Matthew 18:15-20,
Romans 13:8-14,
Ezekiel 33:7-11
Good afternoon Everyone. I hope you are all well. Don’t forget the Thursday service is now on in church – 10am as usual.
These are my musings on todays readings.
Much of our lives centre around conflict and disagreement. We only have to listen to the news, watch a film, a television drama, read a novel or perhaps even just listen to ourselves speak to realise that this is so. Particularly in this age of polarised political views and social media soundbites, it’s easy to appear to be opinionated and narrow in our view and so conflict with others.
This week Matthew writes about the guidance Jesus gives for managing arguments and conflict within the church. As we all know Christian organisations are not exempt from discord and conflict. This is a rather strange passage in Matthew and in many ways is difficult to interpret as its contents do not really ring true. For as a start it doesn’t sound like Jesus talking to his disciples – it sounds much more like the regulations of a church committee – a church that did not as such exist then. It also suggests tax collectors and gentiles are considered outcasts; a fact we know Jesus constantly disagreed with. So, as it stands this cannot be a correct report of Jesus’ words but rather an adaptation made by the church in later days.
However, it must relate to something Jesus said on this matter of conflict and disagreement. I think Jesus is talking about the essence of communications. If there is a rift – we should sort it. If that fails, speak to someone else…..and so the advice goes on… The worst we can do is do nothing, let situations fester, neglect our relationships. But as I’m sure we all know that is often easier said than done and so we take the path of least resistance.
But as in all challenges in life Jesus walks beside us. He also calls us to love one another and so by implication to seek peace and reconciliation wherever there is conflict between us.
Perhaps we can look to the epistle for further guidance. Paul says “Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.” Paul is implying that love and forgiveness are the essential tools for us in this earthly life. They are our armour for overcoming the challenges we face.
However, he then goes on to say: “The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed” Why would he say this? We need to remember that Paul and his followers thought that day was imminent…and they were expecting it at any time.
“The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So, let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armour of light………. clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh” Romans 13:11ff
Here Paul typically in this letter to the Romans forces us to imagine beyond our earthly lives to a time of salvation – a divine hope that transcends our understanding. A Hope that is the essence of our Christian faith and has its origins entirely in the resurrection.
In the OT the prophet Ezekiel is making a call for repentance. “As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! “ The Lord, he says takes no pleasure in the death of anyone but would much rather sinners turned in repentance to him and lived. We have echoes here of the words of liturgy spoken at the imposition of ashes on Ash Wednesday and in Christ’s words in the gospels.
“Turn away from sin and turn to Christ”
So, we have reconciliation and love as the themes in our readings today. All to be encouraged in our earthly life to transform our relationships but promised, as Paul points out, in the great divine reconciliation which comes on the day of salvation – that ultimate transformation – resurrection!