Increased Faith

The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.”

“If you have faith the size of a mustard seed,” the Lord said, “you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.

“Which one of you having a slave plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he comes in from the field, ‘Come at once and sit down to eat’? Instead, will he not tell him, ‘Prepare something for me to eat, get ready, and serve me while I eat and drink; later you can eat and drink’? Does he thank that slave because he did what was commanded? In the same way, when you have done all that you were commanded, you should say, ‘We are good-for-nothing slaves; we’ve only done our duty.'”
(Luke 17:5-10 HCSB ©®)

Please read that three-part answer to their request again. What was He saying to them regarding authority that expects to be obeyed that would increase their faith? What is He saying to you that should increase your faith? Though it preaches well to say so, He was not speaking figuratively to them regarding talking to the tree. He gave a similar teaching when Peter got excited by the fact that Jesus killed a tree by talking to it.

Early in the morning, as they were passing by, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots up. Then Peter remembered and said to Him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree that You cursed is withered.”

Jesus replied to them, “Have faith in God. I assure you: If anyone says to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. Therefore, I tell you, all the things you pray and ask for—believe that you have received them, and you will have them.
(Mark 11:20-24 HCSB ©®)