"Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, 'I repent', you shall forgive him." (Luke 17:3-10)
As a result of those Words, the apostles asked Jesus to "increase our faith". They knew instantly that their faith did not include the ability to forgive seven times in a day. They knew they were lacking in that area. They knew that if someone sinned against them seven times in a day, the offense brought by the same would be more than they could overcome. The roots of offense can grow deep into the soul.
Jesus says, "If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,' and it would obey you." Mustard seed faith is faith to BEGIN! If you have faith to begin- a desire to act upon what Jesus reveals to us as the will of the Father- the desired end will be yours. I asked the Lord the significance of the mulberry tree. Some time later a TV evangelist said that the roots of the mulberry tree run deep into the ground. So, even though the roots of offense run deep, faith to begin to remove that offense from your heart will succeed if you understand that offense is there and want it removed!
Say to the this mulberry tree (the deep roots of offense), "Be pulled up by the roots and planted in the sea(covered over by the blood of Jesus Christ; just as the Father forgets our falling short of His grace; as far as the east is from the west) and it would obey you!
Take heed to yourselves. Will you ask Him to show you how to forgive in this manner, just as the Father forgives us upon approach?
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