15th Sunday after Pentecost
Ezekiel 33:7-11; Psalm 119:33-40; Romans 13:8-14; Matthew 18:15-20
Jesus’ promise in Mathew 18:20 provides scriptural evidence to the affirmation that Jesus is present in any space where the Holy Spirit gathers the communion of saints. We can certainly expect his presence not only in times of celebration but also in crisis situations.
In isolation, verse 20 can give the false impression that Jesus manifests among us only when our gatherings’ general frame of mind is positive. I, for instance, once understood “to gather in Jesus’ name” only when we meet and have him as our center and top priority. This week, in the “Working Preacher” podcast. I heard a different viewpoint.
The context of verse 20 begins in verse 15. There, it says, “If another member of the church sins against you …” Therefore, conflict is implied, and Jesus promises to be with us through the process of mediation and resolution. The podcast hosts then asked: What would we say or do if Jesus was sitting next to us, listening and watching everything? That is a profound situation to ponder if we believe in his presence.
We can safely say self-righteousness is one of the main sources of toxic disputes in our churches. We tend to fall into temptation and deem ourselves righteous through our personal – and often misguided – understanding of what the ancient law of the Israelites means to believers in the 21st century. Jesus and the Apostle Paul set the Christian disciples on the proper path. Love for God and others encompasses all the law and the prophets (Matthew 22:34-37; Romans 13:8-10).
The wickedness of God’s people has always been about neglecting such love, which prevents us from achieving our divine purpose (Isaiah 42:5-7) and, therefore, causes us to turn away from God. Yet, through Ezekiel, the God who is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, says, ” I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from their ways and live (verse 11).”
“Teach me, O Lord, the way of your statutes,
And I shall keep it to the end.
Give me understanding, and I shall keep your teaching;
I shall keep it with all my heart.
Lead me in the path of your commandments,
for that is my desire (Psalm 119:33-35).”
Bridging Faith 