Dearest e-votees-
Our appointed gospel text from Matthew is powerful instruction from the lips of our Lord on how we ought to deal with sin and broken community within the church. It has obvious relevance to how we deal with others in our families, in the places where we serve out our callings (our vocations) and as we interact with the world.
May God’s words shape our ways in the world this week.
Peace,
Karl
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[Jesus talking:]
“If another member of the church sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you have regained that one. But if you are not listened to, take one or two others along with you, so that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 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. Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.”
Matthew 18:15-20, NRSV
The original language of our text doesn’t say “member of the church” but “brother”—an attempt at gender inclusion by the translators no doubt. The problem I have is that the language shifts from an intimate relation by happenstance to membership language. Church is mentioned later on (in verse 17) but we shouldn’t skip over the sibling language too quickly. Clubs, fraternities and sororities, academies, health clubs, country clubs, service organizations, etc. all have their place but they are completely different beasts than families. We may adopt language of brother and sister at some of these places but we know full well that there is something profoundly different from the groups that we chose and who chose us as compared to the family of origin into which we are born.
We are born into the church through baptism. Anyone else just may be baptized as well. Happenstance may bring them into our fellowship. They may do something that we regard as sinful towards us. Now these verses from Jesus come to bear in how we treat the other. We don’t pick our brothers or our sisters. When sin arises it needs to be dealt with directly and fairly. Jesus talks to us about how that should look.
Here are two reasons that we ought to truly take Jesus’ instruction to heart and engage our brothers and our sisters directly, discreetly and lovingly:
1. If we are wrong (wrong facts, misinterpretations, misheard words and intentions) we can correct the misunderstanding more easily. It is much easier to do damage control if we misread someone when we haven’t shared it with the whole church on the way to our holier-than-thou confrontation. The fact that we feel wronged may be different than if we were wronged by the other. Discreet and honest confrontation is healthier and better. Rumors are a lot harder to put back into the can once they get out.
2. If we are right (it happens on occasion) we can allow the person the dignity and the opportunity to make amends and offer repentance in a way that does not shame and embarrass them. If our goal is reconciliation (and when wouldn’t that be our hope?) is a lot more likely to happen if we haven’t dragged their name and reputation through the mud. Discreet and honest confrontation is healthier and better. Reputations and feelings are a lot easier to tend when they haven’t been ungraciously manhandled.
God, help us grow up into Jesus’ words about lovingly confronting our sisters and brothers. Give us grace to be lovingly confronted. Help us be in the business of loosing and caring for those who are bound up and hurting. Amen.
Our appointed gospel text from Matthew is powerful instruction from the lips of our Lord on how we ought to deal with sin and broken community within the church. It has obvious relevance to how we deal with others in our families, in the places where we serve out our callings (our vocations) and as we interact with the world.
May God’s words shape our ways in the world this week.
Peace,
Karl
-------------------
[Jesus talking:]
“If another member of the church sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you have regained that one. But if you are not listened to, take one or two others along with you, so that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 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. Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.”
The original language of our text doesn’t say “member of the church” but “brother”—an attempt at gender inclusion by the translators no doubt. The problem I have is that the language shifts from an intimate relation by happenstance to membership language. Church is mentioned later on (in verse 17) but we shouldn’t skip over the sibling language too quickly. Clubs, fraternities and sororities, academies, health clubs, country clubs, service organizations, etc. all have their place but they are completely different beasts than families. We may adopt language of brother and sister at some of these places but we know full well that there is something profoundly different from the groups that we chose and who chose us as compared to the family of origin into which we are born.
We are born into the church through baptism. Anyone else just may be baptized as well. Happenstance may bring them into our fellowship. They may do something that we regard as sinful towards us. Now these verses from Jesus come to bear in how we treat the other. We don’t pick our brothers or our sisters. When sin arises it needs to be dealt with directly and fairly. Jesus talks to us about how that should look.
Here are two reasons that we ought to truly take Jesus’ instruction to heart and engage our brothers and our sisters directly, discreetly and lovingly:
1. If we are wrong (wrong facts, misinterpretations, misheard words and intentions) we can correct the misunderstanding more easily. It is much easier to do damage control if we misread someone when we haven’t shared it with the whole church on the way to our holier-than-thou confrontation. The fact that we feel wronged may be different than if we were wronged by the other. Discreet and honest confrontation is healthier and better. Rumors are a lot harder to put back into the can once they get out.
2. If we are right (it happens on occasion) we can allow the person the dignity and the opportunity to make amends and offer repentance in a way that does not shame and embarrass them. If our goal is reconciliation (and when wouldn’t that be our hope?) is a lot more likely to happen if we haven’t dragged their name and reputation through the mud. Discreet and honest confrontation is healthier and better. Reputations and feelings are a lot easier to tend when they haven’t been ungraciously manhandled.
God, help us grow up into Jesus’ words about lovingly confronting our sisters and brothers. Give us grace to be lovingly confronted. Help us be in the business of loosing and caring for those who are bound up and hurting. Amen.
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