Sept. 7, 2014 13th of Pentecost

Matthew 18: 15-20
15 “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. 16 But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ 17 If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.
   18 “Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be[e] loosed in heaven.
   19 “Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”

On Being Forgiving

A very dangerous passage which could lead us to the worst of all sin - spiritual pride and self-righteousness.  Need to approach this passage with a deep sensitivity to our own “faults” and an equally deep awareness of the grace of God who forgives me for my secret as well as my confessed sins.

We are not given permission to be piously judging and condemning; we are reminded to  be accountable to each other and not be indifferent about that which causes disharmony in our lives and relationships.  Love is the fulfilling of the law, as Paul says.

These words are easy to misinterpret.  So dangerous it would almost be better if they had been lost and we didn’t have to deal with them.  They seem to give us a power and authority we dare not exercise.  A power and authority which runs contrary to the spirit and will of Christ.  A lot of bad has happened because of these words.

What ever else we do with them we must interpret them in the light of the strong and clear call to be forgiving rather than condemning which echoes throughout the Gospels.  This means we don’t make things black and white; rather we struggle to work at the dynamic of reconciliation and do not settle for anything less.  We remember how often forgiveness is necessary - not 3 times but 77 times!  We are not into controlling people but in setting them free to live in the grace of a loving God.

Nothing makes any sense in the words of our Gospel UNLESS...unless there is something to the power of love to overcome all things.Then, maybe, just maybe, it is possible that all things do work together for good for those who dare to love. Love in the sense of deeply and genuinely wanting the best for all. This is the ideal of Christian love.

The challenge is to help a person find his/her truth and live in it. It is the challenge of tough love. Love enough even to cut them off...kick them out...not to destroy them but to help them come to their truth and want back in again. Want to be loved again. This is the format of AA - and it works!