Matthew 18:15-20, Ezekiel 33:7-11
When Sinned Against…..
It may not come as a surprise to some of you that at least twice in my public ministry I have received a call from another member of the church, hoping to protect me from a death threat. I do have the tendency to frustrate folks; sometimes my words and actions make them down-right angry. Suffice it to say, that on neither of those occasions did I hang up the phone and look for an opportunity to “go and point out the fault when the two of (us) were alone”.
In one incidence, I did take it to the Council. A letter had been filed with the Bishop’s Office, and I wanted the Council members to hear about it from me rather than from the Bishop. But there again, no attempt was made to smooth over the disagreement.
I know that the popularity of this passage from Matthew 18 makes it difficult to call attention to the first reading for this morning – the passage from Ezekiel 33. In those verses, the focus is not so much on how efforts to set aside a transgression might regain the brother or sister. Ezekiel’s words tell us that when we fail to make an effort, the wicked shall die in their iniquity, but their blood (the Lord) will require at your hand.
These verses in Matthew 18 are too quickly and too simply taken as a three-step process of conflict resolution. We tout these steps as if they will – as if they will surely produce guaranteed results. I am going to ask you to attempt to listen carefully to these words, and ask yourself if these words of our Saviour might serve a different purpose? Is it possible that Jesus is once more demanding something more of those who would become his followers? Is Jesus speaking to the one who has been wronged? Or might he be telling those who witness such sins how we are to prevent the blood of another to be on our hands? What is it like, to be the one who walks alongside the wronged individual? What would it mean, to place ourselves in harms way by making sure that the wounded and weakened one receives a fair hearing?
Such a line of questions is set in motion by noting where the verses read this morning fall in the larger context of Matthew’s account of the life of Jesus. The 18th chapter starts with talk about true greatness. When asked who is the greatest in the kingdom, Jesus gives the answer which resounded so loudly at Friday’s funeral of Ann Huffman. On Friday, we read the version from Mark, but Matthew also speaks of the time when Jesus takes a small child and says, “Unless you .. become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven”.
Chapter 18 continues - Jesus then warns us about causing one of these to stumble. He expresses the fear that our own hand or foot or eye might cause such stumbling – “Cut it off!” he advises.
Then there is the parable of the lost sheep. Ninety-nine are safely with the flock, but one goes astray. So what does Jesus do? Goes in search of the one who was lost. And unlike the way the story is told in Luke, when the one is found there is no gathering of others to celebrate the return. No, in Matthew the others might just have remained blissfully ignorant. The celebration in Matthew’s account is a solo event. The shepherd (Jesus) is the one who rejoices.
“If another member of the church sins against you” may not be a well written column suitable for Ms. Manners’ chapter on getting along with one’s neighbors. Perhaps it is Jesus instructions for the church, and the one or ones asked to bear witness to the airing of the transgressions.
We are way too eager to put ourselves in center of every bible story. Perhaps in this story, we are one of the ninety-nine who consumed our grass and drank our fill and lied down in green pastures while another had become separated and lost. And, perhaps most damming of all, had simply slipped our mind and moved outside our sphere of concern.
It always pleases me when someone shares with me how they have attempted to apply Matthew 18 in their lives. Nothing, nothing brings greater joy than connecting what is said in the scriptures with how we live our lives. I would want to add that it does concern me, at times, that reports of going to the offender and talking about this one-on-one include the precise words spoken in the encounter. This is good. Jesus’ instructions include “pointing out the fault.” There it is, in the very first verse. But “the fault” is not mentioned again. What is spoken of – four times in fact – is “listening.” It is obvious that the hope is that the offending party will listen. But listening is never a solo experience. It either cuts both ways or it cuts us in half.
I want you to act in such a way to overcome division and transgression. But don’t for a moment assume the only division or transgression is the one in which you were the victim or the person who needs to be heard. Given the words from Ezekiel 33, it is incumbent upon us to ask whether Jesus’ followers are being given a fool-proof way of setting things straight – or - if they are being told to be prepared to walk alongside the one or ones who have a claim worthy of being heard. “Listen.” Jesus says it four times.
The ninety-nine whose only concern was the flock don’t receive the same treatment as the one who has been left behind by the others.
And next week’s Gospel is also going to come down pretty hard on those whose debts are forgiven and yet cannot see the way of treating others with the compassion they have received.
I think the final litmus test in the Matthew 18 passage is that final step. “Let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.” There were very clear behavior patterns for Gentiles and tax collectors – right? How were they treated? Not so well. But think for a moment about how Jesus treated Gentiles and tax collectors? Wasn’t Matthew himself a tax collector? If you have gone to the person, if you have taken someone else with you, and if you have pled your case before the church then go ahead and think you are justified in shunning them, or belittling them, or condemning them. That is what the ninety-nine around you are probably going to do. In that reading for next Sunday – verses 21 & 22 of Matthew 18 – Peter thinks it is enough to give them as many as seven chances.
. “Let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.” Here we have Jesus’ permission to treat them as you would treat a Gentile or a tax collector. But maybe, also, Jesus hopes we will remember how he would treat them.
How would the words of Jesus be heard if we were to listen to them as instructions for those who have the opportunity to walk alongside the one or ones wronged? What would change in our understanding, should we hear the wider context into which these words are spoken? We may be too quick to put ourselves in the center. Perhaps we are overly prepared to seek justice for ourselves – all the while remaining oblivious to what has happened to that one (or ones) who have experienced the sins of another.
Pastor John Heyer fused at me when I ended a sermon without telling folks what that sermon was instructing them to do. Here are those instructions: I want each of you to remember, rehearse, and repeat a story of a time when you walked beside another as they sought the correcting of past wrongs. Discover how that story reveals your capacity to listen.
Amen.
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