eFollowingJesusMar8 - Deal with conflict (read Matthew 18:15-35)

   Anticipating that Christians would struggle to get along with each other, Jesus mercifully laid out provision for how to deal with conflict.  His first principle?  Deal with conflict!  We avoid conflict, and especially in Church.  But failing to talk to someone with whom you have a problem is not of God.  Love the other person enough, see that person as loved so powerfully by God, that you cannot pretend, you cannot just let resentment fester, and you certainly can't gossip.  Go, share, listen - and reconcile.

   Jesus' counsel also suggests that there is such a thing as unacceptable behavior within Church life.  People act out their worst, assuming anything goes at church - or else we nitpick over trivialities (like how someone is dressed or whether the flowers were arranged properly), instead of dealing with hurtful actions, or theological craziness.

   It's all about forgiveness.  In the next parable (Matthew 18:21-35), Jesus tells a hilarious story of someone who wasn't paying attention when Jesus prayed "Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors."  Jesus' signature mandate is forgiveness - not 7 times, but 70 times 7!

   Lord, teach me to deal with conflict.  Press us into the hard but joyful labor of forgiveness.  

James

james@mpumc.org

Here is the full text of Matthew 18:15-35 -  15: "If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. 16: But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 17: If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. 18: Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. 19: Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 20: For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them." 21: Then Peter came up and said to him, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?" 22: Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven. 23: "Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. 24: When he began the reckoning, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents; 25: and as he could not pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. 26: So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, `Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.' 27: And out of pity for him the lord of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. 28: But that same servant, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and seizing him by the throat he said, `Pay what you owe.' 29: So his fellow servant fell down and besought him, `Have patience with me, and I will pay you.' 30: He refused and went and put him in prison till he should pay the debt. 31: When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their lord all that had taken place. 32: Then his lord summoned him and said to him, `You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you besought me; 33: and should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?' 34: And in anger his lord delivered him to the jailers, till he should pay all his debt. 35: So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart."

The full eFollowingJesus series (thus far!) may be found on our web site.