”If the member refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; 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.” For someone to be as a Gentile and a tax collector most likely means that Jesus is having dinner with them. What seems at first glance a condemnation turns out to be a kind of blessing. The text seems to suggest that the ultimate response to differences is not excommunication but communion, not exclusion, but table fellowship. Our efforts at inclusion sometimes fall short in this crucial area. In many ways, being inclusive of those who differ from us is much easier than being inclusive of those who have differences with us. The only agreement required is the shared belief that God hears us and that Jesus is present in our gathering together.
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