Scripture Scribbles: September 10, 2023
the Gospel
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."
the devotion
“Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven,
And whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
This is so powerful. What am I holding onto right now? Where am I clinging to my own lopsided construction of justice? Where am I swearing I will never let anyone hurt me again? Where am I afraid to let myself be seen, known and loved by others, by Jesus?
The image in my mind’s eye is of me coming before the Lord with my arms full of stuff. Packages and awards. Bandages and trash bags. Boxes filled with reports and files and rankings and probably a suit of armor too. My arms are full and tired and it is hard to see him (or anyone, really) through it all. Carrying all of this is exhausting.
That is not what he wants for me or for you. He came to set us free.
He invites us to loose it all. To lay it all down. To be unbound here and to have our arms open to receive all that he wants to give us right now and in heaven.
For me, forgiveness is an act of ultimate trust in Jesus. When I truly forgive those who hurt me I am entrusting those most tender, aching parts of my heart to the Lord. I am entrusting my vulnerability and identity to him. I am entrusting my broken heart to him. I am trusting him to love me and choose me, to protect me and provide for me. I am trusting his justice and mercy. I am proclaiming his goodness and faithfulness even when I can’t understand.
But this is not new territory. He did it first. On a cross. Crucified for me.
God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ
and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. (2 Cor 5:19)
Today’s devotion is written by Lucia Parker DeMarco
