Matthew 18:15-20 (NRSV)
Read Matthew 18:15-20 on biblegateway.com
Verse 15"If another member of the church sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you have regained that one. Verse 16But 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. Verse 17If the member 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. Verse 18Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Verse 19Again, 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. Verse 20For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them."
Devotion
“Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.”
I often hear these words spoken as a promise about worship, about Sunday mornings. But Jesus says these words right after talking about confrontation and reconciliation. He’s not just promising to show up when we sing. He’s promising to show up in the hard conversations, too. He promises to be present in moments where someone has to say “you hurt me” and someone else has to hear it.
And that is good news, because this work is hard—reconciling, speaking truth to those who’ve wronged us, forgiving. We need God’s presence to turn our hearts from hurt to restoration. We need the Holy Spirit to give us the words to speak.
None of this is meant to be done alone. Not the confrontation, not the forgiveness, not the restoring. Christ is in the room for all of it. Thanks be to God.
Prayer
Lord, meet us in all our gatherings—especially the hard ones. Amen.
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