Forgivness

Have you ever been in a pray meeting with only a couple of people and prayed the above verse from Mathew.

Well Lord there are only 2 of use here, not sure were everyone else is, but you said that if 2 or 3 are gathered in your name you will be there…

Have you ever thought of the theology behind this. That if Jesus is in the presence of two or three, is He there when only one prays? Does this verse even have anything to do with pray?

In my preaching 1 class the teacher had us break into small groups and come up with a way we would explain these two verses from Mathew. Some came back with prayer, some tried to keep it in context and show it had to do with discipline. No one really got the full meaning though of what Mathew was talking about.

What the teacher was trying to show us is how we approach the bible when we read it. The difference between “Deductive reading” and “Inductive reading”. In the first we read the bible with our own conclusions in mind and try to find verses that support our answer. With this reasoning, we can make the bible say anything that we what it to say. When the authors of the bible wrote there teachings they had one interpretation in mind. This is the interpretation that we need to find and understand today.

In inductive reasoning context matters. When you read the bible, you read each verse as it relates to the other verses before and after it. When I say this I mean the verses that can go back as far as the beginning of the teaching or all the way to the end of the teaching. As you read ask questions about each verse and how it relates to the other text in the teaching.

With this thought in mind here is what Tom (teacher) showed us how to look at Mathew 18:19-20. The first thing we need to do is to see where Mathew’s line of thought starts with this subject. In going backwards we see in Mathew 17:24 he changes location. With the change in location Mathew also change subjects. Now how long does Mathew remain on this subject. In Mathew 19:1 we see that again the location changes and so does the subject (see a pattern). So it is safe to assume that Mathew 18:19-20 is part of the context of Mathew 17:24-18:35.

As we start to read these verses we start to ask questions and looking for patterns of thought. In the verses 17:24-27 we read that Peter and Jesus have a discussion on taxes where Jesus says that the sons are exempt. In verses 18:1-9 we see Jesus answering the disciples question on who is the greatest. Jesus answers that it is the one who is like a child. In verses 18:10-14 we see Jesus’ teaching on the lost sheep and how we should pursue this sheep. In verses 18:15-20 we see how we should deal with a brother that sins against you. In verses 18:21-35 Jesus teaches on forgiveness.

In reading these passages we should see a pattern in how we treat each other. This is a teaching on forgiveness when a brother sins against you. That this is a teaching on how do we deal with a fellow brother who sins against you. You are to first go to him yourself, if this does not work than with go to him with some one else, and if this does not work then bring the matter to the church. If the person still does not listen we are to treat him like a pagan or a tax collector. What does this mean? Does it mean that we as a person and as a church should now shun this person? Was this the intention of the teaching?

Lets go back an look at Mathew’s teaching on who pays taxes. Here we see that it is the strangers that pays not the sons. When we are followers of Jesus, we are to be like children (sons). He has paid our tax (paid for our sins) and we are free. So when you have a brother who sins against you and is un-repentive we are to treat him like a pagan or a tax collector. How do we treat those who are lost? For that is what a pagan or a tax collector is, a lost sheep. Jesus says that we should go after the lost sheep, not shun them. We also read on forgiveness in this teaching. That we are to forgive our brother not seven times, but seven times seventy times.

When we get to the point that we as the church is treating this person like a pagan or a tax collector we are not to shun this person, we are to pursue them. When we pursue this lost brother together (two or three) than Jesus tells us that He will be there in our midst.

So when a brother sins against you go to him, bring in others if necessary, bring in the church. But in the end pursue him like he is a lost sheep. If you do this Jesus will be with you in it.