Sun 4 Oct

It is not pleasant when we have been hurt by someone close to us. It could be a family member. It could be a work colleague. It could be a neighbour. It could be someone who is part of your sporting team or in the same club as you. What should we do when someone sins against us or hurts us in some way?

What makes the incident so much more challenging is that the person concerned happens to be a brother or sister in Christ. What should we do?

Some of us feel safer living in denial. We brush it under the carpet and live as though it never happened. Others let it fester and before long we have a strong root of bitterness and unforgiveness taking over our lives.

Jesus knew that when He handed the church over to the disciples that There would be interpersonal problems surfacing, particularly when they still had issues with who was the greatest among them.

How then should fellow Christians treat one another when there was a danger of hurting and sinning against one another? The obvious thing is to go to the people involved and work through the issues and if there are issues of power involved take witnesses with you.

What Jesus sought for the church is encapsulated in Psalm 133;1, “How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!” Brothers do not always get on, which might be why Jesus advocated an attitude of forgiveness and mercy (Matthew 18:21-35)