Treat 'em like a tax collector

The other day, during Veta (no time to explain) we were looking at the issue of dealing with conflict in our ministry areas. We had a key biblical verse to help us unpack a system for dealing with conflict which came from Matthew 18:15-17. What was most interesting for me was that I discovered something about this passage that I'd never noticed before (I love it when this happens!).

Basically the passage is talking about a conflict between two people, Jesus tells the audience that if you've got a problem with someone- go to them and let them know about it. If this conversation doesn't go well, take along a friend to act as a mediator. If that fails take it to your community of faith. And if that fails, and this is the bit that I'd never noticed before, "treat him/her as you would a pagan or a tax collector". Now, obviously I've read and noticed this last section of this bible verse before but this time I noticed something significant in my interpretation of this verse. I'd always assumed that Jesus was saying, "If the argument turns feral, just treat the person like they're not welcome anymore ("...as you would a pagan or tax collector")" The reason I'd seen it this way was because I had assumed that Jesus was working from my perspective; I'm the one who has been hurt by this situation so I'll hurt the person back by snubbing them.

However, and this is what I love about Jesus' teaching, there is always a twist! The question one must ask is, "How did Jesus treat tax-collectors and pagans?" And this is when I had my moment of enlightenment, Jesus embraced these people, welcomed in to the kingdom of God as people loved by God. How confronting is that? The people who disagree with us, cause unrest, have grievances against us are to be welcomed into the community of faith. Yet again, an example of the wisdom of Jesus contradicting and challenging the conventional wisdom.

The difficult part is living this out in such a way that isn't damaging to me as a person, and the person with who I struggle. Perhaps by welcoming those who we have issues with into our lives we begin to see them more as a human being, rather than an object that we can point out floors in. As we bring them closer to us, we see God within them...