Devotional -

The Process of Restoration ( 18 December )

About this Devotional
If your brother sins against you, go to him and show him his fault. But do it privately, just between yourselves. If he listens to you, you have won your brother back. But if he will not listen to you, take one or two other persons with you, so that 'every accusation may be upheld by the testimony of two or more witnesses,' as the scripture says. And if he will not listen to them, then tell the whole thing to the church. Finally, if he will not listen to the church, treat him as though he were a pagan or a tax collector.
Matthew 18:15-17

I heard once about a church where a man was caught in a sin, confronted with his sin, and removed from fellowship all on the same day. While that may sound super efficient, I doubt that it is what Jesus had in mind when he gave instructions for how sin should be dealt with.

Two principles stand out in Jesus' words to us: (1) the ultimate goal is to see the person restored from his sin and into fellowship, and (2) the process should be kept as secret as possible for as long as possible. The second goal, in fact, serves the first.

When a person hurts me, something in me wants to hurt them back. This is not loving on my part, it is not in the character of Jesus, but sadly it may be my reaction.

Jesus' instructions reflect his loving nature. He wants each one of us freed from our sin, walking in the light. If I am obeying him, reflecting his character, then I will go as soon as possible to the other person. I will not tell anyone else about it, not even with the excuse that they pray for me or for the other person.

If the other person admits his sin and repents, then the two of us should be the only ones who will ever know about it. Period.

If he does not repent, then I should take one other person, maybe two. Again, I want to involve as few people as possible so that the sinning brother's restoration is not hindered by too many people talking about his sin.

Keeping the number of people involved to a minimum will ease the person's restoration if possible, but it also protects me. It is quite possible that I was wrong, that the other person did not sin, that I have misunderstood. In that case, I too am interested that very few people will know about it, to protect the other person's name and my own name as well. When Jesus says "if he listens to you," it implies that I am also listening to him. Actually, if I am loving my brother, I will be hoping all along that I am mistaken, that he has not sinned.

The most fundamental principle is that I should go to my brother in the same way I would want him to come to me if he thought I had sinned.

- 18 DECEMBER -