September 10, 2017 – Pentecost +14A

“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

Matthew 18:15-20 begins with an all too likely hypothetical situation: “If your brother sins against you….,” which is followed by a second hypothetical, “If your brother refuses to listen…” which bears the not-purely-hypothetical truth to all of us who have brothers. If you have a brother (or sister) he (or she) will sin against you sooner or later; this is the nature of brothers (and/or sisters). The NRSV translates this opening phrase “If another member of the church sins against you….” On one level this translation is a little unsatisfying, as it favors inclusivity over intimacy; thinking of the sinner here as a brother, or sister, or close companion brings the need for resolution to an immediacy, a sense of importance that may be lost in thinking only generally of another “member of the church.” And, ironically, the perceived inclusivity of “member of the church” may actually serve to limit the application of Jesus’ teaching by focusing one on church-relationships, and not all relationships. But it should also be noted that the community is in play, the word “church” (or better “assembly”) does follow in verse 17, and the tensions and trials which arise from the sins we commit against one another do have an impact not just on individual relationships, but on the community as a whole. At stake in this issue of sin, confrontation, repentance and forgiveness is the presence of God and what it means for us. The flow of the passage is important to make note of, as there is movement from the individual to the communal. Where there is sin, Jesus says, confront it directly, one-to-one, face-to-face. If this does not solve the problem, include someone else in the conversation, and if all else fails take it to the community as a whole. From individual confrontation to communal attention, the movement of the passage is a progression that follows the development of the hypothetical conflict from its origins in individual matters to its conclusion at the community level. At each point along the way sin has implications for everyone involved.

The harmony of Jesus’ teaching about conflict and the role of witnesses with both Deuteronomistic and Levitical codes (see chapter 19:15ff in both books) is often noted. But there is something subtly different here. Jesus is not instructing us to bring witnesses to testify against our “brother” who has sinned against us, but to testify to the exchange between brother and sister. This is not just about safety in numbers, but the safety of the numbers. The health and welfare of the community are part and parcel of the problem of sin between two of the community’s individual parts. At each point along the way, from the start as two individuals are together to the inclusion of witnesses and supporter to the involvement of the assembly as a whole, there is something else at stake. Back, now, to the real presence of Christ. Following his teaching on the progression of the confrontation of sin in an attempt to reconcile, Jesus teaches that any sinner so committed to his/her position that they will refuse to listen even to the church is to be treated like “a Gentile and a tax collector.” It is ironic (and probably intentionally so) that this line follows the parable of the lost sheep and precedes the response to Peter’s question about how often one has to forgive a brother who sins (repeatedly) against you. Jesus says, essentially, that being a member of the church means you have a responsibility. If your sheep gets lost you don’t look for an hour and call it quits. You get out there and find that sheep. If your brother sins against you seventy-seven times (another hypothetical certainty), that’s how many times you forgive him.” (workingpreacher.org, Karl Jacobson, September 4, 2011, Commentary on Matthew 18:15-20)

Resolving Conflict – no matter what actions it involves, Jesus talks about resolving conflict – it is the theme in our Gospel lesson today. I often encounter situations, whether they involve everyday life or things about the church, situations where I lament that Jesus never said anything about it to give us some guidance – because it either was not culturally, socially or religiously relevant to first century living. This is not the case with conflict – Jesus addressed it with great passion. Unfortunately, we know that personal conflict existed from the very beginning of human kind, and I would refer you to the Cain and Abel story if you disagree with me. We also know that conflict within the church has been around from the very beginning – and if you disagree with me I would refer you to Luke chapter 22 where the disciples are arguing with each other about who would be the greatest among them.

As Christians, we believe that God continues to reveal his Son Jesus Christ to the world in very powerful and visible ways through means of grace that come through word and sacrament. Our message as Christians is that this revelation is the agent that will transform the lives of people – the love, mercy and grace of Jesus Christ will reconcile people to God and reconcile people to each other. In the text that we have this morning, Jesus reminds us that the goal of life is to be a community transformed by Christ – to live peacefully with our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, (and listen for this last part is important) to coexist with them whether we like them or not. The goal of conflict resolution is not to win – the goal of conflict resolution is resolution – to be reconciled with one another. And this can be difficult because we are so different. Our differences as individuals do make us unique, and we each have different gifts of ministry. We don’t all think the same, strategize the same, lift our voices the same – and yet we continue to be the body of Christ – continue to be the Church together despite our differences – despite our conflicts.

Pastor Dave