September 14, 2008
The Rev W Terry Sweeney
Matthew 18.15-20
When Someone Sins Against You
Joe and Fred had a peaceful relationship until they had a heated argument surrounding a possible mission trip and how it would be funded. Joe wanted each person to raise their own support and Fred wanted a combination of individual and church support. The differences grew so heated that Joe walked out of the meeting and while on his way to his car passed by Fred’s where he took a car key and scrapped it along side of Fred’s car. Fred saw Joe do it. What should Fred do?
In the Name of God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.
Good morning! HANNA – Art Fair – Vestry Day.
We’re going to look at Matthew 18:15-20 this morning . . . . .
As a frame of reference Matthew 18 could be described as dealing with:
Self discipline in vs. 1-9
Mutual discipline in vs. 10-14
Church discipline in vs. 15-20
Discipline – esp. church discipline – makes most of us squirm and a bit uncomfortable.
In fact a surprising number of people may believe the church has no business or authority to disciple any member.
We don’t want to think of our church Vestry or Rector or worse yet the congregation as a potential judge/jury . . . . . . Yet in some cases that’s what we become NOT to punish but to restore and reconcile brokenness.
Look with me for a moment at page 409 of the Book of Common Prayer.
If we were to carefully read the rubric we’d find that the purpose for discipline is amendment of life; restoration of godly living and peace.
It is never a witch hunt or to be whimsical or heavy handed.
15"If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over.
Private sins are handled in private ways – the public sins of Peter were confronted in a public way by Paul in Galatians 2:11-14 (eating with Gentiles).
The purpose of going to your brother/sister is to admit that you too are a sinner saved by grace through faith and that your goal is reconciliation.
Certainly your feelings may be hurt – you may be angry – justification for retribution my be running through your mind.
(Don’t go when angry – don’t go if you’re just going to rub it in and be sarcastic.
Go to save your brother/sister for the Kingdom.
St Paul offers these noble words in 1 Corinthians 9:19-22, “Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some.
There is further grounding in scripture for this approach:
Mat. 7:12 offers the Golden rule and 22:39 reminds us to love our neighbors as ourselves. Go and speak privately – and do not make a public spectacle of it.
16But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that 'every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.' (Deut. 19:15)
This is a remarkable bit of godly wisdom: It gives us a time to ponder and reflect. Taking witnesses also helps prevent false accusations or misrepresentations of the facts. Do others see this the way I do? Am I making this out to be more than it is? Is this so serious that I can find two others of sound judgment who agree with me (and know the facts) who are willing to go to my brother/sister?
If not the matter is over and it must be forgotten. . . . . after I consider why it was so important to me.
17If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.
The “Church” technically is the entire body – so does the problem go to the body gathered in a special meeting or the pastor or the vestry or all of the above?
Keep in mind we do not want to minimize the authority of the pastor or elders/vestry that has been given in a variety of passages including this one:
Examples: Matthew 10.1 (authority to drive out demons); Acts 15 Jerusalem Council
We do not want to ignore the place the congregation has in God’s eyes either. So how far do we go? It starts with the pastor then goes to the wardens and the pastor then to the vestry and if needed to the congregation. Each step along the way the goal is restoration and if it’s not accomplished and the problem persists we move on to the next level.
In 1 Cor. 5 sexual immorality had come into the church, “It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that does not occur even among pagans: A man has his father's wife. And you are proud! Shouldn't you rather have been filled with grief and have put out of your fellowship the man who did this? Even though I am not physically present, I am with you in spirit. And I have already passed judgment on the one who did this, just as if I were present. When you are assembled in the name of our Lord Jesus and I am with you in spirit, and the power of our Lord Jesus is present, 5hand this man over to Satan, so that the sinful nature may be destroyed and his spirit saved on the day of the Lord. . . . . 12What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? 13God will judge those outside. "Expel the wicked man from among you." (Deut. 17:7; 19:19; 21:21; 22:21,24; 24:7).
II Thes. 3:14-15 gives us some instruction for living as members of God’s household.
1 Peter 5.3 teaches that we should not be domineering over those under our care but instead to be an example to the flock.
Not everything goes in the church and to turn a blind eye to it abdicates the responsibility and the glory of the church.
18"I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.
Binding and loosing are metaphors for what is permitted or not permitted.
At this juncture Jesus is talking to the apostolic community – He says they all have the authority to determine what’s permitted and what’s not – what is sin and what is not. AND they’re given the authority to take corrective steps – do something about it. Keep order and decency. Peter is often most associated with being given the keys of the kingdom –
Mat. 16.19, after he confesses Jesus to be the Christ Peter is declared to be the steward of God’s kingdom.
The Kingdom Of Heaven is under God’s sovereign authority – Peter does not “own” the kingdom, nor is Peter the one who let’s anyone in God’s kingdom . .
Peter has the authority and responsibility to properly administer that which is God’s: His household and people.
Quote: The keys he holds are to the storehouses to enable him to make provision for the household NOT to control admission.
So like Eliakim the steward of David’s kingdom (Isaiah 22.15) what Peter opens will open and what he shuts will be shut.
So as we turn back to the disciples we find that Peter is first among equals – the entire apostolic community has been given the authority given to Peter earlier.
19"Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven.
God has given His community access to Him through prayer. Jesus leaves the direct issue of the sinning brother/sister and turns to another issue: Where does the community get the wisdom to make decisions – decisions that are already made in heaven. . . . How can we get earth aligned with heaven? Prayer and Jesus in the midst of us!
You see our corporate wisdom represents our hope that we have connected with God’s will and direction . . . . . . . IMPORTANT: When Jesus told Peter that what he bound would be bound and loosed would be loosed the language construct used is in the future perfect. . . . . In other words it would say: Will have been tied up – will have been untied.
When Peter makes a decision to bind/loosen it’s already happened in heaven before Peter did it. Peter is not directing heaven – Heaven is giving Peter the direction that already exists in heaven.
Giving Peter the Keys or giving the church the same authority is actual a promise of divine guidance with God’s already determined outcomes and purposes.
The authority & the answers to prayer come from “Heaven” not via the channel of a formal church panel or ecclesiastical court making judgments but in fact its through the act of God’s church gathered and seeking his council.
The court holds not inherent wisdom – it comes from God and is communicated to His church through prayer and seeking His council.
This means that we cannot try an end around - God is not bound to add His divine sanction to anything we may dream up!
20For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them."
Jesus’ spiritual presence among us is the source of our spiritual authority.
Let us pray.
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