Loving Bond: Helping Others

Matthew 18:1-20

"If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector." (v. 15-17)

If we observe a man that may be doing something that will endanger his life, would we ignore it and just go on with our lives? Would we debate with ourselves whether it is our business to even let the person know that he may be in danger? We would probably not think twice and immediately alert the person minimally. Then why do we hesitate in sharing with our own fellow brothers and sisters about the sins in their lives? After all, sin is life threatening, and yet we find ourselves walking away from alerting them. We are more concerned with hurting their feelings and/or being rejected by them. Do we not take sin seriously enough?

Jesus not only recognizes the importance, but provides a guide as to how to handle this. He recognizes that it is a sensitive action to take, and therefore He shows us how we are to share our concerns with love. After several attempts, it is more important to firmly and clearly inform them of their sin to help them recognize it. It is like a parent disciplining a child. It begins by informing the child in a calm manner. If the child continues to disobey, then the parent would begin to discipline more firmly. It is unpleasant, but yet it is done in love to help the child understand.

Let us therefore not ignore the sins our brothers and sisters may be doing. Let us help one another in love and in encouragement.