This is one of those chapters I could have stopped and pondered at many places. After a slow thoughtful read, I returned to the opening story… particularly the verses about forgiveness.
Jesus said to his disciples: …
"If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, 'I repent,' forgive him."
The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!"
He replied, "If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it will obey you (1, 3-6).
Forgiving is hard. Repenting of sin is hard. Walking in the
Back to forgiveness, Jesus says if a brother sins against you seven times a day and comes back repenting, we are to forgive. My heart wants to scream, “What are you kidding, Jesus?!” Pictures of abusive relationships flash in my thoughts.
I think this is why the apostles’ response so resonated with me, "Increase [my] faith!"
There is no way I could live that way without faith and increased faith at that!!!
Then in a blink of an eye, Jesus turns things upside down again. Only the smallest faith is needed (6). Wow, through faith we have access to the power of God. We have the power of the Holy Spirit within us thanks to being ‘in Christ.’
Faith isn’t a magic potion that gets us anything we want. Faith is God’s gift that enables us to live God’s way.
Faith will enable us to forgive or to repent, depending upon the particulars of the event. Even faith as small as a mustard seed… because faith opens the door to God empowered possibilities, including forgiveness and/or repentance!
Wow, Lord, this is amazing… the gifts You give when You enter a life! Faith to believe, faith to forgive, faith to repent, faith to live for You, faith to touch people in Jesus’ name…
Faith, faith as small as a mustard seed opens the door to all this and so much more… Alleluia! Amen!
Alleluia! Amen!
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