When Is Enough Enough?

Matthew 18:10-20

What in Matthew’s gospel may sound like a lost cause may not be all that final. Jesus is discussing conflict within the church when he says, “If the member refuses to listen to (two or three members), tell it to the church; and if the offender refuses to listen even to the church, let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector” (Matthew 18:17). The key terms here are church, Gentile, and tax collector, and they deserve some careful attention.

First of all, we know that Jesus is really talking past the disciples to us because the church is a post-resurrection reality, birthed at Pentecost. How then are we to deal with the likes of Gentiles and tax collectors? Jesus can’t mean that we give up on them entirely. The mission of the church, as given by Jesus later in Matthew’s gospel, is to go and “make disciples of all nations (i.e. Gentiles)” (28:19). And Jesus himself has already expressed his concern for tax collectors in particular by calling a tax collector named Matthew to become a disciple. When Jesus’ choice of dinner companions (“sinners and tax collectors”) was questioned he answered, “I have come to call not the righteous, but sinners” (9:1-9).

When Jesus says that those who refuse to listen to the church should be treated as Gentiles and tax collectors he is not giving up on them, but singling them out for a renewed effort at reconciliation. So I would suggest that Jesus’ words in Matthew 18 are not a warning to those who disagree with the church, but a reminder to the church – as the body of Christ at work in the world – “to call not the righteous, but sinners,” and “to go and make disciples of all nations.” In other words enough is never enough.

Prayer: Lord, open our hearts to those who need the good news, and grant us the patience to live you word into reality. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Capital Punishment

Jim:

Numbers 35:1-3, 9-15, 30-34
In reading verses 30 and 31 I was led to wonder how these words compare to our modern criminal justice system. “If anyone kills another, the murderer shall be put to death on the evidence of witnesses; but no one shall be put to death on the testimony of a single witness. Moreover you shall accept no ransom for the life of a murderer who is subject to the death penalty; a murderer must be put to death.” One of the most persistent controversies surrounding capital punishment is that it is not meted out in a fair or even-handed manner. It is commonly assumed that those with more resources are able to avoid the death sentence more often while those with fewer resources are not. And of course there have been wrongful or questionable executions over the years. The verses from Numbers allow for—insist on—a death sentence in the case of murder, but set a high standard of evidence in such cases, and do not allow for an alternative to death. As forensic science moves ahead one would hope that the instance of wrongful executions would disappear. But I wonder if we are doing enough as a society to provide for evenhandedness in such cases. And while these verses from the Old Testament support the use of a death penalty, what are we to infer from the gospel and the words of Jesus? (Incidentally, I find http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capital_punishment to be a very helpful overview of the issue of capital punishment from various religious and cultural perspectives.)

Romans 8:31-39
And just like that, Paul moves the entire question of capital punishment out of the way and reminds us that nothing at all can separate us from God’s love. Does that include murder? I believe so. Years ago when Debbie and I lived in Scotland we were made aware of a man found guilty of murdering his mother, who served time in prison for the crime, and, after his release, became a minister in the Church of Scotland. Who better to understand the love of God than one who has done so much wrong and yet been led back to the light of God’s grace and truth? I wonder what he would have said about the passage from Numbers. I wonder also how fresh the word of God appeared to his parishioners in light of his past. As the words of the hymn “Amazing Grace” testify, “I once was lost but now am found/ was blind but now I see.” What God is able to do with a life is beyond our ability to comprehend. Ultimately we belong to God no matter what, and we need to value that in every way possible.

Matthew 23:13-26
In light of the other two readings I find Jesus’ words in verse 23 to be enlightening. There he condemns the religious leaders of the day for paying more attention to the minor aspects of the law and overlooking God’s desire for “justice and mercy and faith. It is these you ought to have practiced without neglecting the others,” Jesus says. Do we spend too much time on the minor details while willfully ignoring God’s command to love one another and to “do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with…God”? That’s the real danger, I’m afraid.

Making the Right Choice

Jim:

Proverbs 7:1-27
How many movies or books have used the sort of literary device we find in this chapter: two women and the man who must choose between them? On the one hand we have “Wisdom” which here is personified as a sister or intimate friend, terms of loving endearment. In her company a young man will be saved from the dangers of seduction and adultery. On the other hand we have the seductress, a literal woman, married but playing the part of a prostitute (and doing a pretty good job of it, according to the passage). Once she sets her sights on the young man he, as so many before him, is doomed. In the company of this woman the young man will find himself “going down to the chamber of death” (verse 27b). This is really a compelling passage that highlights the tension we all face; knowing what we should do but doing something else. Paul addresses this reality in Romans 7:15 where he writes, “I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.” For the writer of Proverbs the answer is clear: if the young man had only trusted sisterly Wisdom then he would have been saved from the snares of the evil woman. I say, if only it were that easy. Over and over again we sin, and yet God remains faithful to us, and the story is allowed to continue, too often repeating the same refrain.

1 John 5:13-21
In this passage from 1 John the person of sisterly “Wisdom” has been replaced by Jesus. “And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding so that we may know him who is true…” (verse 20a). The struggle with sin continues, but in Jesus we find God’s fullest expression of mercy and love, the one who confronts our sinfulness and defeats it for us so that we may rise above it and live as God’s people. Still we fall short of God’s intentions, but in Jesus Christ we find forgiveness and, more importantly, hope for the future.

Matthew 11:25-30
And here in Matthew we find words that offer hope. “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest” (verse 28). The “heavy burdens” we carry are our sins and the “rest” we receive in Jesus Christ is forgiveness. Thanks be to God for the opportunity to start over again and to live as forgiven people!

Encourage One Another

Jim:

Leviticus 16:1-19, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, and Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18
I think 1 Thessalonians 4:18 offers a very nice summation to all three of these passages, as difficult as they may seem. “Therefore,” writes Paul, “encourage one another with these words.” Whether it is the way that Aaron was to offer sacrifices to God, the manner by which the resurrection is to take place, or the attitude one is to take in one’s prayer life, all of these passages should be understood as encouraging God’s people in their faithful living. If one reads these passages and comes away feeling overwhelmed or discouraged, he or she has missed the point. Yes, Aaron had to go through a number of steps as outlined in Leviticus 16, most of which arise from the sins of the people. But the point is that God welcomes Aaron into the divine presence, and remains committed to the relationship with the people of Israel. Yes, there are believers who have died before the return of Jesus. But this does not nullify the truth of the resurrection or of the coming kingdom which will be a glorious experience. Yes, there are those who make prayer a spectacle and who are considered respected members of the community. But God is not fooled by false piety and is attentive to the prayer of the humble. Be encouraged, Paul might say in each case, and know that God continues to be at work. Do what is right, do what God calls you to do, and let God take care of the rest, for God is truly working out the divine purpose.