Dear Church Family, whenever we hear the word “blessing,” for some of us, the first things that come to mind are tangible or material possessions such as money, homes, cars, or having a good job. These are often the things we think about when we talk about blessings. But I want to tell you today that, there are blessings that are even greater than material possessions. There is blessing of life, the blessing of salvation, the blessing of peace, the blessing of health, and the blessing of relationships. And one of the greatest blessing that God has given us is people, our brothers and sisters in Christ, the people with whom we share life and walk together in the kingdom of God. The people whom God has placed in our lives.
When you look at behind you, beside you, and in front of you, you see people. And when you think about some of the greatest blessings God has brought into your life, you may realize that God has done many of those things through relationships.
- God has blessed you through people.
- God has opened doors through relationships.
- God has given you opportunities through relationships.
- God has comforted you through people and relationships.
- And even the love of God is often experienced through relationships He has placed in our lives.
So, Church, relationships are one of the most valuable and precious gifts that God has given us.
Relationships are a blessing from God. From the beginning, God created us to live in relationship, with God, and with one another. However, the devil can use conflict, misunderstanding, unforgiveness, and sin to divide people and destroy relationships. Instead of allowing division to destroy our relationships, Jesus teaches us to address the problems with love, humility, honesty, and a desire for reconciliation.
Church, Relationships are difficult to build, but they can be easily destroyed because of the offenses and hurts we cause one another. A relationship may take years to build, but sometimes it can be damaged in only a few minutes.
- A careless word can hurt.
- A misunderstanding can create distance.
- An offense can break trust.
- Unforgiveness can build a wall or barrier, or create distance between people.
And the devil knows the importance of relationships. That is why the enemy uses conflict, misunderstanding, unforgiveness, and sin to divide people and destroy relationships.
Beloved in Christ, Jesus’s vision about the ekklesia which is the Church, is a gathering of people, a community of believers, who are called together to live in love, faith, forgiveness, and unity. And because the Church is a community of people, relationships are very important. We may not always agree with one another. We may sometimes misunderstand one another. We may hurt one another, offend one another, or even disappoint one another. But Jesus does not want our conflicts and offenses to destroy the community He has called us to be united in the love of God.
That is why, in Matthew 18:15–20, Jesus teaches us how to deal with conflict within the Church. Jesus calls us not to run away from one another and not to spread the problem to everyone else. Instead, Jesus teaches us to address the problem with love, honesty, humility, and a desire for reconciliation. We have to protect this beautiful community called the Church. We need to treat one another with love, grace, compassion, not hurting one another.
When Jesus says in Matthew 18:15 “If your brother or sister sins against you, go privately and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over.” Jesus is teaching us how to deal with conflict within the context of the community of faith.
Notice that Jesus says “if,” This means that in every community, there is always a possibility that we may hurt one another. Why? Because the Church is made up of people, and none of us is perfect. We are all still growing in faith, learning to become more like Christ, and being transformed by the grace of God. So, Jesus is not telling us that conflict will never happen. He is teaching us what to do when conflict happens. When someone hurts us, Jesus calls us to have the courage to go to that person with love, humility, and honesty, seeking peace and reconciliation.
Church, today, Jesus cares about relationships and reconciliation. Jesus wants broken relationships to be healed. Please, remember this: the person who hurt you is still a person created in the image of God. The person may have made a mistake, may have sinned, and may have hurt you deeply. But Jesus teaches us not to give up too quickly. Jesus says: “Go” Go privately to speak to the person. Do not avoid to solve the problem. Sometimes we avoid difficult conversations because we are afraid. But avoiding the problem does not always solve the problem. Sometimes the problem continues to grow because nobody is willing to talk about it. But, today Jesus is telling us to have the courage to speak. When we speak, we must speak with love. We should not go with the desire for revenge or prove the person. But we go with the desire to restore the relationships.
Church, restoration must always be our goal. When someone hurts you, do not immediately spread the problem. Go to the person. Speak privately. Listen to one another. And be willing to forgive each other. If the problem is not resolved, do not give up too quickly. Seek wisdom and ask for help. Pray and ask God to guide the process. And always remember: the goal is not to win the argument. The goal is to win your brother or sister back and restore the relationship.
Perhaps today there is someone you need to forgive. Perhaps there is someone you need to speak with. Perhaps there is a relationship that has been broken for many years. Perhaps God is calling us today to take the first step. Jesus says: “Go.” Do not allow the past to prevent healing. Take the first step. Maybe you can make a phone call to that person. Maybe you can send a message and simply say “Hello, I forgive you. I don’t want us to continue living in past. I want us to move forward.” Because forgiveness brings freedom. Reconciliation brings healing. And restored relationships bring glory to God.
So today, may we be people who do not run away from broken relationships. May we be people who seek peace. May we be people who forgive and bring healing to broken relationships.
Amen.
Prayer:
Gracious God, we thank You for bringing us together as Your Church. Help us to forgive those who have hurt us and give us courage to seek reconciliation when relationships are broken. Give us humble hearts, compassionate words, and the grace to listen to one another.
God, heal our broken relationships and make our Church a community of love, grace, peace, and unity. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.