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
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As Christians, may we never regard mercy and compassion towards others as weakness, naivety or gullibility, but display the traits which demonstrate that we follow a Saviour who came to rescue those left behind.
Praying Together 15th June 2025
You couldn’t fly a kite inside a church building –for the Kite to fly you’d have to go into the windy street outside. Where does that place the need for the Spirit to act?
Praying Together 8 June 2025
Of all the strange things happening on the Day of Pentecost, perhaps the most puzzling is when God appears to have second thoughts. In Genesis 11, He makes it difficult for people to understand each other’s language
Praying Together 1st June 2025
The song by Mary Black, ‘Bless the Road’, while written as from a parent whose child is leaving home alone for the first time – maybe first day at primary school, going to college, beginning an independent life – always puts me in mind of the thoughts and blessing of Jesus as He prays for His disciples before His Ascension.
Praying Together 25th May 2025
‘Peace I give to you… do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not be afraid.’
His peace is not remote and only there at the end of things – His Peace is with us now.
Praying Together 18th May 2025
So the commandment is a challenge. To love those who betray you. Those who jeer. Those who wield the whips embedded with flint, hammer in the nails, pierce your side.
Praying Together 11th May 2025
Wherever there are people who have no freedom to make choices about their lives, where there is inequality and injustice, slavery exists.
Praying Together 4th May 2025
But difficult as it is to forgive, it is even harder to be forgiven – even though words of forgiveness have been offered, there will be times during early sleepless hours of wondering whether it will ever be possible to forgive oneself.
Praying Together April 27th 2025
The passage from Matthew’s Gospel gives a warning and example against which every Christian teacher and leader must be tested. As fallen humans, everyone will fall short of perfection– but we can measure lives against it.
Praying Together 20th April 2025
So together, morning, noon and night, we shout Thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Praying Together 13th April 2025
He is sinless, we were not – but He takes our sin unto Himself, allowing us the freedom to choose to serve His purpose rather than our own