Collect for Trinity 14
Romans 13: 8-14
Matthew 18: 15-20
This picture by the Victorian artist W. H.Trood, always reminds me of Church Council meetings. Can’t imagine why…
It’s a measure of just how well Jesus understands human behaviour that He finds it necessary to teach about resolution of disputes, even among the fellowship. Worse, and sad to say, it’s quite often that this Gospel teaching (which is clearly about addressing sin and subsequent reconciliation) is used instead as a means of exerting discipline in church congregations when there has been disagreement and argument, especially by those in leadership positions who don’t like their authority questioned. It is deployed – wrongly – as a Scripturally-based multiple step approach to getting one’s own way and suppressing disagreement.
The way it goes is this. If someone doesn’t agree with you:
Step 1 – Take him or her on one side and ‘in love’ tell them they are wrong.
Step 2 – If that fails, get a couple of people who will take your side of the argument, and again ‘in love’, tell him or her they are wrong.
Step 3 – And if that doesn’t work, claim your authority to insist the whole church should fall into line in agreement with you, and then tell ‘the transgressor’ in public how wrong they are – of course, still ‘in love’.
Step 4 – Boot them out of the fellowship and treat them as you treat dogs.
Which is not what Jesus is saying at all. The steps Jesus suggests are ways of making sure that actually you’re not the one holding the wrong end of the stick. At each level, there is a need to test and validate your belief by eliciting the opinion of others, all the while being conscious of your own fallibility. Certainly, the other person may be wrong – but so could you be. Never forget that just because someone dances to a different drum than yours, they must inevitably be the one who is in the ‘sinner’.
There’s an even bigger sting in the tail regarding your subsequent action in dealing with ‘sinners’ when all else fails. Jesus tells us to treat our opponent as a Gentile or a Tax collector in the same way He treated them. How? The same way He treats Jews, Greeks, Slaves, Free, Men, Women: as sinners, but still people who He loves enough to die for.
Yes of course we have a responsibility to address sin – but before we criticise others, we need to start with ourselves. Today’s Gospel message is not about condemnation. Rather, it’s about not being the one who casts the first stone.
Previous Posts
Praying Together 12th April 2026
Let’s talk about Peter, the ‘Rock’ on which Christ’s Church is built.
Seriously, would you have chosen him? Surely, one of the other Disciples would be the most highly qualified.
Praying Together Easter Sunday 2026
A Reflection provided by the Revd. Barbara Irrgang-Buckley for the First Sunday of Easter
Praying Together – A Thought for Good Friday 2026
Through our tears as we stand at the foot of the Cross and witness His Crucifixion on this Good Friday, we have the privilege of looking beyond the day unto a day of joy as we are assured of His life – then, today and tomorrow. We leave our past behind as we walk away from Golgotha, the place of the skull.
Praying Together March 29th 2026
These things are worth meditation and thought, as we enter this Holy Week – but the even more important question that we can only answer for ourselves, is embodied in twelve straightforward words written by Charles Wesley.
How can it be, That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?
Praying Together 22 March 2026
“Lazarus, come out.” He calls Lazarus by name. Even death cannot triumph, and so it is with sin. There is no depth or distance to which human being can go that can prevent them from hearing that call. It is up to them to choose to accept or deny it.
Praying Together 15th March 2026
Simeon, though, didn’t just hear about the Messiah being incarnate in the child – he also knew that the child’s destiny would involve pain and suffering in order to fulfil His mission. And Mary knew too. The consolation of Israel – of the world – would cost her the life of her child.
Praying Together 8th March 2026
And in turn, we are challenged to become messengers ourselves, however unsuitable or ill-equipped we might feel.
Praying Together 22nd February 2026
If we are to appreciate the gentleness of a lamb, we need to know its opposite. If we are to understand what safety is, we need also to experience the possibility of danger.
Praying Together 15th February 2026
Perhaps, when we pray, we need to remember it is the Jesus on the Mountain to whom we address our prayers, the one whose face shines like the sun and transfigures our faces as we radiate in His light.
Praying Together February 8th 2026
Is Jesus suggesting, not to eat and drink? And is he saying we should not wear clothes but go naked?
How unrealistic is this, and how depressing – we need to eat and drink, and we need clothing.
Praying Together February 1st 2026
Christ’s words are given to all His people in the face of the difficulties we ourselves face in life. We claim them and are assured of Blessing. And that is all we need.
Praying Together January 25th 2026
For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.