This sermon is based on the Gospel for the day (07/09/14) which is Matthew 18:15-20. If you don't have a Bible in front of you you can find the passage here: http://www.biblica.com/en-us/bible/online-bible/niv/matthew/18/
Today’s gospel is not an easy one, it may make us feel uncomfortable, but it is important. It is also very practical. It does what it says on the tin. And even though it seems self explanatory we don’t often follow it so it’s worth opening the tin to explore what is inside. This is not the Jesus we like to think and talk about; we prefer Jesus the healer, Jesus the man who said ‘let the little children come to me’, Jesus who didn’t exclude anyone from his circle. This Jesus doesn’t seem to fit into this picture and He makes us uncomfortable. Often in my ventures online I come across Christians who only portray the Jesus who makes us comfortable. As society shifts its moral boundaries around us they exclaim that Jesus loves everyone and excludes no-one so who are we to judge. Ofcourse these things are true, God accepts us just as we are. In fact, more than that, loves us just as we are. But to claim He’s happy where we are is not true. God loves us right where we are. But too much to let us stay there. He wants you to move forward; to grow in Him. And that means that sin needs to be talked about because sin needs to be dealt with. So how do we deal with it. Now it is worth pointing out before we continue that these instructions from Jesus are for dealing with sin within the church. They don’t apply to those outside of the body of Christ. Well this passage tells us. If your brother or sister sins, take them aside and point it out. But do it in love for them, Jesus doesn’t say this explicitly here but it is in keeping with His teachings that we should do so. Our telling them of their sin should be with the aim of propelling them further towards God and His kingdom rather than to put them down or score points as to who is holiest. It’s also worth pointing out that in the first instance of telling them it should just be between the two of you. They are not to be publically humiliated but given the opportunity to repent privately. So if someone has sinned it shouldn’t be the talk of the Church, it shouldn’t be the case that everyone knows every detail and it has been passed around everyone before the person is told that they shouldn’t have done that, if that even happens at all. Because if this happens then the whole church has sinned in gossiping about it and what started off as one person sinning has now multiplied into an entire congregation. So how does this work in practice? Well it depends on your relationship with the person, you might say it straight away or you might invite them to coffee to discuss it. If they aren’t aware they have done something wrong, which is perfectly possible, then it might be worth pointing them to the scriptures which talk about it. After all if they are trying to grow in Christ then the Bible is the best place to start as it is God’s word to us as to how to do that. If they acknowledge that they have done wrong and accept God’s mercy for what they have done then its case closed. The end of the story. It remains between the two of you. If however they don’t accept that they have done any wrong or they do but aren’t repentant then Jesus tells us to go away and come back with a few others ‘so that every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses’. What does that mean? Simply put it is to stop it being your word against theirs if it needs to go before the church in case they change their story or refuse to acknowledge they have done what you say they have done. It also means that they might listen if there are a few of you as each of you will be able to agree with each other that what they have done is wrong and they understand that it’s not just your view but other people’s too. If you bring people they respect they are more likely to listen. Again this is to be kept just between those who are involved in this. Now if they still don’t listen, then you take it to the church. According to Jewish customs at the time the synagogue’s doubled as courts, a system adopted by the early church as per this passage. The whole church then listens to what the person has to say and this is confirmed by the witnesses from the previous step. This gives the person one last chance to repent and also allows the congregation to understand more fully if the next step is to be taken. Now in practice this could be anything from a meeting with the vicar and discussing the situation to a meeting of the PCC or elders about it. If they still don’t listen even then; then they are to be treated like the tax collectors and pagans. In the first century these were the some of the lowest viewed in society. They were usually shunned and avoided. They weren’t the sort of people you wanted to be seen with. Now this seems harsh doesn’t it. It doesn’t seem to fit with the God of love we worship. Now whilst God is a God of love, He is also just. And justice must be done. In society when someone breaks the law they are arrested and are punished. For more serious offences they are put in prison, taken out of society completely. And this is what God is doing here. If they refuse to change then they must be removed from the body before they can infect any other parts. As Christians we lead by example and if one person is sinning and the church permits it then others will assume that it is ok to do these things. It is harsh but it necessary in order that the church remains a beacon for God. As Christians we are called to conform to Christ’s example and if the person is sinning unrepentantly then they are refusing to conform to Christ and thus grow in Him and as such they need to be removed from the Church until they truly repent. And it’s worth pointing out the amount of grace shown to the person. Their sin is kept private not just the first time but the second too. They have two chances to repent before it becomes public. And even then they get a third chance to repent. And even then, after they have left the Church, since God is a God of love and no sin is unforgivable then if they repent then can return to the fold. The Gospel today ends on a really positive note and with a promise; and I’m coming in to land with this. ‘If two of you agree here on earth concerning anything you ask, my Father in Heaven will do it for you. For where two or three gather together in my name, I am there among them’. We here on earth, the Church, are God’s hands and feet. We go where He sends us and do what He asks of us, as He tells us in His word. And because of the promise here, we have God’s full authority to act in His name and know that, if it is in accordance with His word, He supports our decisions and is with us, loving us forwards and comforting us when those decisions are hard.
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AuthorAn Anglican Curate in my 20's I was raised in an Anglican Church, went to a Youth Club run by an Evangelical Church, attended a Baptist Church while at Uni and was a member of a New Monastic Community after graduating. As such my faith has been influenced by these experiences and traditions into what I hope is a more rounded viewpoint. Archives
September 2022
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