Opening Prayer
God, be gracious to us, increase our faith, and give us true brotherhood. Amen.
Text: Matthew 18:15–22
“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. But if he will not hear you, take with you one or two more, that ‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.’ And 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. 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. 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. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.” Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.”
Devotion
This passage clearly shows that Christ is in His people, and that His Church on earth is one with the Church in heaven: those excluded from one are excluded from the other. Whoever does not repent and receive mercy so that he lives in communion with the Lord and His saints here on earth has no part in the blessedness there in heaven.
Our text is so encouraging for faith in praying together. If the Spirit moves two of us to pray our heavenly Father for the very same thing, then it will never fail, but we will receive it. If married couples would consider this, they can be united in prayer for their children. Likewise brothers and sisters can pray together for their parents. Likewise colleagues, believing friends in one place, in short, two or more Christians who may have the very same thing in their hearts should tell one another, be united in prayer, and present these words of His Son to the Father.
But our Bible passage teaches us above all that we 1) should be concerned about one another, and 2) never be weary of forgiving. When your brother sins against you, then rescue him from the devil’s grasp. It is not enough to bear the wrong with gentleness, but you should also help him back onto the right path. If you think only about yourself and let the other go his own way, then you are answering God like Cain: “Am I my brother’s keeper?” And you are demonstrating a very different attitude than Jesus, who in love reproved even Judas and Pilate for their good. Let it be your heart’s concern to win your brother, and get others to pray for him with you. There is a connection between the previous verse and verse 19 and following.
And as often as your brother sins against you, you should forgive him. As God’s heart is an ever living well of forgiveness for His children, so your heart should be toward your brothers. “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.” How these words show us the kingdom of Christ as a kingdom of sinners, rich in grace! If your brother needs forgiveness so often from you, then you need it just as often from him, and how much more often you need it from God! But how do we sinners receive this love?
Closing Prayer
“Lord, increase our faith!” (Luk 17:5) Lead us into a true knowledge of Your boundless grace. Amen.
Hymn
Our Father, Thou in heaven above,
Who biddest us to dwell in love
As brethren of one family
To cry in ev’ry need to Thee;
Teach us to mean the words we say,
And from our inmost heart to pray.
Forgive our sins, that they no more
May grieve and haunt us as before,
As we forgive their trespasses
Who unto us have done amiss;
Thus let us dwell in charity
And serve each other willingly.
Luther: Our Father, Thou in heaven above L 14:1.6 ELH 383:1.6 tr. C. Winkworth;
tune: Vater unser