The Prescription for Sin (Matthew 18:8-22)

In Matthew 18 Jesus tackles the reality if sin from every possible angle: our sins, others' sins, sins done to us by others, and what how we should handle all of the above.

"So if your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It’s better to enter eternal life with only one hand or one foot than to be thrown into eternal fire with both of your hands and feet. And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It’s better to enter eternal life with only one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell. “If another believer sins against you, go privately and point out the offense. If the other person listens and confesses it, you have won that person back. But if you are unsuccessful, take one or two others with you and go back again, so that everything you say may be confirmed by two or three witnesses. If the person still refuses to listen, take your case to the church. Then if he or she won’t accept the church’s decision, treat that person as a pagan or a corrupt tax collector. Then Peter came to him and asked, “Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?” “No, not seven times,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven! (Matthew 18:8, 9, 15-17, 21, 22 NLT)

In every instance sin is taken very seriously. It is never ignored or treated like it's no big deal. Jesus talked about sin with the same tone we speak about cancer- dead serious. 

It's important to not that Jesus' approach to sin is always proactive, much like a good doctor would be towards any life threatening illness. 

In vs (8-9) Jesus' prescription for personal sin is obvious, "cut yourself off from whatever is causing it". 

In vs (15-17) Jesus' prescription for other people's sin is a little more complicated because of the potential for cross-contamination. But Jesus explains that our response to the sins of others should never be passive. If another believer sins (whether it's against us or not) it is our responsibility to confront it in love. 

But in vs (21-22) Jesus' prescription for sins explicitly done to us is perhaps one the most difficult commands in Scripture. Whenever we are affected by the consequences of someone else's sins we are to forgive completely and unconditionally. 

The difference about this last one is that the solution for sin isn't so much about curing the offender as it is sparing the offended. Basically Jesus calls forgiveness the antidote to the poison of personal bitterness whether the offender is sorry or not. 

We can't help other peoples' sins, though we are never free from the responsibility to take action to correct them and to minimize the damage done. We are all our brothers' keeper because none of us are immune to the effects of sin. Thankfully through Jesus we have the solution and the prescription for all of the above.

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