On Mt 18:17b - Treating Offenders as Gentiles and Tax Collectors

What did the Lord Jesus mean when, in His teaching on fraternal correction, He said "And if the offender refuses to listen even to the church, let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector"? (Mt 18:17b)

In Jesus' time, Gentiles were considered unclean and tax collectors were considered traitors and outcasts. Is this what He meant, to treat a fellow member of the church or the community who sins against us as unclean and an outcast?

We've seen instances in community where the first three steps of fraternal correction are taken, namely: going directly to the brother, taking along one or two witnesses, and telling it to the church. But if after all that, the offending brother still refuses to listen, there is a tendency to give up, "From now on, I consider this offending brother as a Gentile and a tax collector. I will ignore him, treat him as if they never existed, even if we cross paths on the way to community worship." The verse explaining the fourth step in the fraternal correction process is sometimes used as the justification to resist further reconciliation efforts with the offending brother.

Again, what could the Lord have meant by said verse? Is it possible that He meant the opposite, which is to love them, to forgive them, and not to give up on them?

Why do I say that?

Let's examine the Lord's example with regards to Gentiles and tax collectors. Did He turn His back on them? Did He not love them and reach out to them? Did He not forgive and save them? Did He not bring them to the fold?

Examine the context when this teaching was given. The people the Lord was teaching were His disciples, those who have heeded His call and followed Him. When He said, treat them as Gentiles and tax collectors, the Lord could not have meant, follow the custom of the day. The Lord would surely have meant, treat them as I have taught you by my example.

Note that several verses later in Mt 18:21-22, Jesus taught Peter to forgive not seven times, but seventy seven times.

One point that we should add is this: the Lord will never exclude anyone from His mercy- no matter how sinful they may be. We are the ones who exclude ourselves from God by our refusal to repent and to reconcile. So step 4 of the reconciliation process can be viewed as we (the unwilling to reconcile) treating our own selves as Gentiles and tax collectors in relation to God and to the community.

Recalling the parable of the prodigal son, the Father always waited expectantly for the return of His son. At the sight of the prodigal son, the Father ran to him, embraced him and kissed him- before the son acknowledged his sins to the Father! To the Father, the journey of the prodigal son back to Him was enough expression of repentance!

We should emulate the Father’s readiness to forgive, even in the face of stubbornness and repeated transgressions. While we do, let us remember not to put ourselves in His place, for He alone is without sin. Let the offending brother be like the prodigal son who returns in repentance; let the offended brother be like the older brother who listens to His Father's counsel to forgive and to celebrate with Him.

The work of reconciliation is the Lord’s work, and thus the invitation in reality comes from Him. One who participates in the process of reconciliation participates in the divine work of forgiving, healing and saving.

If we want to really understand the Lord's teaching, we must look into both His words and His deeds, into the entirety of His life.