Luke 17:1-6 NRSVue
1Jesus said to his disciples, “Occasions for sin are bound to come, but woe to anyone through whom they come! 2It would be better for you if a millstone were hung around your neck and you were thrown into the sea than for you to cause one of these little ones to sin., 3Be on your guard! If a brother or sister sins, you must rebuke the offender, and if there is repentance, you must forgive. 4And if the same person sins against you seven times a day and turns back to you seven times and says, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive.”
5The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” 6The Lord replied, “If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.
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Reflection on Luke 17:1-6
Inspiration from 2025-11-10 Daily Prayer
In Matthew 18:21, when Peter asked Jesus how many times he should forgive a brother who had sinned against him and would seven times be enough, Jesus replied, ‘I do not say to you seven times but seventy times seven.’ This injunction is so strong that it is included in the Our Father, where we ask God to forgive us in the way we forgive others.
Do I strive to forgive others with my will, mind, and heart as best I can? Do I pray for those who have hurt me?
Further reflection
‘Forgive us our trespasses,’ we repeatedly say to God – and we need to repeat it as we trespass again and again. You tell me, Lord, to be as patient with others’ repentance as you are with mine.
As I ask forgiveness for any ill example I have given, I realise that God receives me with joy.
I think of how I am challenged and ask God to help me when I need to give witness by my words or actions. I ask that I may know when to speak and when simply to give example through my way of living.