Increase Our Faith

Greetings everyone.

Today, we are going to start Luke 17. In these first few verses Jesus talks about not creating stumbling blocks, forgiveness and faith, in rapid succession.  Here is my translation of verses 1-6: 

1 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “It is inevitable that stumbling blocks will come, but woe to those through whom they come.” 2 It would be better for such a person for a millstone to be tied around his neck and thrown into the sea, than to be a stumbling block for these little ones. 3 Watch yourselves carefully.  If your brother sins, warn him strongly, and if he repents, forgive him. 4 Even if he sins against you seven times in a day, and turns to you seven times and says, ‘I repent,’ then you forgive him.”

5 Then the Apostles said, “Lord, increase our faith.” 6 The Lord responded, “If you have the faith of a mustard seed, then you can say to the mulberry tree, “Be uprooted and planted in the sea,” and it will obey you. 

In vese 1, the Greek word that Jesus uses here is σκάνδαλα (skandala), while it sounds like our English word ‘scandal,’ it's often translated as ‘stumbling block.’  Alan Thompson clarifies it like this:  “an enticement to apostasy or more broadly, a temptation to sin.” (Thompson, 264.) Jesus says that these stumbling blocks are inevitable.  We will face stumbling blocks, enticements to apostasy and temptation to sin.  However, he issues a ‘woe” or a warning to those who cause them to happen. 

You may remember that Jesus issued six ‘woes’ to the Pharisees in chapter 11. That word 'woe' comes from the Greek word οὐαὶ (ouai), meaning “the judgment that will come because of what they do in contrast to what they ought to have done.”  (Thompson, 195.)

Here Jesus issues this warning to anyone who creates a stumbling block for “these little ones.” What little ones is he talking about?  Is he talking about children, or something else.  Some think that he is referring to young disciples, here.  Whatever the meaning of ‘little ones’ here, I think that it is safe to say that we should strive to never do anything that would lead anyone else toward sin or apostasy. The punishment for such an action must be severe,  Jesus describes a situation that would undoubtedly kill someone and says that this is better than what awaits the person who is a stumbling block.  To have a large millstone tied around your neck and to be thrown into the ocean would bring certain death by drowning.  

Jesus adds in verse 3, “Watch yourselves carefully.”  Good advice. If I am going to avoid actions that lead others into sin, I need to be very careful about what I say and do. Then, partway through verse 3, Jesus seems to move in a somewhat different direction.  How do you respond when a brother sins? Jesus says to ἐπιτίμησον (epitimēson). This word is often translated as rebuke.  I have translated “warn him strongly.” The Greek-English Lexicon of New Testament Words defines the word as “to express strong disapproval.” 

Disciples of Jesus have a strong commitment to righteousness, so we should not let sin go unchallenged. However, this assumes that "in all of this that the disciples have a certain quality in their relationships that allows this type of positive, honest, loving, confronting behavior to occur without destroying their relationships." (Bock, 1387.)

Jesus follows the first imperative with a command to forgive.  “And if he repents, forgive him.”  In fact, Jesus is so serious about the forgiveness part that he tells his disciples that if a brother sins against him seven times in a day, he is to continue forgiving.  (Note: Jesus does not tell his disciples to rebuke or warn seven times in a day. Forgiveness is more important.) 

Jesus' imperative of offering what amounts to constant forgiveness to a brother who has sinned against you, clearly challenges the disciples.  They immediately ask Jesus to increase their faith.  This makes sense.  When we are hurt by someone, forgiving them is challenging enough.  When the offense is repeated, it becomes all the more difficult. The disciples recognized that they would need some help to obey this command.

Jesus responds to their request, stating,  “If you have the faith of a mustard seed, then you can say to the mulberry tree, “Be uprooted and planted in the sea,” and it will obey you.”Jesus is speaking in hyperbole.  Throwing trees into the ocean with our faith proves nothing.  Jesus' point for them was to have faith.  What might seem impossible, like offering that much forgiveness, is possible with God.  God is able to do a lot with just a little faith.  This concept works in our relationships as well.  God can work and does work in unexpected ways on our behalf.  

Mustard seeds are small, yet this is Jesus chooses to compare our faith to.  We often take this scripture the wrong way, I think.  We say, “This isn’t happening the way I want it to, so I don’t even have faith the size of a mustard seed.” But, Jesus is encouraging here, not discouraging.  He is simply saying to have just a little faith, and God can do great things with it.  Like He told Gideon, “Go on the faith that you have.” 

So, Jesus covers a lot of territory in this short conversation with his disciples.  We must be careful that we don't cause others to stumble.  If someone does cause us to stumble, we need to forgive them, as often as is necessary.  Forgiving people who sin against us is difficult, and requires faith.  But, with a little faith can accomplish amazing things, like being a forgiving person.