The Mercy of Church Discipline

# 275 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 20:8,9, "Therefore you shall deal kindly with your servant, for you have brought your servant into a covenant of the LORD with you. Nevertheless, if there is iniquity in me, kill me yourself, for why should you bring me to your father?" 9 But Jonathan said, "Far be it from you! For if I knew certainly that evil was determined by my father to come upon you, then would I not tell you?" (1 Sam 20:8,9) David has a plan by which he feels he can determine Saul's intentions toward him and he plays his covenant card with Jonathan to carry it out. This covenant was mentioned back in 1 Sam 18:3, and it was a solemn oath that sealed a relationship of mutual kindness. David was telling Jonathan that if he desired to be kind toward him, he would go through with the plan and thereby find out his father's true intentions. But if Jonathan suspects any iniquity in David, that is, any scheming against Saul to take his throne, then he invited Jonathan to kill him himself. This brief exchange here between David and Jonathan reminds me of church discipline. As brothers and sisters in Christ, individual congregations are in a covenant relationship of mutual kindness with each other and with Jesus. As brothers and sisters in Christ, we ought to be like David and willing to place ourselves at the mercy of those we are in fellowship with. And David is saying here that if there be any iniquity (sin, that he refuses to repent of) Jonathan has his permission to slay him now. In terms of church discipline, that is the equivalent of cutting the unrepentant off from the congregation through ex-communication. It is better for the congregation (Jonathan) to do this, than to wait for God to have to do it on the Last Day, when there is no opportunity for repentance. And Jonathon's reply ought to be echoed by every congregation when a member has strayed from the truth. If we are aware of a brother or sister caught up in sin, shouldn't we tell that individual that they are in immortal danger from the Father if they don't change their ways? Father, thank You for providing us with guidelines to restore erring brothers and sisters. Help us to exercise this kind of restorative love and mercy in the church today.