We have the power and strength to move mountains.

Sunday, September 6

Proper 18, Year A, RCL, Track 1

Exodus 12:1-14

Romans 13:8-14

Matthew 18:15-20

The original Church was relatively communal in nature. When you joined, you were to sell all you had and give the proceeds to the Church. To become a member (being baptized) often meant no less than a year or two of preparation and vetting. The vetting was to ensure you were not a Roman or Temple spy. And the preparation was to make sure you knew and understood Christ’s teachings and precepts. These churches saw themselves as a reformed Jewish sect rather than something new. We begin to see disagreements during the first 70-ish years about which rules or laws in Judaism needed to be kept; circumcision and dietary rules come to mind, yet for today, our Gospel looks at how the church deals with disagreements when one member sins against another.

What we are offered is good advice. If someone hurts you in some way, you should speak to them directly. This is the advice I often give. Though it can be difficult, and unless you are afraid of physical harm, doing this allows you to understand one another, for the victim to tell how they were hurt. And for the other, to hopefully offer an apology. These are usually necessary for both parties to begin healing.

If talking one-on-one does not lead to reconciliation, then, as the Gospel says, “take one or two others along with you, so that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses.” Having witnesses, especially three, was important in Jewish culture. We see this in the New Testament, like at the Transfiguration, where three disciples were present. For the person who caused harm, having others involved might feel intimidating, but it shows how serious the situation is. The person may still deny what happened or make excuses, but now there are others who can help bring the issue to the leadership to decide what to do next.

Jesus tells us, “If the offender refuses to listen even to the church, let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.” In this last statement, we see two things. The first is the way to deal with a very difficult and serious situation. But it also demonstrates that Matthew’s community considered themselves Jewish. Gentiles, non-Jewish people, are generally not recognized as having a significant place in Jewish society. If this Gospel writer felt he was not Jewish, he clearly would not have used Gentile in a negative connotation. On a side note, this also goes back to a question from a few weeks ago. If Jesus and the Gospel writers thought that the Jewish people did not have a pathway to salvation, then why would they continue to consider themselves Jewish? This teaching of Christ guides us in becoming accountable and in addressing others when problems arise.

Paul, in his letter to the Romans, also desires accountability. In this passage, he may not be talking about descent within the church but our treatment of one another. First, he tells us not to owe anyone anything except love. Remembering that the early church was communal, this would make sense.

Most early religions, like Judaism and Buddhism, condemned usury, which means lending money with interest. For the people of the day, usury was a moral issue, whereby, by charging interest, the wealthy were viewed as taking advantage of the needy. Even though most governments did not outright ban the practice, it was generally frowned upon. As another side note, in mid-16th-century Europe, as part of the English Reformation, King Henry VIII changed the law to legalize usury. Some argue that this act changed the financial landscape in the English-speaking world. Maybe it’s out of respect for King Henry's decision that we have had so many bankers in this church.

But anyway, Paul tells us not to owe anybody anything and to follow the commandments. For all of the commandments are summed up in the phrase “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Paul says it is urgent to change your life in this way, for “salvation is nearer to us now then when we became believers.” We find this command nine times in the Bible. The first account appears in Leviticus 19[i], where God gives Moses the Laws of Holiness. We all know how deceptively difficult it is to follow this law. “Loving your neighbor as yourself” rolls off the tongue almost effortlessly. But the actual practice takes a lifetime of work. Paul does not tell us to give up because it is difficult. Instead, he encourages us to keep trying, again and again.

We have a forgiving God who sent his Son so we can inherit the kingdom. There is no shame in picking up our cross after we stumble or fall. Each time, we can lift it higher, knowing that in community we are not alone, and that through Christ, we have the power and strength to move mountains.

As God said to Moses, “This day shall be a day of remembrance for you. You shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord; throughout your generations you shall observe it as a perpetual ordinance.” Though God was speaking of the Passover, for us Christians, the Passover is intimately connected with the Eucharist, since Jesus was sacrificed as the unblemished lamb. He died and rose again, so that we will not die forever. Christ is with us, to protect us from evil; to show us the light to which we should follow and remain. We are in this together as a community. Let’s support each other when we make mistakes, encourage one another when we feel down, and, most importantly, celebrate our love for Christ and for each other as often as possible.

[i] Leviticus 19:18