Temptations to sin

JESUS said to His disciples, “Things that cause sin will inevitably occur, but woe to the person through whom they occur. It would be better for him if a millstone were put around his neck and he be thrown into the sea than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin. Be on your guard! 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.”

And the apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.” 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.” REFLECTION YOU SHOULD FORGIVE HIM. Jesus teaches His disciples to forgive their erring brothers. They may commit the same mistakes over and over, but when they come seeking forgiveness, the disciples must forgive them. The disciples admit that it is hard to do this, perhaps next to impossible. So they ask Jesus to increase their faith, thinking that the ability to forgive may come from a huge faith.

Yet Jesus teaches them that they do not need to have big faith in order to forgive always. It is enough to have faith like a mustard seed. It should not make them feel helpless, nor should they make it as an excuse for not forgiving. Otherwise, they will never forgive at all. Faith, no matter how small, makes things possible.

In God’s eyes, faith is not quantifiable. It cannot be measured or subjected to laboratory tests. It cannot be increased exponentially. God calls the shots and is satisfied with mustard-like faith, simple trust in God’s wisdom, to make the divine power work in us.

Forgiveness is God’s imperative. We have no choice but to forgive, to prove our loyalty to God. Who are we to impose conditions on God when forgiving?

Do you forgive your brother who gives you headaches? It is your faith that empowers you to do that.