Luke 17: The Unassuming Forgiveness of Jesus
Luke 17: The Unassuming Forgiveness of Jesus
5 The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!"
6 He replied, "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."
9 Would he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do?
16 He threw himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan.
Our desires naturally respond to Jesus' words about planting a mulberry tree in the sea with faith as small as a mustard seed. We mistakenly think that investing even a tiny bit of faith will result in miracles or grant us such power. It’s like trying to inflate the importance of a mustard seed. But no, Jesus spoke of small, everyday acts of faith. When large sums of money are involved, we leave a paper trail. But does anyone leave an IOU when buying a cup of coffee? The mustard seed Jesus mentioned refers to natural choices and decisions that don't even feel like acts of faith. It's as insignificant as forgiving a brother who has wronged you seven times. But does Luke genuinely want Theophilus to understand the attitude of forgiveness that Jesus' disciples should have?
In this episode, Luke wants Theophilus to know about Jesus' unassuming forgiveness. To Theophilus, Jesus' unassuming forgiveness appears as a miracle, like planting a mulberry tree in the sea. Even if such an impossible task were repeated seven times, to Jesus, it would be as insignificant as a mustard seed. His forgiveness, regardless of his inner thoughts, comes across as so natural to the one seeking forgiveness that it seems unremarkable. His forgiveness is not something he deliberates over before obeying, like a servant responding to his master's command. His forgiveness is, in modern terms, an inherent part of his DNA. Viewed in the context of time, it is predestination and election from eternity past; in the context of space, it is the fulfillment of God's will on earth as it is in heaven; and in the context of our familiar give-and-take, it is an expectation of no reward. Offering a friend a cup of coffee is part of our daily lives, so how much more would a parent not expect a reward when offering coffee to their child? Luke encourages Theophilus to receive Jesus' unassuming forgiveness.
Luke did not hide the salvific significance of Jesus' mustard-seed-sized forgiveness and Theophilus's place within it. The ripple effect of Jesus' gospel, which must reach all Judea, Samaria, and ultimately the ends of the earth, has just crossed over to a Samaritan (verse 16). The Roman governor Pilate sentencing the young Jewish man Jesus to death for insurrection is akin to the everyday lives of people in Noah's and Lot's times. We feel an earthquake when the ground, sea, and buildings shake, as well as our own bodies. The seismic wave Jesus caused has now reached Theophilus.