Tree Removing Faith
Notes
Transcript
5 And the apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.”
6 So the Lord said, “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.
The context:
1 Then He said to the disciples, “It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come!
2 It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.
3 Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him.
4 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.”
The NKJV Study Bible Chapter 17
17:6 Even faith the size of a tiny mustard seed can do wonderful things. The black mulberry tree has a vast root system that allows it to live up to six hundred years.
In response to His outrageous command, they said, “Increase our faith” (verse 5). The Lord was not impressed by their desire for more faith. He heard their cry for more faith as a means of dodging His words. He answered, “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” (verse 6). His position was clear: Even the smallest amount of faith is sufficient to forgive if a person wants to forgive and bear the inherent risks of loving in a fallen world. The issue is never capacity, but whether one desires to forgive.
Dan B. Allender; Tremper Longman III
6 Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.
7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
8 Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.
9 Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
Those Thorny, Deep-Rooted Sins
Written by Matt Caple
Working to remove the physical roots of old, dead trees leads me to think about removing the spiritual roots of sins that we think are old and dead—but may not be as dead as we think.