Make peace with your brother

Gospel

Luke 17:1-6

If your brother does wrong, reprove him

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Obstacles are sure to come, but alas for the one who provides them! It would be better for him to be thrown into the Sea with a millstone put round his neck than that he should lead astray a single one of these little ones. Watch yourselves!

If your brother does something wrong, reprove him and, if he is sorry, forgive him. And if he wrongs you seven times a day and seven times comes back to you and says, “I am sorry,” you must forgive him.’

The apostles said to the Lord, ‘Increase our faith.’ The Lord replied, ‘Were your 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.’

Short Reflection

This Gospel passage presents a challenging and profound triad of teachings from Jesus. First, he issues a stern warning about the gravity of leading others into sin, emphasizing our profound responsibility for one another's spiritual welfare. Then, he moves to the difficult, practical command of forgiveness—not a one-time act, but a continuous, generous posture of the heart, symbolized by forgiving "seven times a day." The disciples' response is telling: they immediately feel the impossibility of this standard on their own power and cry out, "Increase our faith!"

Jesus' final reply reframes the issue. The problem is not the quantity of their faith, but its quality and activation. Even a tiny, living faith—like a mustard seed—is powerful enough to do the seemingly impossible, like uprooting a mulberry tree. The "impossible thing" here is the very forgiveness and faithfulness he just commanded. We are not called to manufacture this superhuman forgiveness from our own willpower, but to tap into the power of God through a living, active faith in Him.

Question for Reflection

Is there a relationship in my life where I am struggling to offer forgiveness? Do I rely on my own dwindling strength, or do I ask God to activate my "mustard seed" of faith to make what feels impossible, possible through His power?

Short Prayer

Lord Jesus, you call me to a life of radical forgiveness and responsibility. When I am a cause of scandal, have mercy on me. When I am wounded and find it impossible to forgive, I cry out with the Apostles: "Increase my faith!" Help me to trust not in my own strength, but in your limitless power and grace, which can accomplish the impossible in my heart. Amen.

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