Sunday, I taught from Matthew 18:15-20. This passage is usually categorized as “church discipline” which often causes us to miss what Jesus is teaching. While there is nothing wrong with using this passage as part of the process of church discipline, this passage isn’t really about church discipline.
Instead, this passage is about interpersonal relationships. Following the teaching earlier in Matthew 18 about the importance of how we treat other believers (”little ones”), Jesus teaches about reconciling broken relationships. This kind of reconciliation is so important that we should include other brothers and sisters if we can’t reconcile the relationship on our own.
Something special and powerful happens when the church comes together for the purpose of reconciling a broken relationship.