Jesus taught forgiveness and reconciliation in the Lord’s Prayer
And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors. (Matthew 6.12)
He emphasized the importance of forgiveness with further words following this great prayer.
He said, “For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (Matthew 6.14-15).
Earlier in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus gave a similar message: “When you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you,
“Leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift” (Matthew 5.23-24).
When my friend Rudy Ross refers to these words of Jesus he often says, “We can’t stand the consequences if we don’t follow the Lord’s directions.”
I agree with Rudy and we all should strive to obey Jesus’ clear instructions.
Clear Directions
Jesus gave us clear directions on what to do when we sin against others. He also gave divine guidance on what to do when sinned against.
“If your brother or sister sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If you are listened to, you have regained that one.
“But if you are not listened to, take one or two others along with you, so that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses.
“If that person refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church, and if the offender refuses to listen even to the church, let such a one be to you as a gentile and a tax collector” (Matthew 18.15-17).
Here are three steps from Jesus for regaining friendship with someone who has harmed us.
(1) We are to meet with the offending person in private with the goal of restoring the relationship.
(2) If the first step doesn’t succeed, we are to bring the wise counsel of one or two others to help.
(3) It is assumed that this problem is among fellow followers of Jesus. At this point, the situation has reached a tragic stage and the church is involved.
It is worth noting that Jesus granted saving and healing power to both gentiles and tax collectors. While the third step is painful, the goal is the same as the other two: the reconciliation and restoration of a broken relationship.
Earlier in the journey to Jerusalem Jesus gave Peter the keys to the kingdom (Matthew 16.19). These keys are a symbol of the authority of a human to act on God’s behalf.
When it comes to acting in the realm of forgiveness and reconciliation, the church has God’s authority to act on his behalf.
“Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven” (Matthew 18.18).
The exercise of church discipline is one of the most painful aspects of church life. It should be taken with utmost seriousness and only when all other attempts at reconciliation have failed.
When the church acts they understand that they are acting as agents of God, not on their own initiative. As God’s humble servants, they act on his behalf in this instance.
God’s Agents in Prayer
Jesus’ powerful promise about prayer is set in the context of disrupted relations among humans.
“Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven.
“For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them” (Matthew 18.19-20).
What’s the difference between gossip and intercessory prayer? Lots!
When we have been offended by someone, it is very tempting to gossip or complain about them. All forms of destructive speech drive a deeper wedge between people.
Suppose two people get together and sincerely pray for the offending party. They invite God to participate in the process of reconciliation. God, who is present with them through the Holy Spirit, promises to hear their prayers.
A minister who has a powerful healing ministry once stated that it is easier to heal physical illness than it is to broken relationships.
The reason why this is so is that most people want to be free from illness, but not everyone is ready to give up resentment and unforgiveness.
This is another reason why we need to pray when relationships are fractured. God will enter the situation and correct our attitudes and actions.
The end result of the efforts is that we will restore a relationship and win a friend.
YouTube Discussion
Rudy Ross and I discussed this passage on YouTube today. It is on the Bob Spradling channel.
Real Voices 