Jesus gives very clear guidance about how we should respond to being wronged by a brother or sister in Christ (v15-17). There are three steps spoken of here.

1. Private conversation with the offender (v15)
2. Discussion with witnesses present (v16)
3. Action by the church (v17)

I fear that so often the common response to being wronged is to gossip and let the sense of hurt fester and grow. We have no right to speak critically of others if we do not follow these steps given by Jesus. Jesus’ desire here is for reconciliation and unity to prevail.

Verse 18 teaches us that the decisions of faithful biblical church discipline will show where people truly stand with the God of heaven. Verses 19 and 20 have often been associated with prayer and worship, but from this context we see they apply particularly to church discipline.

We need to pray for great wisdom for elders who exercise oversight within the church. We also need to be wise in how we respond to those who wrong us. We need to have the forgiving spirit that Jesus calls for (v21-35).