Matthew 18:18-20
“Take this most seriously: A
yes on earth is yes in heaven; a no on earth is no in heaven. What you
say to one another is eternal. I mean this. When two of you get together
on anything at all on earth and make a prayer of it, my Father in
heaven goes into action. And when two or three of you are together
because of me, you can be sure that I’ll be there.”
Scripture
quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002
by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs,
CO. All rights reserved.
When we are with all three of
our little ones, there is inevitably a “he said/she said” or “he
did/she did” moment, where one child comes to an adult and wants him/her
to “fix things.” And just as our parents did with us and our siblings,
we often tell them to “work it out” as we “mediate” from afar.
Usually, they will come to some sort of mutual agreement. There are
exceptions, but we need to teach our children to work out their
differences with minimal guidance from adults…based on the wisdom and
principles that we have instilled in them.
You may be wondering
why I am telling you this with regard to Matthew 18:18-20. After all,
the last sentence in particular passage is widely known. People use it
often as verification that God is with us even when our number is few.
And while this is true…the real point of these verses cannot be
understood fully without examining the lines that precede them.
In
Matthew 18:12-20, Jesus outlines how to deal with conflict. He tells
us we are to go to the person with whom we have a problem and try to
iron out our differences. If this cannot be accomplished, we are to
take a friend or two with us to help “mediate” the situation. If THIS
doesn’t work, we are to take the matter before the church (or in the
case of a squabble among friends or siblings, perhaps someone with
“higher authority,” like a parent, teacher, or supervisor?). If all of
this fails, we are to acknowledge that we have done all that is required
and let God handle the rest. Some translations say that we are to
excommunicate this offender, but The Message translation favors a “lather, rinse and repeat” strategy where we continue to try to minister in this situation, as God directs.
The
point is that we Christians are not to give up on others. We are to do
all that we can to love, nurture, encourage, and witness to them. We
are to pray for everyone – even our enemies. And when conflicts arise,
we are to seek God’s wisdom about how to handle the situation and
proceed accordingly…knowing that He will provide us with the right
answers – and maybe a fellow believer or two for support!
Here’s
the thing…we must never underestimate God’s power to use us as His
earthly agents in the efforts to further His Kingdom. We must recognize
the abilities He gives to us and our fellow disciples through His Holy
Spirit to make changes and bring about positive outcomes. We must
realize that what we say and do on this earth has Eternal consequences.
And when we operate in the name of Jesus, we must be very careful that
we truly are doing His will…and not our own.
Finally, we
must accept that there will be situations and circumstances in which the
answer is a resounding “No!”…and we must trust God to make the
difference and be the ultimate Authority. We must never give up on
others, but we also must know when to step aside and let God have the
reins. This is that “let go and let God” concept in action.
So
the next time you read the passage about “whenever two or three are
gathered in My name, I am there”…know that this is more than just an
assurance that God will meet us anywhere – and anytime. This is a
reminder that we are His agents on this earth…called and sanctified to
“feed the sheep”…and bound by our commitment as Christian disciples to
do so. And when we prayerfully work together with other believers to
accomplish this, the results can be truly astounding.
Our words
and actions matter…they have Eternal consequences! What are yours
saying about your commitment to Jesus? Are you interacting with others
in a way that reflects His wisdom and the ability that He has given you
to accomplish His goals? Jesus wants us to grow in our faith and
discipleship to a point where He can say, “I’ve equipped you for this
mission…and I’m here if you need Me. But you know how to do this…so
get busy!” Are you really ready for this responsibility? Isn’t it time
you were?
©2016 Debbie Robus
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