Reflection on the Gospel of Matthew 18:15-20: Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost, Sept 10, 2023

The Gospel of Matthew 18:15-20

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.”

Romans 13:8-14

Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery; You shall not murder; You shall not steal; You shall not covet”; and any other commandment, are summed up in this word, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law.

Besides this, you know what time it is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers; the night is far gone, the day is near. Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; let us live honorably as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealousy. Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

Let us Pray:

We praise your abiding guidance, O God, for you sent us Jesus, our Teacher and Messiah, to model for us the way of love for the whole universe. We pray, prayers of love on behalf of ourselves and our neighbors, on behalf of your creation and our fellow creatures. This we pray in the name of or Loving Savior, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

This week’s Romans and Matthew readings are connected to show how important love and understanding are in our lives.  

Part of one’s life journey learning is to understand another person’s needs, feelings and beliefs and how to respond.                                                                                          I will still walk with you if you will also walk beside me. We can walk together even though we have our disagreements. Our journey may be longer than we both have thought, but as we walk together, we will become closer and understand each other more.  We continue even though we know the path to understanding and peace will be a long uphill climb. But as we walk together, we do not give up, we walk until we can rejoice together.

The heart of our faith is not a set of teachings and beliefs about God. It is not a set of rules to follow to please God. It is a relationship with God. A relationship that is made possible by the gift of God’s grace in Jesus Christ; and a relationship that is made alive in our lives through our faith. It is the most important relationship we will ever have, our relationship with God. But a close second is our relationship with each other.

The most important of our relationships is without a doubt our relationship with God. We were created by God, and created to be in relationship with God, and, as St. Augustine once pointed out, our hearts are restless until they rest in God. If our relationship with God is not healthy, all our other relationships will suffer. I even wonder whether a lot of the problems in our world these days might be because this primary relationship between us and God is not healthy.

From the Epistle of Paul’s Letter to the Romans: (Romans 13:8-14).  Paul calls attention to a lifestyle appropriate for the Christian living in the light of Christ’s teachings. It applies to us all and demands the careful attention of each of us. Paul shows how love is so important to our relationships, with God, our family, neighbors and even our enemies. Matthew recalls sayings of Jesus that emphasize the importance of Christians living together in harmony, where there is concern for the individual, and the community of. It helps to remember that the goal is reconciliation, by using teachings of forgiveness. In today’s world, people often walk away from relationships quickly and easily. Rather than allowing us to just walk away, Jesus calls us to explore possibilities that might lead to reconciliation. He will not let us easily off the hook but requires us to take the initiative. As children of God, we are to love one another, and that requires contact and involvement in each other’s lives.  But it is not just because we are all children of God and should be reconciled with each other. It’s because as part of a community we need to live together in love. Matthew in this Gospel challenges us to be better, as individuals and as a community. He challenges us to be more honest, more forthright, and fairer. He challenges us to resolve our conflicts and disagreements in a way that is difficult but, ultimately more Christian.

 It is for us that Jesus says that straightforward communication should be done. It is important we tell the one who wronged us how we feel about what they have done, and we then give them the opportunity to ask for forgiveness, as we set a process of forgiveness in motion. If the person asks for forgiveness and acknowledges the wrong done, then the issue is to be put to rest.  Then we are following Christ to forgive our brothers and sisters who ask forgiveness. To ask forgiveness is not weakness.  And to grant forgiveness is not to condone what someone has done.  They are merely steps toward reconciliation.  Remember Jesus reconciled the whole world to God by hanging on a cross.  If He can do that for us, surely, we can do this for each other, and for Him. While forgiveness is not necessarily achievable, God does not expect Christians to forget that damage was done and act the same before the offense occurred. But it is impossible to think that a wound can be instantly healed all the time. When possible, this should happen. Forgiveness can be given in a moment, but sometimes it takes time for the heart to heal. Relationships are built on trust and actions. A relationship will never be restored without forgiveness. Remember Jesus sat at the table with tax collectors and sinners. He forgave them, as He forgave the criminal on the cross. As Christians, we are called to a high standard of behavior. We are called to behave honorably, to be forthright, to address conflict directly and fairly. It’s not easy. And Christ is present with us. When we try, Christ is present. When we fail, Christ is present. When we succeed, even a little, Christ is present.

Where two or three are gathered in Jesus’ name, he is there among them. Christ is with us. Let’s try to live like it.

Let us Pray: Creator God, you call us to love and serve you with body, mind, and spirit through loving your creation and our sisters and brothers. Open our hearts in compassion and receive our prayers on behalf of the needs of everyone, the church and the world. This we pray in your Name.  Amen