Devotion 9.5.26

Matthew 18

If Your Brother Sins Against You

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 charge may be established 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."

As God's people, Jesus wants us in dialog with one another, including when we sin against a brother.

Talking through an issue is a path to healing and redemption of a relationship, to the point that Christ instructs us step-by-step to bring the issue to resolution.

You know what is missing in this world? The MRN: The Mom Relay Network.

I remember as a kid having my mom come in the house, and out of nowhere asking me, "David, what did you say to Mike yesterday?" Now, Mike was an older boy who graciously played with us (he was a freshman and I was a fourth or fifth grader). His older brother had died tragically, and he took on that role with me and several others in the 'hood. Mike is now an ordained minister and practices his faith in East Texas. He was a lineman in college with a guy named Tommy Tuberville, but he would ask us not to hold that against him.

Anyway, Mike reported to his mom I said something inappropriate while playing football, and I had.... He told me to watch my mouth, and I wouldn't leave well enough alone. He grew silent, and I sensed he was not happy with me.

But that wasn't the point. How did my mom find out? The MRN. That network was active and never did a phone ring. I've included a picture of it in the email for you. Moms in that day talked, openly and honestly, about everything as they hung clothes. I remember watching. If it grew serious, the clothes pins went into the bag hanging on the line, the clothes basket got placed on the picnic table (standard in most yards), and they moved toward each other until they were close in proximity, with only a fence in between them.

Back to my momma and Mrs. Cotie...

Mom had been told by her that I spoke inappropriately. I had, so I began panicking and trying to weasel my way out of it. "David..." I cratered. I caved, cried, said I was sorry, and awaited my spanking, which I got.

The Moms' Relay Network. MRN. 

Christ is instructing us today to be as refreshingly open and honest with brothers and sisters in the faith as that moment in time known as the MRN. "Sin" is the operative word, but "take it to the brother" means face-to-face. Social media is killing that gift we had at one time, to ask a girl out, to get her number, to make friends, multiple friends and communicate with almost 100% accuracy where to meet up to hang or to play baseball, football, basketball, movie to watch....

Today, "give me a call" is almost a deal killer. You get the look like you are a dinosaur out to pasture, lifting your head up slowly as you chew your grass watching a car drive by with teens hanging out of it yelling at you.

Confronting today is more confrontational. I've successfully called in my day, asked if a person had time, gone, told him what bothered me, shook hands and left laughing. I remember supervising principals in Houston, telling two of them to get in a room and work it out and to call me when they had. I got a call about an hour later from one who called from a bar asking me if I wanted to come join them as they had a beer.

Today, the blitz, from texts (primitive but still up to date as opposed to just calling), to social media, to silence. Face-to-face requests... get back out to pasture old man, start grazing. 

Yet Christ knew this day would be here because it was around then too, so he gave us a formula. Talk to the person. Just you and him. If that doesn't work, then take a fellow traveler. If that doesn't work, take the church. If that doesn't work, cast the offender out.

Christ wants his people to be above the fray. He wants us in serious dialog about serious issues like faith, salvation, turning to him in all things, grace, mercy, and peace. If we cannot be at peace with one another, then what is our testimony with the lost look like?

Pray with me: God, when my brother alienates me through sin, help me to have the courage to take it directly to him. Help me to have the language necessary to spell it out in grace, to speak your truth in love, and to forgive regardless of the response. In your son's precious and holy name, Amen.

Hope Men's Ministry is a ministry in service to Hope Lutheran Church and School. Our purpose is to grow, unite, and share God's Word to all men through meaningful activities. These activities center on fellowship, service, conversation, prayer, study and devotion as we seek to become men of God as He created us to be.