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Matthew 18:17. Discrimination 20 Jul 2023

Mat 18:17 But if he refuses to listen to these,
report it to the community;
and if he refuses to listen to the community,
treat him like a gentile or a tax collector.

Excerpt from THE NEW JERUSALEM BIBLE, copyright (c) 1985 by Darton, Longman & Todd, Ltd. and Doubleday, a division of Penguin Random House, Inc. Reprinted by Permission.

The person to be discriminated is not just anyone. He has committed some kind of sin or misdemeanor witnessed by two or three. It could be me. My behavior is not always compliant to 'my' community.
Perhaps the community may choose to drive me out, in the form of gossiping or avoidance. Did they take the first two steps? Confronting me personally or sending a representation to talk with me?

I may have missed those signals. It takes considerable skill to confront a person in a loving and effective way. It needs to be learned and practiced.

Prayer

Jesus, I ask for a community where we practice your instructions.