When A Brother Trespasses Against You - Matthew 18:15

Matthew the apostle wrote how Jesus asked His disciples, “How think you? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, does he not leave the ninety and nine, and goes into the mountains, and seeks that which is gone astray? And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoices more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray. Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish”, and in chapter eighteen and verse fourteen of his book, Matthew shares how Jesus told His disciples what to do, “if your brother shall trespass against you” where we read:

Moreover if your brother shall trespass against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone: if he shall hear you, you have gained your brother.

The verse reads, “Moreover if your brother shall trespass against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone:”. Matthew began with the word, “moreover” or “also, and or now” “if your brother” which means “whether a fellow believer who is united to another by the bond of affection” “shall trespass” or “wrongs, misses the mark and wanders from the path of uprightness and honor” “against you” which means “toward Jesus' disciple”, “go” or “depart and leave”, “and tell him his fault” which means “convict, refute, confute, expose and bring conviction to light” “between you and him” which means “betwixt, intervening and adjoining the disciple and the trespasser” “alone” or “only, merely, single and by themselves”. Matthew shared Jesus' first step when a person “wrongs” a disciple of His; they are to go to that person, by themselves, and confront the person with the “wrong”.

The verse continues, “ if he shall hear you, you have gained your brother.” Matthew continued with the words, “if he shall hear you” or “whether the trespasser will attend to, consider, understand and perceive the offended”, “you have gained” which means “the disciple has won fellowship and favor with” “your brother” which means “the disciple's fellow believer who is united to another by the bond of affection”. Matthew shared how Jesus said the result of confronting a “brother” “one on one” who has “trespassed” against them will be “winning fellowship and favor” with them.

When we think through Matthew's words in this verse, we should remember this is Jesus Christ who is giving direction for when people are offended. He did not say to go tell several friends about the “offense” or build up an alliance of cohorts who will be on your side, no, He said to go to the offender “one on one” and share the trespass with them alone. God desires for people to get along with each other, and because there are disagreements and “offenses” that occur among people, He sent His Son Jesus Christ not only die for their “sins”, but also to let people know what to do when they are wronged. God loves people, and He wants them to “love one another”. Let all who read these words consider what Jesus the Messiah said to do when they are “wronged” by another person.

Next time Matthew shares how Jesus gave further instruction, “if he will not hear you”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

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