A SERIES OF DEVOTIONS BASED ON THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MATTHEW 

DEAL WITH IT      

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.” 

Yes, Jesus says in today’s devotional verses, deal with it! Deal with what? Deal with sin. Sin occurs everyday in your life. You commit sins. Those around you commit sins. You sin against others. They sin against you.   

Sin is like an infection. Left untreated, it spreads poison throughout your life, harms you, and harms those around you. Untreated it causes anger, resentment, bitterness, animosity, and so much more. It fractures relationships, separates families, and ruins marriages.   

Jesus dealt with all these sins on Calvary’s cross. He paid for them. He shed His blood that God would forgive you of all your sins. Through your baptism, reception of the Lord’s Supper, and receiving the Gospel the Holy Spirit comes into your life to work the forgiveness Jesus won for you in your heart. 

In today’s devotional verses Jesus encourages you to deal with the sins that others commit against you. Go to those who have sinned against you in a loving way speaking God’s word of forgiveness as well as your own. If by your ministry to them the Holy Spirit moves their heart to recognize their sins, confess them, and repent, Jesus says, “you have won them over.” Remember, Jesus says, “whatever you have done to the least of these. . . you have done it unto me.” (Matthew 25:40)  

Jesus gives you a way to approach those who have sinned against you that the poison of their sin be removed from the relationship you have with them and they with you. He desires you to deal with it. . . to deal with the sins committed against you with the goal in mind of “winning them over.” 

Prayer: Lord, instead of my ignoring the sins committed against me, enable and empower me to go to those who have done so with the goal of leading them to You for their forgiveness. In Your holy name. Amen. 

Dear Father, help me to forgive,  
As I would be forgiven:  
Thus only can I pray to Thee  
Father, who art in heaven. 

If some have done me grievous wrong,  
What wrong things I have done!  
But Thou hast taught us to forgive  
Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son.  

(George Briggs, CCLI – Printed words used with permission under CCLI#1600874)