Jesus Walked in Melioration (part II)

Within His ability to practice forgiveness and secure forgiveness for humanity, Jesus made things better, bearable, and more satisfactory.   Thus, His life-journey was one of melioration.  Jesus forgave both the sorrowful and those who continued in their hateful actions toward Him.

Luke 17:3-4 identifies the PROCESS OF FORGIVENESS (see last week’s lesson).    This text has Jesus teaching that forgiveness calls for personal accountability.   That charge is made within the words, “be on your guard.”   Jesus went on to speak of rebuking the sinner.   He is identifying the manner in which the offended must approach the offender.   The original Greek word shows that this approach is a covering the offender with a sense of honor and value.  Lastly, Jesus shows that the process of forgiveness must be viewed as an action rather than a feeling.  One can forgive another without an emotional feeling of that forgiveness.

Today’s lesson continues within this same text to see what the Master has to say about the PRACTICE OF FORGIVENESS.

After the challenge to be sensitive and forgiving people, the apostles make a request of Jesus, “Lord, increase our faith!” (Lk. 17:5).  What do you think would cause them to make such a request?   Did it grow from a knowledge of the personal experiences they encountered in trying to grant forgiveness?   Was it the numerous times Jesus demanded them to give the gift of repetitive forgiveness?

The correct answers to such questions is revealed within the response Jesus makes to their request.  Jesus knew them.  He had lived with them and witnessed their struggles in being meliorators.  Jesus understood why they thought more faith was needed before they could be the forgivers He was calling them to be.   His uses an illustration to answer their query.   Jesus says if they have,  “faith like a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and be planted in the sea’; and it would obey you.”  (Lk. 17:6).

Why the tree comparison?  What does Jesus want them to understand?  He clearly is teaching that when it comes to the practice of forgiveness, it is not an issue of faith’s quantity but an issue of faith’s quality!  Even a small amount of obedient faith will result in the ability to practice the most difficult challenges to forgive.  Conversely,  the greatest amount of faith is useless when it comes to forgiveness, if one is not willing to be obedient.  The ability to forgive is not based upon the magnitude of one’s faith, but upon the obedience found within whatever amount of faith one has!

Obedient faith within forgiveness is manifested within three realities:

• It begins with ASSESSING the hurt.  One must know exactly why they are hurting.  For this assessment to be accurate it must be processed “in the presence of the Lord.”  It is only there that true identifying light and perspective may be found.  It is in His presence that the negative and destructive insights of others can be balanced with the wisdom and insight of the Great Meliorator.
• It develops with ASSUMING the debt.  Once aware of the nature of one’s hurt, there exists the ability to pay the debt the offender owes.  When suffering from the offense of another, the offender can seldom find a satisfactory way to pay the perceived restitution.  When the offended focuses on payment for the wrong done to them, their hearts will never be open to forgive.  However, when the offended realizes they can pay the debt owed by the offender they are traveling down the path which will develop Biblical forgiveness. 
• It ends with AFFIRMING the offender.  This is an affirmation where the offended one returns the offender to a place of value.  Even without the presence of a desire for resolution, the harmed one can heal by engaging in an inner affirmation of the one who has been the cause of their hurt.

As you follow this lesson you will find that this text makes it very clear:  Forgiveness is fettered to one’s willingness to be obey, not to the amount of faith one possess.  An obedient willingness will be displayed in proper assessment, full assumption, and revaluing of the offender through mental affirmation and it is this obeying faith that will make forgiveness a reality.

Click on the play button below to begin this study.