Limitless Faith

Read Luke 17:1-10

Just read this passage, because there is not much more that I can add. It begins with Jesus blowing the limits off our faith by telling us to forgive someone who asks EVERY TIME they ask. This is beyond us. It goes against every natural instinct. The apostles are so blown away by this teaching that they can only say, "Increase our faith."

I love that response. "Increase our faith." It should be the response to every teaching of Christ that we read. If we aren't challenged to the core of our being by His every word, then we're really not reading it with an open heart, we're reading it with our pre-constructed viewpoints that are comfortable to us. In a true ready, every passage should produce: "Increase my faith!"

Then Christ says that forgiveness is our 'duty' in the sense that we should not expect a big slap on the back for extending a hand of mercy to someone, even an enemy. Why? Because that's exactly what He extended to us, while we were His enemies, while we were 'yet sinners.' What else should our response be, but to reach out our hands in love and forgiveness. After all, "We are unworthy servants, we have only done our duty."

Increase my faith!