Reading
Luke 17:1-6
1 Jesus said to his disciples: “Things that cause people to stumble are bound to come, but woe to anyone through whom they come. 2 It would be better for them to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around their neck than to cause one of these little ones to stumble. 3 So watch yourselves.
“If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them. 4 Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying ‘I repent,’ you must forgive them.”
5 The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!”
6 He replied, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.
Comment
The risk of causing scandal, or disturbing the faith of other believers, is inherent in the fragility of our own faith. Even before being afraid of being useless, Jesus warns us to be careful not to be a scandal to others: "watch yourselves" (v. 3). Our actions, good or evil, do not simply concern our personal relationship with God, but have an impact on the community.
To this admonition and to the "trouble" that accompanies it, Jesus immediately follows a recommendation on the ready availability for forgiveness, which must be unlimited: this is the symbolic meaning of the number seven.
Jesus invites us to reproach the brother and sister who make mistakes (Mt 18: 15-17), but asks to always be ready for forgiveness: “if he says to you: I repent, you will forgive him” (vv. 3-4)
Correction and forgiveness are placed in the Sermon on the Mount in the perspective of a foreseeing love: “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Mt 5:44).
The high standard required by Jesus for his disciples leads them to ask for an increase in their faith (v. 6). Forgiveness, although it must be the fruit of a gratuitousness instructed by the grace of God itself, implies our deep desire for conversion. Jesus exhorts us to have faith, because only faith, however small, can enable us to overcome tendencies contrary to the gospel and firmly rooted in the soil of our conscience.
Prayer
O Lord, increase our faith; so that we can be like flourishing trees planted by streams of water, directed towards your light, nourished by your Spirit. Amen.
- Rev. Dr. Luca Vona
