Matthew 18:15-20

September 10, 2023

The Rev. Todd R. Goddard, Pastor

Rush United Methodist Church

Matthew 18:15-20

“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.”

| Centering Prayer |

Since last Sunday,

Jesus and his disciples

Journeyed south,

First, to his transfiguration,

Then, with his face oriented to Jerusalem,

to Galilee, specifically, Capernaum,

Where Jesus tells his disciples a second time

That he will be betrayed, killed, and resurrected on the third day.

(16:21-23, 17:22-23)

It appears he is driving home a point;

Making a statement

That his followers should pay attention.

Indeed, the pinnacle event in the life of Christ

Was his denial, betrayal, passion, suffering, death, and resurrection.

Sorry to all the Christmas aficionados.

Annunciation, immaculate conception, and incarnation,

St. Nicholas, decorated Christmas trees, candles on the window sill, and lightly falling snow,

Great in their own right,

Serve only as elaborate stage scenery for

Christ’s penultimate act,

His passion, death, and resurrection.

Christ’s messianic fulfillment of the Father’s will

Demonstrated God’s great love for us;

An unbounded commitment to the redemption and salvation of humankind,

Fulfilled responsibility for the stewardship of creation,

And a pledge to, lo,

Remain with us always.

Jesus Christ, Son of God.

Commitment.

Responsibility.

Pledge.

Oh, boy. Three ideals and values

That make this son of a Pennsylvania Dutch family

Approach with apprehension.

Yet, commitment, responsibility, and pledge

Speak to our own baptismal vows,

To the vastness of God’s unlimited grace and love,

And to our place in God’s evolving, maturing kingdom.

Dare we speak openly about commitment?

My own, and the commitment of those around us?

Do we stand idle while some fall inactive

Or backslide themselves into the category of “nones”?

Oooo.

It is as if

commitment in this day and age is a dirty word.

Dare you and I speak about responsibility honestly and transparently?

It is my responsibility to teach every child and new disciple

All that has been taught me.

Am I living up to the task?

Is my commitment commensurate

With Christ’s commitment to redeem the sins of the world?

It is my responsibility to lead people to Jesus,

Introduce them to the Way,

And leave the rest up to God.

Am I?

It is my responsibility to love,

Love God,

Love neighbors,

Love enemies,

To show the world that, by our love, we are known as disciples of Jesus.

Have I?

Oooo.

It is, as if,

Responsibility in this day and age is a dirty word.

Dare I speak about my oath, my promise, my pledge?

I will be loyal to the United Methodist Church.

I will support the mission and ministries of the Rush United Methodist Church.

I pledge my support to Christ and his Church

with my time, talent, and treasures.

Do I accept the responsibility given to me to love and loyalty

That Christ bore upon himself with his suffering, passion, and death?

I pledge a tenth of my time, every day,

To acts of charity, outreach, and ministry.

I pledge a tenth of all I earn

To return to God

Who first gave it.

Oooo.

It is as if

Pledge is just another topic that,

If we don’t talk about it

Maybe it will just go away.

Besides, polite people don’t talk about commitment, responsibility, and pledge.

Or do they?

(I think I just did)

Jesus pledged to give his life, his all.

Can I?

…

In today’s Gospel passage

Jesus introduces his disciples to a fourth uncomfortable

Situation that needed addressed

If his Church had any hope of surviving

The growth and expansion primed to detonate

Following his ascension into heaven.

Oooo.

Confrontation. Conflict.

Dare we speak about it

Or do we do

what all polite Christians do

when confronted with conflict?

Avoid it!

And if it can’t be avoided,

Sweep it under a carpet,

Pretend it never happened,

And just move on?

All, too often, I’ve seen

By pastor and parish alike,

The “I’m out of here” trigger being prematurely pulled.

Sometimes, it is just easier to pull the ejection seat,

get out of there,

and deal with the regrets later.

Confrontation and conflict?

I’m no district attorney.

I’d rather stick my head in a hot oven

Or walk over broken glass.

Jesus shows us another way.

Today, Jesus helps us to reframe, refocus,

The way we address the inevitable conflict in our lives

And outlines a healthy means of intervention

That can lead to personal, spiritual growth and greater institutional strength.

Jesus tells us

To care enough to confront

Those who sin against us

With the goal of retaining the sinner.

Confront;

Not to estrange

But to retain.

…

Jesus paints the picture of what healthy intervention

And what a healthy congregation looks like.

Here are some pointers:

1. If you find yourself in conflict with someone else,

Address it directly and promptly.

Do not delay,

For delay only allows dysfunction to grow and resentments to fester.

2.  Do not drag a third party into your conflict.

To do so invites the third party to pick a side

To promote an unhealthy “us verses them” partisan divide.

