In Luke 17, we find a well-known passage about forgiveness. Jesus is basically telling his disciples that no matter how many times a person sins against them, they need to forgive every time. The disciples responded in awe and exclaimed, “Increase our faith!”
I’ve grown accustomed to reading their response, but really Jesus’ command was so radical that they knew the only way to accomplish it required an upgrade in faith. Supernatural grace from God.
Forgiveness is unnatural
It is not a “natural” thing to forgive. The old eye for an eye policy often feels much more comfortable to us as humans. This is why the Law made sense. Before Jesus, concepts like mercy and compassion were not interwoven into society’s framework.
How do we forgive when we don’t feel like forgiving? It must be an act of faith.
Jesus is asking us to forgive, so we know it’s possible. But Jesus also asks us to never think ill of our neighbor (or co-worker or family member), to never lust even in our minds, to always put others ahead of ourselves. Seemingly impossible requests.
And that’s the point. They are naturally impossible for us to accomplish on our own. Jesus’ ways go so much further than the Law. We are told to go the extra mile even for those that despise and abuse us. (Not to tolerate abuse but to forgive those that abuse.)
Such is the way of this new forgiveness. It must be done as a supernatural act of faith. I believe that the Holy Spirit will empower me to forgive, so I make a choice of my will.
When we don’t feel like forgiving
Even when I don’t feel it, I can forgive. I don’t need to justify what the other person has done. In fact, I can admit the other person’s wrongdoing, but in faith, I can release them from my judgement and entrust that part to God.
In the same way that I trust God for healing, that I trust God for provision, I trust God to give me the grace to forgive, and I receive that from him. In faith.
It’s at this point in Luke 17:6 when Jesus tells the disciples that if they only have a mustard seed of faith they can say to this mulberry tree to “be uprooted and planted in the sea.”
We all know that verse, but it’s not always attached to Jesus’ teaching on forgiveness. Why the seed and mulberry illustration?
Because Jesus never speaks a word in vain, I decided to research just what a mulberry tree is like. And what I found was fascinating.
The truth about mulberry trees
On Into the Waters’ website, I read that the mulberry tree’s root system is “damaging and invasive.” The roots are fast-growing and can quickly begin to dominate the soil around it. The most interesting fact to me about the mulberry’s roots is that they do not directly penetrate structure foundations, but they adversely affect the surrounding area to such a point that the foundations begins to warp and buckle on their own.
Isn’t this just like unforgiveness? It so quickly begins to take over and dominate the rest of our lives. Everything about a person whom we have not released is colored with its bitter stroke until our foundations are destroyed. We are the ones who pay the biggest price for not forgiving.
I wonder if this is the bitter root that Biblical authors had in mind when they warned us not to miss the grace of God and allow sin to invade our hearts.
Inspiration to forgive
But Jesus tells us that with just a teeny seed of faith, we can throw this unforgiveness into the sea of God’s mercy. He shows us that forgiveness is possible with the Holy Spirit’s help when he modeled just exactly what that looks like on the cross.
We can forgive today as an act of faith. We can trust that as we speak the words, “I forgive you,” and choose to begin to release the person that has harmed us to the Lord, entrusting that judgement ultimately belongs to him, our emotions will eventually follow suit.
For deep wounds, we need God’s healing and comfort as we forgive. That may come as an instant transaction with Him, but it may also come through therapy and a lot of difficult heart-work. We can trust him in faith for that as well.
There is often a gap between our step of faith and the realization of that promise. Let’s allow the Lord to carry us through that gap until we are totally free.
