Lectionary: Proper 18(A)
Text: Matthew 18:(1-14),15-20
Today’s gospel text is one that can easily be misinterpreted, misapplied, and abused. It functions as the basis for many procedures of church discipline down through history and into the present day. If you have heard of terms such as excommunication, shunning, disfellowshipping, and the ban, they probably find their origins in today’s text.
Let’s begin by noting a few textual issues. Verse 15 often
begins this way, “If your brother or sister sins against you…” With this
reading, it is the responsibility of the one receiving offense to initiate
contact with the offender. However, the phrase “against you” is lacking in the
earliest manuscripts. When this phrase is missing, the responsibility to look
out for potential offenses broadens to include the entire community of
believers.
In our present-day, Western view of church, it is primarily
a voluntary association of individuals. We tend to have a pick of churches and
attend one where we feel most comfortable. If something happens that we don’t
like in one church, there are other options.
That is not the historical context for this text. The church
is a singular community that all believers belong to. One simply cannot pick
and choose a different community. A problem in the community will eventually
spread to all, and therefore, it is paramount for every individual in community
to be alert for anything that might threaten to break apart the community. The
community is not a voluntary association, but it is literally a new family,
where spiritual siblings function as literal, biological siblings.
I should also mention the word church (Gr., ekklesia)
that is found in this text. Firstly, the presence of this word is a sign that this
text is Matthew’s interpretation of what Jesus taught and placed into Jesus’
mouth. Jesus could not have spoken these literal words since any kind of church
was still a distant future.
Secondly, when we hear church, we imagine structures,
hierarchies, clergy, denominations, programs, and policies. None of that
existed in the earliest assemblies. Matthew provides guidance on how a member
of the assembly should handle problems that arise or they find with another
member. When the text reads, “Take one of two others along with you,” it is not
appealing to a higher church authority. Rather it is bringing in practices
already known from Jewish customs regarding judges and witnesses. The one or
two others are present to ensure that both sides are presenting their cases
accurately and fairly.
A third textual note is that when the word you is
found in verses 15-17, it is in the singular. The tense changes to plural in
verses 18-20. What this means is that the guidance for dealing with sin is
addressed to individuals. The implication is to reinforce the necessity for
every individual member of the community to be alert and to bear responsibility
for addressing what comes up with the offender.
It can be easier to shrug it away and sweep it under the
rug. Or seethe and brood about it. Or gossip. Or try to pass the responsibility
to church leaders. Matthew disallows all these choices. Every individual is
responsible for every other individual in the family of God.
When the you tense changes to plural, the subject
moves from individual responsibility to the power of God that works through the
church, even if there are only two or three. These latter verses are often
interpreted as applying to efficacy of prayer, but the context is that of
judgment. The principle in context is that if two agree about how to deal with
the sin in community, God will be there.
The last textual point to consider is the word sin.
It is certainly wrongdoing, but it should be understood more broadly as
describing anything that breaks, or threatens to break, relationships. Perhaps
more insidious than egregious wrongdoing are wrong attitudes such as pride,
greed, and self-righteousness.
One of the abuses of this text and a related passage in 1
Corinthians 6 is using these to justify keeping matters private to protect the
reputation of the church. There are too many examples of criminal activity
covered up to protect institutions. When we look at the literary organization
that Matthew created, we find such practices impossible to defend.
Matthew chapter 18 begins,
1 At that time the
disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of
heaven?” 2 He called a child, whom he put among them, 3
and said, “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you
will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whoever becomes humble
like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 Whoever
welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me. (Matthew 18:1-5 NRSVue)
A summary of this text might be thus: those who are in the
kingdom of heaven are unconcerned with power, privilege, and position.
