In today’s readings we learn about various ways to seek reconciliation with someone who has offended us as individuals or as a community.
Prophets in the Old Testament were often reluctant carriers of God’s messages to recalcitrant rulers and evil doers. Last week Jeremiah complained he was abused and derided for speaking the Lord’s words. Today the prophet Ezekiel announces he is appointed as God’s Sentinel over Israel, to proclaim God’s words of warning to the people and he Ezekiel will be punished if he fails to deliver God’s words.
In today’s Gospel Jesus describes a gentler but no less courageous approach for us to seek reconciliation with someone who has offended us. Jesus asks us to go to the brother or sister who has offended us and try to resolve the issue in a manner that may bring healing to both parties.
Jesus next instruction, if the one-on-one approach has failed, is to take two or three witnesses to the offence and to try to persuade the offender to return to the community. This was very much in the Jewish tradition as outlined in the Torah (Leviticus) about resolving problems in the community and perhaps also about seeking restitution and even punishment through exclusion.
However, Jesus is always emphasising forgiveness and inclusion, not restitution.
So many of the Gospel stories about Jesus healing the sick involved Jesus also forgiving people their sins. Not that sinning had caused the illness, Jesus always made that clear, but perhaps forgiveness lightened the burden and modelled a new way of living for the recipient to also be forgiving to others. In our daily prayer the Our Father, we ask that the Lord will forgive us in the manner in which we forgive others.
All this instruction about seeking reconciliation with someone who has injured us needs to be balanced by what Jesus says in other passages in Matthew about first removing the log in our own eye before pointing out the splinter in our brother or sister’s eye. As Jesus comments, somewhat ironically in that exchange, when we take the log out of our own eye we can perhaps see the other’s splinter more clearly!
Later in Matthew 18:21-22, Peter asks Jesus “How many times must I forgive my brother if he wrongs me ?” Peter generously suggests seven times. Jesus corrects him, “No, rather seventy times seven!” In other words always.
But what if we have offended someone? Should we not seek forgiveness for our actions, our words, or indeed sometimes for our sins of omission? Again Jesus is pretty clear on this. In Matthew 5:23-24, Jesus tells his disciples “If you are bringing a gift to the altar and remember that your brother (or sister) has something against you, leave your gift and go reconcile with your brother (or sister) and then return to offer your gift.” We might add, with a lighter heart.
St Paul sums it all up for us by telling us we should avoid all debt except the debt of mutual love. If we love fully and unconditionally we will fulfill all the commandments.
As members of Christ’s Church within our local community, we are called to welcome the stranger, to be inclusive and to offer Christ’s hospitality to all.
Our model is Jesus, always present with us in our daily lives, who appeared after his resurrection to his frightened and bewildered disciples with Peace and Forgiveness.
“Where 2 or 3, or perhaps 93, meet in my name I am there with you.”
Christ’s Peace be with us all.