.
6And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you.
7But which of you, having a servant plowing or feeding cattle, will say unto him by and by, when he is come from the field, Go and sit down to meat?
8And will not rather say unto him, Make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird thyself, and serve me, till I have eaten and drunken; and afterward thou shalt eat and drink?
9Doth he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I trow not.
10So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.
5And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith.
6And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye would say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou rooted up, and be thou planted in the sea; and it would obey you.
7But who is there of you, having a servant plowing or keeping sheep, that will say unto him, when he is come in from the field, Come straightway and sit down to meat;
8and will not rather say unto him, Make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird thyself, and serve me, till I have eaten and drunken; and afterward thou shalt eat and drink?
9Doth he thank the servant because he did the things that were commanded?
10Even so ye also, when ye shall have done all the things that are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants; we have done that which it was our duty to do.
5And the apostles said to the Lord, `Add to us faith;'
6and the Lord said, `If ye had faith as a grain of mustard, ye would have said to this sycamine, Be uprooted, and be planted in the sea, and it would have obeyed you.
7`But, who is he of you--having a servant ploughing or feeding--who, to him having come in out of the field, will say, Having come near, recline at meat?
8but will not rather say to him, Prepare what I may sup, and having girded thyself about, minister to me, till I eat and drink, and after these things thou shalt eat and drink?
9Hath he favour to that servant because he did the things directed? I think not.
10`So also ye, when ye may have done all the things directed you, say--We are unprofitable servants, because that which we owed to do--we have done.'
5And the apostles said to the Lord, Give more faith to us.
6But the Lord said, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard [seed], ye had said to this sycamine tree, Be thou rooted up, and be thou planted in the sea, and it would have obeyed you.
7But which of you [is there] who, having a bondman ploughing or shepherding, when he comes in out of the field, will say, Come and lie down immediately to table?
8But will he not say to him, Prepare what I shall sup on, and gird thyself and serve me that I may eat and drink; and after that thou shalt eat and drink?
9Is he thankful to the bondman because he has done what was ordered? I judge not.
10Thus ye also, when ye shall have done all things that have been ordered you, say, We are unprofitable bondmen; we have done what it was our duty to do.
Meaning in one sentence
The apostles asked Jesus to increase their faith after hearing his command to forgive. What did Jesus mean by the mustard seed and the unworthy servant?
Context
Jesus had just finished teaching about forgiveness, that even if someone sins against you seven times in a day and repents, you must forgive them. The apostles heard this and felt the weight of it. They knew their own hearts. So they made a simple request: “Increase our faith.” They understood that to forgive like that, they would need help from outside themselves. Jesus answered in two parts. First, He said that even a tiny faith, if it is real, can do the impossible, like uprooting a tree. Then He told a story about a servant who works all day and then serves his master at home, without expecting thanks. The point: after we have done everything God asks, we are simply servants who have done our duty.
Key Words
The disciples used a specific Greek word for increase: prosthes, meaning “add” or “give more.” It suggests they already had some faith but needed more. The word for faith, pistis, goes beyond believing facts, it carries the idea of trust, reliance, and loyalty. They were asking for a deeper trust in God that would sustain them in the hard work of forgiveness. Later, Jesus uses the word achreioi for unworthy or unprofitable. It literally means “not meeting a requirement” or “providing no profit.” It does not mean sinful or evil. It means that even when we have done everything commanded, we have not placed God in our debt. He does not owe us anything. We are simply servants who have done what was expected. This word keeps us grounded, reminding us that our service is not a favor to God but a natural response to who He is.
How Christians Read This Verse
Across Christian traditions, this passage has been a touchstone for discussions about grace and human effort. Many Protestant readers, following Calvin and Luther, see here a clear teaching that our works add nothing to God; we are unprofitable servants who cannot merit anything. We can never put God in our debt. Catholic and Orthodox Christians, while agreeing on humility, often point out that God, in His mercy, does reward our service, not because it earns His favor, but because He is generous. The parable warns against pride, not against expecting God’s goodness. Both sides find in these verses a quiet but sturdy call to keep serving without keeping score.
A common misunderstanding
A common mistake is to hear “faith like a grain of mustard seed” and think Jesus is saying our faith is too small and needs to be bigger. In fact, He is saying the opposite. Even the tiniest real faith is sufficient for the hardest task. The problem is not the size of our faith but its absence. A mustard seed is very small, but when it is alive and growing, it can accomplish what seems impossible. So do not despair over a little faith; just use what you have.
Living This Out
This week, there may be someone you need to forgive, again. Perhaps a friend who let you down, a family member who hurt you, or even yourself. The command feels impossible, and you might think you need a massive amount of faith to obey. Jesus says otherwise. Even a sliver of real trust in Him is enough to take that step of forgiveness. Do not wait until you feel more faithful. Act on the little faith you have. Speak the words of forgiveness, pray for the person, release the offense. Then, when you have done it, do not rehearse your own obedience. Simply say to God: “I have done what You asked.” Let that be enough. He is not keeping a ledger of your good deeds. He just wants you to trust Him and obey.
Main takeaway: Even a small, real faith is enough to obey God's hardest commands, and after obeying we are simply servants doing what we owe.
For Families
For ages 5 to 8
Jesus says that even a tiny bit of faith, like a seed, can help us do hard things like forgiving others. So when you find it hard to say sorry or share, ask Jesus to help your faith grow. He will help you.
For ages 9 to 12
The disciples felt they did not have enough faith to forgive people over and over. Jesus told them that even the smallest real faith, like a tiny mustard seed, is enough to do what He asks. And then He reminded them that when we obey, we should not get proud. We are just doing what God expects, like a servant does his job. So if you are struggling to obey God, ask for help. He gives the faith you need.
Questions People Ask
Why did the apostles ask Jesus to increase their faith?
Jesus had just commanded them to forgive someone who sins against them seven times in a day. They felt that was impossible for them to do on their own. So they asked for more faith, knowing they needed God's help to obey such a hard command.
What does the mustard seed represent in Luke 17:6?
The mustard seed is very small, but it grows into a large plant. Jesus uses it to illustrate that even a tiny amount of real faith is enough to do the impossible. It is not about having huge faith, but about having living faith, even if small.
Does the parable of the unworthy servant mean our good works are meaningless?
No. It means that our obedience does not put God in our debt. We cannot earn His favor by serving Him. But He is gracious and rewards our service anyway. The parable teaches humility, not that our works are worthless.
What is an 'unprofitable servant'?
The Greek word achreios means someone who has not provided profit or benefit beyond what was owed. It does not mean sinful or good-for-nothing. It means that even after we do everything commanded, we have not done God a favor. We have simply done our duty.
For pastors & researchers
Greek interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study