Just before this Jesus was talking about forgiveness. The verse just before it Jesus teaches, "Even if that person wrongs you seven times a day and each time turns again and asks for forgiveness, you must forgive."
So it's interesting that just following this order the students of Jesus said, "Increase our faith."
I wonder if it's because it seemed to be the hardest thing for them to do... too great a strain on their spiritual health. And doesn't it seem simply impossible at times... doing something like forgiving others of malicious behavior and intent? YET... they were sincere in wanting to reproduce the Father's ways. Yearning... yet weak disciples. .
My commentary says this, "The duty of forgiving is one of the most difficult. It's so contrary to our natural feelings. It asks us to elevate above petty things like malice and revenge. It's so contrary to the world which tells us to hold on to grudges. That must be why Jesus spends so much time talking about it and so strenuously insists on it in order to having evidence that our hearts have been changed."
Faith increases our confidence in Jesus - so we don't become suspicious of His asking us to do impossible things.
It is the foundation of faith... the entire Gospel message is: FORGIVENESS. We are not saved by love... we are saved by GRACE. Ahh... yes: We are saved BY Grace to EXTEND Grace. It's only through our forgiveness that others truly see Jesus for themselves!!
Faith, when it is strong, has a high expectancy about it. And when we are expecting God to do mighty things, and believing that He WILL, it helps us to bear under the attacks of other people in the world. Expecting Him to work on our behalf gives us JOY and a person will generally readily put up with the inconvenience of the present when he knows there's great JOY just up ahead!
Stay close to Jesus. Keep studying His character. Meditate on His goodness. Remember His faithfulness. Get more acquainted with His promises. Be on guard against anything and everything that will dampen what you’ve worked so hard to achieve.
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