Forgiveness Requires Great Faith

Tikkun Global

Jerusalem, Israel

We often think of faith as something needed for healing, miracles, breakthrough, or the supernatural power of God moving in a visible way. But in Luke 17, Yeshua connects faith to something much more personal, painful, and often overlooked: forgiveness.

As an Israeli believer, this teaching is not theoretical for me. After the horrific attack of October 7, when Hamas terrorists massacred, kidnapped, and committed unspeakable acts against my people, I had to face this command of Yeshua in a much deeper way. Forgiveness was no longer a nice biblical idea; it became a painful act of faith. In Israel, because of the Holocaust, there is a well-known saying: “We will not forgive, and we will not forget.” I understand the trauma and the cry for justice behind those words. But as followers of Yeshua, we cannot fully stand with that statement. We must never forget. But we must forgive.

Yeshua said to His disciples, “If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times returns to you, saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him” (Luke 17:3–4). This is not an easy command. Yeshua is describing repeated sin, repeated repentance, and repeated forgiveness, even seven times in one day. Most of us would struggle to forgive once when the wound is fresh. Yet He does not say, “Forgive when you feel ready.” He says, “You shall forgive him.”

The disciples understood the weight of what He was saying. Their response was not, “Lord, give us more time,” or “Lord, help us feel better about this.” They said, “Increase our faith!” (Luke 17:5). That response reveals something many believers miss: true forgiveness requires faith. We often separate forgiveness from faith. We speak about faith as the power to receive miracles, but Yeshua shows us that faith is also the strength to obey when obedience is painful. Forgiveness is not merely waiting until our feelings finally agree. It is an act of trust. It is choosing to release the offense into the hands of God because we believe He is righteous, He sees, He knows, and He will judge rightly.

This does not mean we deny evil. It does not mean we excuse terrorism. It does not mean Israel should not defend itself or that murderers should not be brought to justice. Biblical forgiveness is not the cancellation of justice; it is the surrender of vengeance. Remembering is part of justice. Forgiving is part of obedience. I had to learn to forgive, not because the evil was small, but because Yeshua’s command is greater than my pain. I had to forgive, not instead of seeking justice, but so that justice would remain in God’s hands and not become hatred in mine.

To forgive is to believe that God can carry what I cannot carry. To forgive is to believe that God’s justice is better than my revenge. To forgive is to believe that releasing someone from my grip does not mean they are released from God’s truth. It means I trust the Father with what was done. In our own strength, we often want to protect ourselves by holding on. Bitterness can feel like control. Offense can feel like justice. But faith says, “God has not forgotten. God sees more clearly than I do. God can be trusted with this.”

This is why the Lord’s Prayer is so serious. Yeshua taught us to pray, “And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors” (Matthew 6:12). This is part of the daily life of a disciple. Every day we come before the Father needing mercy, and every day we are called to release mercy to others. If we pray for forgiveness while holding on to bitterness and offense, there is a contradiction in our walk with God.

Yeshua Himself showed us the fullness of this faith on the cross. While suffering unjustly, He prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). This was not weakness. This was not denial. This was faith in its purest form. Peter explains it this way: “When He was insulted, He did not insult in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly” (1 Peter 2:23). That is the foundation of forgiveness: He entrusted Himself to the One who judges justly.

Forgiveness requires great faith because forgiveness requires surrender. It is not natural. It is not easy. But it is the way of Yeshua. The good news is that God does not command us to forgive by our own strength. His faith becomes our strength, and His mercy toward us becomes the source of mercy through us.

So perhaps the disciples’ prayer should become ours as well: “Lord, increase our faith.” Not only faith to see miracles. Not only faith to move mountains. But faith to forgive, to release, and to walk free.