4 September

How are disagreements and hurts to be dealt with in the Christian community?  And when we are hurt or betrayed, how do we deal with it?

Jesus suggests that if somebody wrongs or hurts us, we should make every effort to deal with it at the first opportunity, and, if at all possible, one on one.  Jesus is being very realistic, however.  He knows that one on one may not work.  It may be necessary to bring in someone to check what was heard and said.  Jesus goes further.  If the disagreement between two people is within a Christian community, it may be possible to get a small group together whom both sides trust.  Even then, an utterly realistic Jesus sees the possibility of failure.  It simply may not be possible for the opponents to come to terms with each other.  In saying this, Jesus is not saying that some future opportunity may not come to break through the resistance.

Notice an interesting detail in Jesus’ advice when he mentions “a Gentile and a tax collector.”  The attitude towards Gentiles and tax collectors in Jesus’ society was a finely balanced one.  There was a limit to the degree of relationship that was possible.  In the case of tax collectors, there was a real dislike of them.  But in both cases, and this is the point, there was much practical collaboration.  Many things were done together in spite of the mutual guardedness.  Likewise in the church today, it is possible to do a great deal of God’s work while serving side by side with those whom we may not particularly like, by whom, in fact, we may even have been hurt.  So, it may not be easy.  But if it can be done, it can achieve miracles of reconciliation by sharing in a worthwhile task, knowing that in spite of human feelings about one another, both are involved in the work of the same God.  Is it being unrealistic to think this is possible?  If so, it is amazing how often the vision of Christ challenges our ideas of what is realistic.

The Peace of Christ be with you,

Bob+