June 7 Rebuke, Forgive

Luke 17:3-4 “So watch yourselves. If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. 4 If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, ‘I repent,’ forgive him.”
 
JESUS frames discipleship with many difficult tasks, doesn’t he? For example, he commands you to be humble (Luke 14:11), to invite strangers into your home (Luke 14:13) and to even hate your own life (Luke 14:26). Here the Lord directs you to do two very difficult things for a “brother” – one in the church – who sins: 1) Rebuke him. 2) Forgive the repentant. Based on what I hear in the church, though, these two commands are far from our comfort zone! How do we be a rebuking, forgiving disciple?
    First, let’s get past “rebuke him”. To rebuke or correct another who is obviously sinning has become very “anti-Jesus” in our churches and in our culture. How often we hear, “You aren’t to judge people; just love them as Jesus did.” Okay. I’ll do that. I won’t judge anyone, and I’ll try to love them as Jesus. Oh, wait. Jesus loved people so much he rebuked their sin.
    And that is key here. Motivated with love, Jesus rebuked. He loved us so much he told us what is wrong and what is right. This is the disciple’s way. Speak with love and a desire to forgive. Be willing to correct someone, so they may see their errors and be restored to God’s righteousness. Then receive one’s repentance as your Lord has received yours.
    Do you see how it works? This is Jesus’ “love others as yourself” in action. Yes, the social loving way is to say, “Whatever you feel is right.” Rebuke in Jesus’ church today has become, “We don’t want to offend anyone.” But this unfaithful response to Jesus, in fact, offends Jesus! The gospel of salvation only becomes good news when you 1) know your sins 2) repent 3) receive forgiveness.          
    This is God’s plan. This is God’s will done on earth. This is the way Jesus taught and lived. As his disciples, we must do the same. Begin as you consider your own life. Pray the Lord reveals and rebukes your sin. Repent and be forgiven. Then pray you love others to help them know of their sin. Pray purposefully for the unrepentant to hear the gospel and confess, “I have sinned. Forgive me, Jesus. I need a Savior.” Pray the Holy Spirit will renew your mind and others into God’s will. (See Romans 10 to know how a disciple’s renewed mind forms you to live in God’s will.)
    Yes, we know that love is a primary discipleship command. John 13:35 “By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” Live the love. Then know we are to love one another so much you lovingly rebuke sin and joyfully forgive repentant hearts.
 
Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for the many times your Word and your disciples have rebuked my sins. I pray for a repentant heart to turn more and more into your truth. Amen.