Hit The Mark November 7

Luke 17:5-6

And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith.

And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you.

Increase our faith, an unusual request from the apostles. They have just listened to Jesus teach the parables of the Dishonest Steward, The Law and The Kingdom of God, Divorce and Remarriage, The Rich Man and Lazarus, Temptations to Sin. Temptations to Sin was the preceding scriptures 17:1-4., about forgiveness.

Jesus tells them to forgive seven times in a day if someone trespassed against them. Trespass comes from the Greek word: ham-ar-tan-o, which means: to miss the mark.

We all miss the mark when it comes to other people, and even when it comes to forgiving ourselves, the apostles were asking for faith to forgive.

Here is Jesus’s immediate response:

Luke 17:6

And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you.

A sycamine tree is known for its root system; the roots spread out probably about twice the size of the tree, making it nearly impossible to remove.

Unforgiveness, like the roots of a sycamine tree, can grow deep into your heart, choking out the life of your spirit. Be quick to forgive. Forgive before it becomes a sapling that takes root. After you have forgiven, forgive again.

He is: Elohay Selichot

The God Who Is Ready to Forgive

Blessing’s