Daily Lesson for November 19, 2021

 Today's Daily Lesson comes from Matthew chapter 18 verses 15 through 18:

15 ‘If another member of the church sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you have regained that one.* 16But if you are not listened to, take one or two others along with you, so that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 17If the member refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if the offender refuses to listen even to the church, let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax-collector. 18Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

"If another member of the church offends you . . ."

I read that and I think, "If"?

How about "When". Or how about, "When it happened today." Or, "When someone steps on your toes, crosses your boundaries, oversteps their authority, offends your sensibilities or personhood THIS MORNING . . ."

My pastor Charlie Johnson used to say, "This ain't heaven, it's church." It is. And it's full of people who will break our hearts and even act a fool -- oftentimes completely unconsciously, and sometimes absolutely maliciously.

The instruction we have from Jesus this morning is step-by-step for conflict resolution.

1. We go to the person directly and in measure, and do not triangulate, or passively-aggressively ignore and then attack.

2. If that doesn't resolve the issue, we bring along others as listening ears, and as witnesses so that what is said is clear and doesn't get twisted.

3. If that doesn't work, we take it to the whole body -- maybe the deacons, or council, or in some places an all-church meeting.

4. If the issue still isn't resolved and the other party is still in the wrong -- we ourselves may be, at least some -- then Jesus says we treat them "like tax collectors and Gentiles", which sounds awful until you think of how Jesus himself treated Gentiles and tax collectors -- as people of human worth and dignity and special belonging in a careful and considered way. Jesus did not give us permission to write anyone off because of offense, though particular and careful concern he said did have to be given to protect the sheep from wolves.

This ain't heaven. Conflict will happen. How we address it says a lot about who we are.

May it say good things.

Ryon Price is Senior Pastor of Broadway Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Texas.