23rd Sunday In Ordinary Time: Do I Forgive?
Sermon By Emmanuel Suntheni OSB – Twenty-Third Sunday In Ordinary Time
Sermon And Christian Act In The Word
Theme: Fraternal Correction! Forgive for the sake of the Lord! Do I forgive?
Point of Reflection: Have I deliberately closed my eyes to wrongdoing in my family or community? What is my response to corrections received from those who care about me? We cannot bring the desired change in our world when we have not succeeded in bringing change to our own personal lives.
First Reading: Ezekiel 33:7–9
Psalm: Psalm 95:1–2, 6–9
Second Reading: Romans 13:8–10
Gospel: Matthew 18:15–20
Sermon (Reflection): The liturgy of today focuses on the response to the behaviours and situations which go contrary to the Christian faith, and which threaten the community.
The first reading of today narrates Ezekiel’s mission which was very similar to that of Jeremiah’s, which was to prophesy the impending and inevitable destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple, caused by Israel’s infidelities and sins. Chapter 33 of Ezekiel’s book emphasizes the prophet’s responsibility to act as “a sentinel” (a watchman), to warn and admonish the unfaithful nation. This mission was so important that God warned Ezekiel, that if he would not deliver the message of warning and repentance to the sinners, the punishment for their sins would fall upon him. His troubling message was so important because, in time, it would constitute the first step leading to the nation’s repentance and restoration in the future. This was the fraternal correction of God to his people and it’s a call to us Christians to always be on guard as watchmen to warn and admonish ourselves and neighbours.
As God’s mouthpiece Ezekiel played an indispensable part in changing the fortunes of the unfaithful people, and transforming them into a renewed community open to God’s Spirit, and living faithfully as God’s people (cf. Ezekiel 36:22-28).
As Christians, are we God’s mouthpiece? What do we communicate? Do we communicate forgiveness?
The second reading of today comes from a collection of exhortations and instructions written for the Roman Christian community. In this passage, Paul reminds Christians of their duties and obligations towards secular authorities, thus, they are to be exemplary citizens, and not troublemakers (cf. Romans 13:1-7). Following these statements, Paul turns to discuss the key duty of a Christian towards a fellow community member.
He stated that love sums up all the precepts of the Jewish Law – all commandments governing human relationships are contained within the command to love. He also defined love as that which “does no wrong to a neighbour”. As Christians, how do we love? Do we even love?
Taken positively, the statement of love, above all, seeks the good and well-being of another person. This is perhaps the clearest and simplest expressions of what Christian love is all about.
Even though the apostle did not explicitly mention it, seeking the good of another person entails helping him or her to avoid harmful and dangerous behaviour, as Paul himself will do in the verses that immediately follow today’s passage (cf. Romans 13:11-14). Following the command to love with a series of warnings, Paul demonstrated that cautioning and admonishing Christians against what jeopardizes their moral and religious integrity, is one of the key expressions of Christian love. Correction and admonition of fellow community members is the duty of every committed believer.
Today’s Gospel reading comes from the Matthean passage commonly called “the sermon on the Church”. In it, Jesus’ teaching focuses on the internal life of the Christian community, with solving conflicts, and with dealing with wrongdoing, as the most important issues addressed. The most detailed instruction which Jesus provides is a detailed procedure on how to deal with wrongful behaviour. He outlines a three-step process which begins with a dialogue between the two members in conflict. This is followed by bringing in two or three other members to facilitate the correction and admonition. If everything else fails and the conflict is not settled, the issue should be brought to the attention of the entire community for judgment and eventual exclusion of the guilty party from the community. The unrepentant offender would no longer be treated as a community member, but as a “Gentile and a tax collector”.
The reason for such harsh measures lies in the perception of the community as a space where God is present. For the Israelites, the location which contained God’s presence in this world was the Jerusalem Temple. Thanks to Jesus, this role was taken up by the Christian community.
