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Lord Increase Our Faith Luke 17:5
Lord Increase Our Faith Luke 17:5
Some of Jesus’ teachings are just plain difficult! Such are not always difficult to understand, but difficult to believe! And when believed, they are difficult to practice! Such was His teaching on forgiving our brothers.
- Easy: if he sins, rebuke him.
- Not so easy: If he repents, forgive him.
- Harder: “if he sins against you seven times a day, and returns to you seven times, saying, “I repent,’ FORIGVE HIM!
Hence the response of the disciples: “Increase our faith”. I know the feeling.
On one occasion, “many of His disciples, when they heard this said: “This is a difficult statement; who can listen to it?”” (John 6:60). Thus, “many of His disciples withdrew and were walking with Him anymore” (John 6:66).
As difficult as His sayings were, the disciples could respond: “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God” (John 6:68-69).
Since then, how many have said: “If THAT is what I must do, then I will just go my own way”? But if Jesus is THE WAY, the truth, and the life and if He is the one that has the words of life, walking away is just foolish. Better is the cry of the disciples: increase our faith!
Unfortunately, when faced with such difficult teachings, we often want to argue with Him, reason with Him to show OUR way is better, or even scoff at Him for such ‘ignorance’. Being a true disciple of Jesus was never promised to be easy, but it will be worth it! Oh, that we had a heart of complete trust. Oh, that we could see things the way Jesus does. Lord, increase our faith!
Hugh DeLong
