From the Daily Lectionary for Thursday in the Third week after Pentecost
Matthew 18:10-20
“Take care that you do not despise one of these little ones; for, I tell you, in heaven their angels continually see the face of my Father in heaven. What do you think? If a shepherd has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. So it is not the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones should be lost.
“If another member of the church sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you have regained that one. But if you are not listened to, take one or two others along with you, so that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If the member refuses to listen to them, 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. Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.”
Matthew continues his polemic as to whom we serve as followers of Christ. I’ve been in something of a debate recently on Facebook with a fellow cleric. The debate is about who Jesus serves… and she argues that Jesus died for the sins of “all.” That is certainly scriptural, that is to say, there are passages that literally say that, but what is troubling is that she’s saying this in the context of the debate between, “Black lives matter” versus “All lives matter.” To be sure it is an apt comparison. So, even though the Gospel writers proclaim Jesus’ universal redemption, we find that his earthly ministry, his practice of the faith, is focused not on “all” but on the marginalized, the poor, and the shamed. In fact, with regard to “all lives” he condemns the elite of his world for serving their own interests at the expense of others. Jesus may well love “all,” but his ministry, his attention, his passion, is for the poor, the scapegoated, and the least of our world. All lives can only matter when the cast out are reconciled to the dignity and well-being of the community. God loves communities of people, so God desires the healing and wholeness of communities. Faith isn’t personal. It is communal.
The short parable in this reading makes the case. The shepherd, Jesus says, will leave the ninety nine sheep in order to rescue the one who is lost. Bad business decision, but such is God’s passion for the well-being of the community. If one is lost, then all are lost; if even one is lost then the community is not whole; and God desires wholeness.
And while we’re at it…. Jesus didn’t die for our sins. He was executed by the Romans for sedition. I don’t believe that he came to die on the cross. That was a scandalous tragedy. He came to model, in both his life and ministry, the way God intends for us to live; that we are our brothers’ and sisters’ keeper; that injustice compromises our humanity; that inclusion and welcome and hospitality govern our common life. Jesus gave his life to the cause of God so that people may have life in its fullness. The atoning sacrifice of Jesus was his life and ministry, not his death. And part of that ministry is to name that which opposes God’s inclusive and egalitarian sensibilities; speaking the truth to power, in short. The practice of the faith is marked by transparency and rigorous honesty.
So Matthew goes on to give some advice about transparency and honesty. When quarrels among us happen, as they surely will… then deal with it, openly and honestly. More harm is done to a community by things left unsaid than by the things we say. The point is, we have serious work to do; let’s not be distracted by petty grievances.
Maybe another way to contextualize all this is to say that to follow Jesus, we’re asking for trouble. It would be easy to stay in the comfort of our privilege, but we are being sent to recover and reconcile the lost of our world, and to challenge the powers that be that would disenfranchise the least among us. Anyone in history who has fought for the cause of justice will tell you that it is trouble. But, brothers and sisters, the world is trouble, and we are being sent into a troubled world bearing God’s radical love and care for the lost sheep, the ones left out. If not us, who? And if not now, especially now… when?
Collect for the Third Sunday after Pentecost (from Common Worship, The Church of England)
Almighty God, who hast broken the tyranny of sin and hast sent the Spirit of thy Son into our hearts: give us grace to dedicate our freedom to thy service, that the whole world may be brought to the glorious liberty of the children of God; through Jesus Christ thy Son, our Lord. Amen.
