‘The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” And the Lord said, “If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.”’ (Luke 17:5–6 ESV).
This passage comes right after Jesus tells the disciples to forgive someone who sins against them seven times in a single day and repents each time (Luke 17:3–4). Feeling the weight of that command, the apostles cry out, “Increase our faith!” They seem to believe that more faith is the solution to this difficult command.
But Jesus doesn’t respond by giving them more faith. Instead, He tells them that even faith as small as a mustard seed is powerful enough to uproot a deeply rooted tree and plant it in the sea—a vivid way of showing that it’s not the amount of faith that matters, but whether it’s real and rooted in God.
Forgiving someone repeatedly is one of those seemingly impossible tasks. Yet Jesus teaches that if our faith is real—even if it feels small—God can work through it to do what we cannot do ourselves.
Forgiveness doesn’t come easily to us, especially when we’re asked to extend it again and again. We often feel like we don’t have enough faith or strength to let go of the hurt or show mercy again.
But Jesus shifts our focus. The issue isn’t how much faith we have. It’s whether we’re willing to act on the faith God has already given us. When we trust Him, even with shaky hands and heavy hearts, He gives us the grace to do what seems beyond us.
We don’t need to wait until we feel ready to forgive. We can move forward, trusting God to help us release resentment and offer mercy. He will supply the strength we lack when we take Him at His word. Forgiveness is about faith, not our feelings.
PRAYER: Dear Father, we admit that forgiveness is hard. There are times when we feel like we can’t do it. But today we’re reminded that You are not asking for great faith, but just a little faith in a great God and in obeying Your Word. For we believe that You can do what we can’t. Help us act on the faith we already have. Teach us to forgive as You have forgiven us. May Your Spirit give us both the will and the power to obey. In Jesus’ name, amen.