Matthew 18:15-20
Lead in #1: Matthew 18 presents a delicate issue. How does the church deal with troublesome people who disrupt unity within the community, yet not exclude the unrepentant sinner? Reconciliation here is much more than conflict resolution or legal mediation.
Prompt #1: Have you ever dealt with a situation where you needed to confront unacceptable behavior, yet do so in a way that did not exclude the person who felt no remorse for their behavior?
Lead in #2: In Matthew 18, Jesus teaches on the subject of conflict. Conflict is inevitable. It is part of being in a community. Conflict is not necessarily a bad thing. If handled well, it can make a community stronger. If not handled well, it can divide a community. In the face of conflict situations, there’s a tendency to go to one of two extremes, either to the passivity of avoidance, or to the combativeness of aggression. Jesus offers us a third option. He encourages a “caring conversation” as a way of resolving the hurt and misunderstanding that occur within community. The steps are simple. First, in a spirit of mutual respect, share your concerns. Then listen to the perspective of the other. Then seek resolution together.
Prompt #2: Reflect on a time when you used avoidance as your way of dealing with conflict.
Prompt #3: Reflect on the time when you used aggression as your way of dealing with conflict.
Prompt #4: Reflect on a time when you had the courage to talk to the person with whom you had a conflict, but by listening were able to come to a better understanding of the other’s perspective.
Lead in #3: What do you do when you have done your best to resolve a conflict, but the other party is unwilling to cooperate? In Matthew 18, Jesus offers this advice. Pray for them and then offer them God’s forgiving love.
Prompt #5: Reflect on a situation that has not yet been resolved, and the best you can do is to pray for the other and continue to offer them God’s forgiving love.
Lead in #4: It is suggested that in Romans 13, Paul offers a perfect summary of the Gospel in one sentence, “Love is the fulfillment of the law.”If that is true, could we not say that in whatever we say to another, if we say it with love, we can say just about anything?
Prompt #6: Is that true? What does your experience tell you?