MATTHEW 18:15-20

Jesus said to his disciples: “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have won over your brother.
If he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, so that ‘every fact may be established on the testimony of two or three witnesses.’
If he refuses to listen to them, tell the church. If he refuses to listen even to the church, then treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax collector.
Amen, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Again, amen, I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything for which they are to pray, it shall be granted to them by my heavenly Father. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”

CONFRONTING SIN

It may be surprising that Jesus tells you to go and talk to someone who sins against you. Why does Jesus want us to confront sin? Because he knows that sin unaddressed festers and spreads. Sin is a foothold for evil in hearts that infects a community.
Confronting sin brings evil to light. It is also a chance to hear from the other person. Usually, when someone has sinned against you, you may learn that you have sinned against them. We need to be prepared to acknowledge that part of the fault lies with us.
But, this may not be enough. What if there is no resolution when the two of you talk? Jesus asks us to take one or two witnesses to continue the conversation. Again, listening to two other members of the community may bring new things to light. Maybe there are extenuating circumstances. Maybe someone else is part of the problem.
But if there is still a problem, Jesus tells us to persist. We are now to turn to the church. The whole body of Christ needs to take responsibility for internal divisions. At this point, we need to consider the possibility that someone has placed themselves outside the church.
However, even then, we are still to stay connected to the person who was cast out. To consider them as Gentiles or tax collectors, means that they are called to conversion. God’s mercy is offered to sinners through the church, which has the power to bind and to loose.
Jesus gave his life for this reason, to reconcile us to God. And we are called to be ambassadors of reconciliation. to bring healing to the church and to the world. (2 Corinthians 5)