“The apostles said to the Lord, ‘Increase our faith!’ The Lord replied, ‘If you had 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.” (Luke 17:5-6) I have spent a good deal of my academic career studying forgiveness and our difficulty in exercising it.  It appears that we are not the first disciples to struggle with it.  Just prior to our gospel lesson this week, our Lord has spoken of the necessity of our forgiving those who have harmed us (17:3-4). In response, the apostles turn to Jesus to plead for faith. Commentator Joel Green says that faith spoken of here is not so much a possession as it is a disposition.  In other words, the apostles are asking to become the kind of people who are able to forgive.  Well, they have come to the right guy!  It is also important to note that they call him, Lord.  To come to Jesus acknowledging him as Lord and acknowledging how desperately we need him, is to begin to gain the faith to do wonderful things.  Those things appear unimaginable to the world – things like forgiving those who have hurt us and accepting forgiveness for the times we have hurt others.  Who do you know who needs to hear again about Jesus’ power to forgive?  And, what wonderful things would the Lord do through you and me this week if we asked him to increase our faith; to make us more faithful people?  Have a great week!