The Faith of Forgiving

In this morning's gospel, Luke 17:1-6, Jesus talks about forgiveness and faith.

"If your brother sins, rebuke him;
and if he repents, forgive him.
And if he wrongs you seven times in one day
and returns to you seven times saying, 'I am sorry,'
you should forgive him."

In response, the Apostles ask Christ to, "Increase our faith."They knew that on their own they could not fulfill this command of forgiveness. To forgive an offense is not our natural instinct. Yet, it is what we are called to do.

So, if you are struggling to forgive, the best place to start is to ask God to increase your faith and to help you forgive. It may still take a while, but you will get there. When you ask God to work in you in a way that is conducive to His will, He will do it. It may not look like what you expect or be on your timeline but it will happen.

For what is the Lord's response in this passage to the apostles?

The Lord replied, "If you have faith the size of a mustard seed,
you would say to this mulberry tree,
'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you."

 With faith, we can do the impossible. Even forgiving someone who hurt you.