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Proper 18: 14th Sunday after
Pentecost
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Matthew 18:15-20
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Jesus said, “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.”
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The Gospel for this Sunday is rather
short; 6 verses. And yet, depending on where we are emotionally and
spiritually, these few verses can either seem much longer and heavier or much
shorter and easier to ignore. If we are experiencing of conflict, it can feel
as if Jesus has unrealistic expectations. If we are free of conflict, we are
tempted to think there isn't much of a point in paying attention.
Only, my friends, if we don't pay
attention to the wisdom of Jesus when no offense has been done, what will we
fall back upon when offense happens? And we must answer that question for one
simple reason. When we live in community, as family, in relationships with
groups or individuals, the inevitable truth is that our human nature will kick
in from time to time and we will say or do something that offends and hurts a
neighbor, a brother or sister.
This fact is not unique to us as
Christians. Look around us in the world and you will find again and again the
scars of offense. Some of them are fresh, while others have never healed,
usually because the scab on that wound keeps getting picked again and again.
We all know what this looks like
physically. Make no mistake about the fact that this also applies to our
emotional and spiritual wounds. And the biggest way that we pick at those scabs
and keep those wounds fresh and painful is the very act to which the world runs
in moments of offense; gossip. The world teaches us to avoid the offender even
as it prods us to talk about the offense and the offender with everyone but the
offender. And every time that we fall for that temptation, we rip the scab from
that wound found either in us or our neighbor.
The most troublesome aspect of this
is that oftentimes we who belong to the Body of Christ are the ones who are
guilty of acting as the world has taught us to act instead of how the Word
Incarnate teaches us. A few years ago, my sister and I observed such a moment
as our family gathered for my mother's funeral. A cousin of ours was seeking
information on how another cousin of ours was doing. Since that cousin was not
there, the person seeking that information had gone to our cousin's mother. Our
aunt was giving her nothing. And when this cousin didn't get what she wanted,
she sought to frame her desire for this information as "wanting to know
how best to pray" for the one of whom she was inquiring. That pitch didn't
work either, and at last she gave up, knowing she wasn't getting anything.
As Christians, we should know
better. Jesus has taught us how to handle wounds, to seek healing and
reconciliation. The way that he sets before us is the best way, even though it
might not be the easiest. In contrast to the world, who encourages us to talk
about the person who has hurt us, Jesus commands us to go to that one in the
hopes that through private conversation, healing may be found and relationship
restored. And if that seems to heavy, remember that in a very real sense that
these private moments are never private. Recall how Jesus shares time and time
again that "where two or more are gathered in my name, there I am in the
midst of them." And as Jesus is present, he gives the strength needed to
these ones, longing to make right what is wrong, to heal what is broken.
Jesus shows us in his teaching that
he knows only too well that these moments might just open the wounds further
rather than bring healing. He teaches us that only when forgiveness and
reconciliation have failed is it time to bring in others from within the Body
of Christ. With the support of others who are present as witnesses and
advocates for reconciliation, we are to reach out again in hopes of finding
healing. And again, that promise that Jesus is present should be remembered.
But what if even this does not work?
Jesus tells us to bring the offender before the congregation, to expand the
field of witnesses. And if even this does not bring healing, Jesus tells us to
treat that one as "a Gentile and tax collector."
What exactly does that mean? We are
tempted to believe that this means we have at last received permission from
none other than God to write off such a person who has hurt us as a "lost
cause." But before we take comfort in such a perceived freedom, there are
two facts that we as Christians need to recall. Remember which Evangelist it is
who has shared this wisdom of Jesus. Matthew was not a disciple and apostle of
Jesus from the beginning of the public ministry of Jesus. Matthew was a tax
collector, a Jew who in the opinion of other Jews was worse than a Gentile.
That's a powerful statement! The Gentiles were looked down upon as worthless,
hopeless, beyond chance of salvation. And yet a Jew of good standing would have
rather sought out a Gentile than a tax collector.
So how then did Matthew the Tax
Collector become St. Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist? Simply put, Jesus didn't
look upon him as a lost cause and a waste of time and effort. Jesus sought him
out. He loved the unloved deemed to be unlovable. Jesus never gave up on
Matthew.
As Christians, we never have the
freedom to give up hope and write off anyone as a lost cause. When Jesus speaks
of those with whom we have what appears to be irreconcilable brokenness that
have wounded them and us, he urges us to never give up hope. If nothing else,
as Christians, we pray for these ones, longing for God to heal them and bring
them to a point where they seek us out in the hope that forgiveness and
reconciliation may be found. And then we pray that Christ would give us the
strength to forgive even if that forgiveness is never sought out by the one who
has hurt us. After all, forgiveness is not only the means of healing for the
other. Forgiveness heals us, but only if we allow the scab to remain until the
wound is no more.
No, that isn't easy. But then again
Jesus never promised us that anything would be easy. Forgiveness is perhaps the
most difficult act we will ever do. It gets even harder when we read on where
today's Gospel ends. Peter asks Jesus: "How often should I forgive my
brother; seven times?" Peter thinks he's being remarkably generous. Jesus
responds: "Not seven times, but seventy times seven." This does not
mean that the 491st offense is that point where we can withhold forgiveness.
Rather Jesus is compelling us to be as forgiving as he is, to show mercy always
and to forgive as often as is needed, for our good, and the good of even our
enemies. And as Jesus is compelling us
to do so, we can take comfort in the knowledge that his presence will give us
the strength to accomplish the will of God.
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Father Timothy Alleman
Rector of The Church of the Holy Cross
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