Bitterness and Unforgiveness

In Luke 17:1-6 God compared bitterness and un-forgiveness, to a sycamine tree, but why? These two things are definitely alive in our culture today. A culture that is all about justice and if someone hurts you to get them back. So how can we as Christians protect ourselves from these things that can, if not taken care of, create spiritual dryness.
If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed,
ye might say unto this sycamine tree,
Be thou plucked up by the root,
and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you.- Luke 17:6
In verse 6 of Luke 17 Jesus says "this" tree. Which is saying that Jesus was pointing out something very specific to them (bitterness and unforgivness).
  In Luke 17:3, He told the disciples that they needed to forgive those who sinned against them. He then took it to the maximum in Luke 17:4 by saying that even if a brother does something wrong seven times in one day and is each time truly repentant, they were to keep on forgiving that offending brother.
Forgiving someone isnt easy today. Especially forgiving them plus not having any jealousy, bitterness, or anger in your heart. So let's look at how the sycamine tree represents these 2 problems.

1.  The sycamine tree had a very large and deep root structure. 

• Which means it was hard to kill. Bitterness and Un-forgivness can be the same way if it is not taken care of quick. I heard someone say anger and bitterness is like milk, the longer it sits the worse it gets. (and noone likes sour milk!!!) 

1. The tree's wood was preferred to make caskets.

• The sycamine tree grew very fast. So does bitterness and un-forgivness. They can cause us to become spiritually dead also casuing friendships to be ruined. It steals joy, peace, and causes spiritual dryness.

1. The tree produced figs that were very bitter.

• From the outside the figs look luscious and delicious but on the inside they were no good. How many times do we do that? Try to look ok on the outside while inside we are dying. We are made to get along with people and to reconcile things when friendships arent right. But we let Satan deceive us and we hold onto the bitterness and un-forgivness. 

1. The sycamine tree had to be pollinated. 

• Wasp pollinated the tree by stinging the fruit. How many times have you heard someone say "Ive been hurt by them once, but never again!" If we let our selfish hurt get in the way of reconciliation then the bitter memories will linger and we will become furious. We will never trust our respect that person again. When the truth is, we've prolly done the same thing to someone else before. We all sin we all mess up, but there is power in reconciliation. To get rid of bitterness and un-forgivness is to be like Christ which is what we should all strive for. Jesus says "a grain of mustard seed" - meaning a very tiny, miniscule seed. What he was saying was a great amount of faith is not needed to deal with bitterness and un-forgivness. IF it is truly the hearts desire then just a little faith can cast away the bitterness and un-forgivnes! How awesome is that? Start taking friendships and your relationships with others serious! It means alot to Jesus and it should mean alot to us. 

Father today let us deal with things like bitterness and un-forgivness by learning from Your holy word and applying it to our life. So many people hold these things inside and never grow spiritually because of it. Father let us learn to be more like you! Help us have the faith to forgive and to look past bitterness and jealousy and anger and anything that will keep us from glorifying Your name. Give us strength and hope , let us be filled with the joy of our salvation through You! In Jesus' name I pray, amen.