All About GOD - Growing Relationships with Jesus and Others
If a brother sins against you....
Doing some studying last night, I came across a devotion that speaks of Matthew 18:15-17 “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.
This site stated that Jesus ate with tax collectors and that Matthew himself had been a tax collector, so that this verse means we're to not put them out of the church or out of our lives, etc. but actually treat them even more kindly.
So this morning I was listening to 1 Corinthians on the way to work and this struck me...
But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people. 1 Corinthians 5:11
Especially reading the bit about a "slanderer" and wondering if my decision to remove myself from mom's presence to give me time to heal rather than be subjected to the stinging criticism that leads me to stumble was valid or not. Paul here says NOT to eat with those people, while Jesus DID eat with tax collectors.
So I'm kind of at am impasse on how to put these two scriptures in context.
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by ScribeD on
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The difference is whether the person is proclaiming faith in Christ, but living like a pagan; versus a pagan who has no hypocrisy (as in not being false about sin) but may have a heart to turn to Christ.
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Permalink Reply by Seek on
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In this day and age, how can we tell if not always sure of that inner voice? Many are Christian yet still act unseemly out of old wounds that never healed.
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Permalink Reply by Mischelle on
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Hi Seek,
I think the reason why so many Christians "...still act unseemly out of old wounds that never healed," is because they do not know that there is a better way to handle things. I still struggle with this, not an easy thing to correct, or to die to self, the old man doesn't want to die.
Well, that's my take on it...
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Hi Seek,
I believe that it is alright to not go around toxic people, even if it is family. Very late 2012, I had to make one of the most difficult decisions of my life. That was to either continue speaking with my mom (who was very toxic) or discontinue speaking with her. She had made some very hurtful comments about my two youngest sons. By making the decision not to continue speaking with her, it did not mean I did not love, care for and about her; it just meant I decided not to allow her to continue make her toxic comments about my children.
I do not think you are doing anything wrong, if you decide not to be around your mom until you heal. Personally, I think it will make you a stronger lady.
I hope this helps some how.
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I actually have been thinking on this a few days and sent mom this text this morning:
I want to thank you for the card and money. And I'm sorry we're in this situation right now. But when you say things to me that are hurtful, I react back in hurt. And the day before Mother's Day I was hurting because I really wanted to be with the family but got yelled at and hung up on out of Tonia's anxiety or anger and then couldn't get a response from anyone else and felt like I'd just been shut out. And like I said, I was still hurting pretty severely over the birthday dinner. And with all the rest going on right now with court and everything else, I stay on edge. I don't want to react badly. But no matter how much I try not do, I do, and that's not good. I know that you love me. But you do say things out of whatever this is between us that sting me and then I feel like you don't love me because my emotions well up. I want our relationship, from the start of this mess, healed. But I can't do that by myself and unless we can both come to some terms on how to begin healing, I need to minimize my reactions from hurt by separating myself from what brings these out of me until I can grow enough that I don't react emotionally.
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