15"Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. 16But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that "by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.' 17And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.
18"Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.
19"Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. 20For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them."
So far in this chapter, Jesus discussed how we must humble ourselves as little children in order to enter heaven. He said what would happen to those who cause one of those who believe in Him to sin. He said what we should do if we find ourselves having trouble keeping from sinning. He defined just how much God wants each of us in His fold. Now he is explaining what to do if someone else we know is sinning against us.
First of all, I was surprised to hear Jesus just make this case for when someone is sinning against you. Is it different when you see someone sinning against themselves or against someone else? Jesus said to go confront your sinning brother between just the two of you. I don't know if this is the same approach that you should take if the sin isn't directly against you, but I can see how it would be very affective if the person is sinning against just you. It would be good to keep it just between the two of you. If you can settle it between just the two of you, no one else ever needs to be aware of it.
So why isn't the next step to take it to the church? Why bring in the witnesses of one or two more first? Actually, oftentimes differences that cause rifts between two people is simply a misunderstanding. Having a witness or two may help to establish what the real problem may be. It may be that your brother really hasn't understood the problem as explained by you. Or it may be that the problem is your own and not your brother's. If you can't get a problem resolved between the two of you, get a third party involved, not as someone to cast punishment on the offending party, but as an outside observer who can look at both sides of the story and better establish what the real problem is.
If you still can't resolve the problem, Jesus said to bring it to the church. Why the church and not the law? In Matthew 16:18-19, Jesus talked of establishing His church and said "And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." The law has the keys to freedom on earth, but the church has the keys to the kingdom of heaven. This is a much higher reward or punishment than what the law can give. Sure, there will be times that you will need to get the law involved for your protection or the protection of the community, but it is important to also go to the church. For the church will help you to understand what is right, and whether to loose or bind the offending person. If the person still does not respond to the church, there is nothing more you can do to help them, no other recourse. Do not continue to try to change them, but ignore them, stay away from them, just as they would a heathen or tax collector at that time.
Back when I read the verse in Matthew 16:18-19, I thought Jesus was saying that whatever the church binds or looses will be bound or loosed in heaven, meaning baptism, marriage, forgiveness of sins, etc. But is Jesus saying here that whatever I, as a single individual, bind or loose will also be bound or loosed in heaven? Actually, I don't want that responsibility. It would be so much easier to say, "I am only human, I can't help being angry with someone, but I have no control over his eternal soul, God can forgive him if He wants to, but I refuse." If I refuse to forgive someone, is it also bound against them in heaven?
I never would have thought so before, but as I continue to read the Bible, I am starting to think that this may be true. That would help to explain the extreme importance that Jesus seems to place on our forgiveness of others. If I refuse to forgive someone, will they not be forgiven in heaven? For example, in Matthew 5:21-26 Jesus talks of agreeing with your adversary for your own good as well as his:
| 21"You have heard that it was said to those of old, "You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.' 22But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, "Raca!' shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, "You fool!' shall be in danger of hell fire. 23Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. 25 Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. 26Assuredly, I say to you, you will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny. |
And in Matthew 6:14-15, Jesus said:
| 14"For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. |
Do not cast judgment on anyone. Do not be angry without cause. How do you know if you are without cause? Bring in a witness or two to help determine the real problem, to help draw the two of you to an agreement. If that doesn't work, let the church decide what should be bound or loosed. For if you decide yourself what should be bound or loosed, you might be bound in return. If you do not loose, you may not be loosed. But most importantly, what you bind may also be bound in heaven. And are you absolutely positive that what you bound ought to be bound?
I was surprised at the interesting wording of the last verse. My first impression was that Jesus was saying whatever we ask for as a group, will be granted. But what Jesus said was that if two of you agree concerning anything they ask, will be granted. Who are they? This is not what we ask for as a group, but what someone else comes to ask us for, whether it is something they wish to be bound or loosed. If we gather in His name and agree, it will be bound or loosed in heaven.
Jesus said where two or three gather in His name, He is in their midst. I thought Jesus is always with us, even if we are just one. But I wonder if this is more concerning how Jesus will help guide the direction of the group when gathered in His name. It is so hard to understand if what I feel I want to do is what Jesus is telling me I can do or if it is just my own heart. But if two are three gather in His name, and we all reach the same conclusions, it can more readily be understood it was directed by Jesus and not just our own hearts. For Jesus said He is in their midst.
Take your problems to the church to decide right from wrong when all other actions fail. But also be a faithful member of the church so that when someone brings a problem to you as the church that you ask for Jesus' guidance in determining what should be done. For Jesus is in the midst of those gathered in His name. For what you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and what you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. That's an incredible responsibility!