Repentance and Forgiveness

The People of God Set Priorities
Bearing One Another's Burdens
A Community Forgives

Luke 17:1-6 The Message

A Kernel of Faith

17 ^1-2 He said to his disciples, “Hard trials and temptations are bound to come, but too bad for whoever brings them on! Better to wear a millstone necklace and take a swim in the deep blue sea than give even one of these dear little ones a hard time!

^3-4 “Be alert. If you see your friend going wrong, correct him. If he responds, forgive him. Even if it’s personal against you and repeated seven times through the day, and seven times he says, ‘I’m sorry, I won’t do it again,’ forgive him.”
⁵ The apostles came up and said to the Master, “Give us more faith.”
⁶ But the Master said, “You don’t need more faith. There is no ‘more’ or ‘less’ in faith. If you have a bare kernel of faith, say the size of a poppy seed, you could say to this sycamore tree, ‘Go jump in the lake,’ and it would do it.

 
For Reflection

Repentance isn't just saying you are sorry.  Repentance is change.  Repentance is striving to act in line with God's will.  Repentance is doing the right thing even if others expect the worst of you.  Repentance is turning a new cheek to old challenges.

 

Pray

for the courage to repent.  Pray so that your contrition will be played out in your action.