Moreover, Jesus teaches that the Christian community, acting in unity, has the capacity to discern God’s will. In the Gospel of the 21st Sunday we read that Peter was given the authority to “bind and loosen”, which meant determining God’s will for the community. The same is said in today’s Gospel about the Christian community which, when gathered, has the capacity to determine God’s will for the world. This is so, because, when gathered and united in Jesus’ name, a group of individuals becomes united with him and united to God through him. For this reason, the prayers of such a group will always be answered, since they reflect God’s own will. Conflicts and scandals undermine the unity of this body, they destroy it.
Therefore, conflicts and wrongdoings must be dealt with swiftly and decisively. Admonition and correction are, therefore, essential for ensuring that the Christian community remains true to its nature and function.
Correcting others is never an easy or popular task. It is so much simpler to remain silent and indifferent towards others’ misbehaviour. Yet, today’s liturgy emphasizes that, while such restraint might be understandable, it is not acceptable. It was not acceptable for Ezekiel to remain silent regarding his peoples’ transgressions, because his inaction would have compromised their future. Paul taught that the command to love is fulfilled, at least partially, by warning and admonition of fellow Christians when they go astray and compromise themselves by misguided behaviour and questionable ideas. In the Gospel, Jesus sets out a detailed procedure for correcting others and ending conflicts.
The reason for the necessity of such correction lies in maintaining the unity of the community because in that unity God’s will is revealed and Jesus’s presence is embodied. Bringing others to repentance through the correction of harmful behaviours is, therefore, not an option but an essential part of being a Christian. Such practices, called “fraternal correction” – correcting others in the spirit of compassion – aim to improve the quality of individual life and protect the unity and integrity of the community. The Psalmist recognized this necessity well, when he followed his call to worship God with a warning against obstinacy and rebelliousness saying, “O that today you would listen to his voice! Do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah, as on the day at Massah in the wilderness”.
Christian Act in Word of God: “Fraternal Correction”
St. Augustine once said to buttress his elucidation of fraternal correction – “Whoever has offended you, in offending you has inflicted a serious injury upon himself; and would you not care for a brother’s injury?… You must forget the offence you have received but not the injury of one of your brethren.”
Different people react differently to wrongdoings. There are some people who choose to be silent when they see something go wrong. These are spectators and not active participants in the drama of life. Others prefer to talk about what they have seen, but they do so with everyone except the person at the centre of the act of misdemeanour. These are the gossips. They always have something to say about brother A or sister B. Even those who bring to the attention of an offender what they have seen or heard, some choose to attack rather than bring healing to an injured brother or sister.
However, there are some who are not mere spectators, gossips or attackers. Upon seeing a brother or sister trapped in an inferno, they would run into the fire, break the door and help bring out the victim. These are the ‘keepers of the brethren’. Wrongdoing, even if it is not directed at us personally, is offensive, and when an offence is not appropriately addressed, sooner or later it becomes an obstacle that would cause many to trip and sprawl on the floor.
Against this backdrop, we can understand the call of Ezekiel to be a “watchman”. His role as a watchman was to ensure that evil would not overwhelm and annihilate his brothers and sisters in the community. The concern that the prophet Ezekiel was called upon to exhibit is further exemplified in the first verse of the Gospel – “If your brother does something wrong, go and have it out with him alone, between your two selves…” This is love in action. Love for one another, according to Paul, is “the only thing you should owe to anyone.”
The Church has rightly been described as “a hospital for sinners and not a museum for saints”. The Church is made up of wounded men and women who are being treated for various ailments. The wounds of some members may be repugnant, but such people need help not condemnation. If the help we offer them personally does not help, the Gospel text encourages us to bring on board one or two others. If this too is not sufficient, the whole community is to be called upon to help.
It is only when the wounded brother or sister has shown clearly that he is unwilling to be helped that the text commands us to “treat him like a gentile or tax collector.” Perhaps, this is to ensure that the infections of an untreated wound do not infect others.
Action: I will gather up courage and challenge a person whose inappropriate actions I have observed for a long time. I will employ the procedure set out by Jesus to do so.
Prayer: Almighty God, we open our hearts and pray for all communities that have been wounded by divisions and individuals who feel alienated by others. May your waters of peace quench the flames of evil that seek to destroy the lives of your people and foster in them a sense of oneness and wholeness. We ask this through Christ our Lord, Amen.
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