The text continues,
6 “If any of you cause
one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for you
if a great millstone were fastened around your neck and you were drowned in the
depth of the sea. 7 Woe to the world because of things that cause
sin! Such things are bound to come, but woe to the one through whom they come! (Matthew
18:6-7 NRSVue)
This is a warning to those who might see those in the
kingdom as vulnerable and easy targets. Those who seek to prey upon God’s
family are not welcome.
The kingdom of heaven has boundaries. Not all are welcome.
Whereas earthly institutions often create boundaries upon visible markers such
as race, social status, and beliefs, the boundary of God’s kingdom is safety of
those inside. Those who seek to manipulate, deceive, defraud, abuse, and harm are
not welcome. If such is found to have made their way in, they are to be
removed.
Matthew’s text continues,
8 “If your hand or your
foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away; it is better for you to
enter life maimed or lame than to have two hands or two feet and to be thrown
into the eternal fire. 9 And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it
out and throw it away; it is better for you to enter life with one eye than to
have two eyes and to be thrown into the hell of fire. (Matthew 18:8-9 NRSVue)
Those who are in the kingdom are called to do
self-examination. If there is anything in our selves that might be tempted to
cause disruption and harm to the family of God, we need to excise it. These are
strong words. Those in the kingdom are to let go of any attitudes or actions of
self-preservation and self-protection. The text does not specifically say so,
but I interpret this to mean that each of us must allow our weaknesses to be
known by the family so that they can help us avoid falling into sin and harming
the rest of the family. You can see how this relates to the gospel text portion
that was read earlier, where each member of the family is responsible for
watching out for one another.
Matthew’s text continues with a parable,
10 “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. 12 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? 13 And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he rejoices
over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. 14 So
it is not the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones
should be lost. (Matthew 18:10-14 NRSVue)
The point of these texts and instructions is safety of the
flock and when one goes astray, restoration and reconciliation back into the
fold. It is with these principles in mind that Matthew gives instructions on
how to keep a watch on those that may be starting to go astray and how to bring
them back into the family. The whole process is followed with the goal of
preserving family and reconciliation. But what happens if one refuses all
attempts at reconciliation? What happens if they refuse entreaties from
multiple family members?
With this, we are now ready to interpret the following text,
17 If that person
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. (Matthew 18:17 NRSVue)
Through their actions, they have demonstrated that they do
not want to be reconciled and remain in the family. They have drawn their own boundaries.
But this does not mean that the family stops trying to win
them back. Recall how Jesus treated outsiders, gentiles, and tax collectors. He
never gave up on them. He kept working to bring them in. His love for them
never faltered or waned.
To “let such a one be to you as a gentile and a tax
collector” is not to shun them, excommunicate them, to treat them punitively. It
is a call to redouble efforts to love and restore, to remind them of what they
have lost by placing themselves outside of the family. It is to be the father
of the parable of the prodigal son.
Whereas earthly justice is often punitive, God’s justice is
always restorative. Humankind wants punishment and revenge against those who
have offended. But God only seeks to restore that which is lost.
In the name of God, the Loving Parent,
In the name of God, the Good Shepherd,
And in the name of God, who invites us into the discomfort
of being keepers of one another, amen.
Bibliography
Bartlett, D. L., & Brown Taylor, B. (2010). Feasting
on the Word: Year A, Volume 4. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox
Press.
France, R. T. (2007). New International
Commentary on the New Testament: Matthew. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B.
Eerdmans Publishing Co.
Garland, D. E. (2001). Reading Matthew: A
Literary and Theological Commentary. Macon, GA: Smyth & Helwys
Publishing.
Jarvis, C. A., & Johnson, E. E. (2013). Feasting
on the Gospels--Matthew, Volume 2: A Feasting on the Word Commentary.
Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press.
Van De Laar, J. (2026, August 28). Lectionary
Reflection for Proper 18A on Matthew 18:15–20. Retrieved from Sacredise
Your Life!:
https://sacredise.substack.com/p/lectionary-reflection-for-proper-8f1
Wilson, W. T. (2022). The Gospel of Matthew:
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