3. Do not gossip

For gossip only fuels pride and promotion.

I’d love the Finance team to put a twenty-five-cent contribution cup on my desk

For everyone who comes to me saying, “some people are saying…”

4. Do not by-pass the process Jesus outlines.

There is a reason Jesus prescribes a graduated approach to conflict resolution.

Don’t jump ahead.

Follow his linear, proportional design.

5. No one can control the response of another.

As I recently heard,

“It is none of my business what other people think of me.”

What others think of you is between them and God.

Others might dismiss you,

Become angry with you, or

Grow to resent you.

Then again

Your care may be the open door

Through which healing and restoration can take place.

…

In 1901 French archaeologist working in modern day Iran

Discovered 282 laws inscribed on an upright stone pillar.

These laws were inscribed between 1,792 and 1,750 BCE

By the King of Babylon, Hammurabi.

These legal codes were assembled

From around his growing, expanding kingdom,

Aggregated to provide one universal set of laws for a growing, diverse population.

In the prologue

Hammurabi states that he wants

“to make justice visible in the land,

to destroy the wicked person and the evil-doer,

that the strong might not injure the weak.”

“The laws themselves support this compassionate claim,

and protect widows, orphans and others

from being harmed or exploited.”

(as found at ushistory dot org)

‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth’

Is the cliff notes summation of a legal leap forward for humankind.

A response to injustice must adhere to an expectation of proportional response.

Murder, is responded in kind: capital punishment.

Robbery, is addressed with confinement and restitution.

Poke out my eye, and you, likewise, would have your eye poked out.

Proportionality is a good first step

And Jesus is quick to build on it.

1. If there is one who sins against you, something small,

go to that person individually first,

and try to settle it

… so that one is regained.

2. If that doesn’t work,

consult with one or two others and take them with you.

Try to settle it

… so that one is regained.

3. If that doesn’t work, tell it to the church,

and allow the church to attempt to work it out

… so that one is regained.

4. If that doesn’t work,

Jesus says “Let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.”

There is much debate about what he means here.

The common belief is that if a person rejects you, others, and the church,

then we must let them go,

yet, all the while,

watch, hope, and pray

(like a prodigal’s father)

for their eventual return.

…

At every step of the process

Jesus outlines, the goal is

“so that one is regained.”

Just as in minor offenses,

A proportional response also provides for justice in major crimes.

If the issue is large and serious,

the degree of response should be likewise.

Serious crimes or conflict that involve violence,

Jesus would agree,

require the guidance of community standards and laws,

a just legal system,

and the active response of the church.

Serious crimes cannot and should not

be just swept under the table, as if they didn’t exist.

At the same time,

even serious criminal offenses do not cut someone off

from the love of God or the grace of the church.

At all times law and grace must be balanced,

with the goal “that one is regained.”

“That one is regained”

Gives meaning to proportionality.

Like a the wizard pulling levers behind a curtain

Jesus is showing us behind the scene

What it means to preserve the health and welfare of human relationships

And the wellness of the Church.

Strong relationships are able to bear issues of sin and conflict.

It doesn’t mean we have to like conflict.

But, of the grace extended, we are given all we need, and more,

To bring healing and restoration to that which is broken.

Constructive confrontation

identifies the transgression that has occurred,

the barriers that have been crossed.

Hurt people hurt others.

Healing sometimes has to return to and fix the original sin.

Sometimes times people who hurt others may be unaware of their sin. Confrontation identifies the offense and names it for what it is.

Constructive confrontation communicates

the fact that you are committed to your relationship.

You’re not going to walk away mad.

You will not going to take your marbles and go home.

You are committed to working it out.

This is what friends do.

This is what disciples of Jesus do.

Deal with issues while they are small, and they rarely become large.

Proactive conflict resolution is vital to ensure the integrity, health, and wholeness of the Church.

Lastly, dealing with conflict and sin

makes a statement about the God we believe in.

Our God doesn’t guarantee us an easy life;

but God does guarantee us that we will have a divine companion with us every step of the way as we navigate through life.

…

Life is fraught with those who hurt you,

and, regrettably, the hurt we cause others.

We are a community of sinners,

Seeking redemption,

striving to become a community of saints- more like Jesus every day.

Today’s Gospel gives practical advice from our Lord himself, about how we are to live together as disciples of Jesus; how we should care enough to confront those who hurt us.

Confrontation can be the open door,

leading towards a process of repentance, restoration, and, finally, forgiveness.

Be not afraid.

Do not fear. Do not avoid.

Avoid the temptation to hide.

Do not run away.

You and I?

We can do this.

If only we surrender with a “yes.”

Jesus is with us.

Jesus gives us the strength.

Jesus shows us the way.

The Word of the Lord, as it has come to me. Thanks be to God. Amen.