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Scripture Reflection 

Matthew 18:15-20

Find ways to win others over; prayer shall be answered.

Gospel Reflection

This week’s gospel provides us with a lesson that could be well heeded in our contemporary world. Matthew relates a discourse on dealing with a grievance or sin between two ‘brothers’ – community members; fellow disciples. Matthew advises his audience that the first step is to try to resolve the matter privately between the offender and the one offended. This is a practice that seems to have almost disappeared today. When one person feels offended or hurt by another, it seems the last thing they do is to go and speak to the person, confront them with the hurt and try to resolve it. Soap operas and TV sitcoms promote avoidance of issues. The sub-text of so many TV shows is about lying to cover up a mistake; seeking revenge for some perceived (usually incorrect) insult; or working through others to try to deal with some hurt. If characters on these TV shows were to confront one another with a perceived hurt and seek to resolve the difference between them, then there would be no ‘drama’ to play out in the show. Admittedly, it doesn’t make for great television, but it does make for much better relationships!

Matthew advises his community that only after a failed attempt to address an issue face to face should other members of the community become involved to further confront the offender through witnessing to their fault. The third step is to bring the person before the church community to be confronted with their actions and only after these three attempts to challenge the person fail should they be shunned. There is a very strong message of reconciliation that comes through this process. The person is given every chance to face their error and to seek amends with the one they have hurt. The whole process works towards bringing the community back together in harmony, not to seek revenge and punishment.

Historical Context – Tell the Church

The idea of bringing a ‘sinner’ or offender before the church community to be confronted is one that the early Christians borrowed from the Jewish culture out of which they were formed. In Jewish society, the local synagogue was effectively a community centre. It was a gathering place, not only for worship and education, but also for meeting, debating and seeking solutions to problems. The synagogue community took on the role of mediator, witness, jury, judge and, if needed, punisher. The role of the scribes in Jewish society was to interpret the Law – the Torah – in resolving everyday situations.