Sermon for September 7th

“If another member of the church sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you have regained that one.” Jesus realizes that the church is made up of sinners. Jesus doesn’t go after the “goody two shoes” in the world. Earlier in Matthew’s gospel he says point blank that he is not after the healthy but the sick, not the righteous but the unrighteous. Well, you get a bunch of sick, unrighteous sinners together week after week and you can expect fireworks sometimes. That is part of living in the same world together. Here at Saint Peters, I can assure you that there will also be fireworks from time to time.

But all this makes sense doesn’t it? If someone hurts you, don’t start telling other people about it first, don’t just tolerate the hurtful behavior, tell the person face to face. Ask for an apology. “But if you are not listened to, take one or two others along with you, so that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses.” Jesus calls us to speak to one another and not about one another. But this still makes sense doesn’t it? What a great model for the church the follow. What a great model for businesses to follow. What a great model for a family to follow. But then, we start getting very uncomfortable. This next part of the gospel lesson doesn’t always make sense.

“If the member still refuses to listen, 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 or a tax collector.” Jesus makes it clear that a faithful community must set boundaries for healthy behavior. If it does not do this, it just becomes another amorphous group of worldly people and not a community of faith at all. Gentiles and tax collectors were considered to be such great sinners that they were not allowed to be a part of the religious community. What does this mean for us?

Martin Luther maintained that Scripture alone sets out boundaries for us. For example: Do not kill, do not commit adultery and do not lie. But what happens if and when someone crosses those boundaries? Forgive them? Yes! Yes! Forgive them. But in the passage today this isn’t the only issue is it. What happens if someone doesn’t care? Doesn’t want forgiveness? Doesn’t believe there are boundaries? Jesus says, “Consider them a Gentile and a tax collector.” If someone isn’t acting like part of a community, then perhaps they shouldn’t be considered part of it. If you are at church and you aren’t looking for forgiveness you are at odds with the message being proclaimed there.

Now, what would you do if you found out your teenager had a friend who was an alcoholic? Perhaps you would set a boundary for your child and disallow them from riding in the same car with that friend. Perhaps you would not allow that child to be a part of your child’s group of friends. The next question is this: how would you treat that forbidden friend from then on? “Treat them as a Gentile and a tax collector” Jesus says. What does that mean?

What would you do if you found out a worshipper at your church was behaving inappropriately in the community? After discussing it with the person, the council, the pastor and the church, there was disagreement, fear and a lot of hurt feelings. If the person was eventually asked to seek another place of worship, how would you deal with them from that point forward? “Treat them as a Gentile and a tax collector” Jesus says. What does that mean exactly?

“Let such a one be to you as a Gentile and tax collector.” Consider this: What kind of people did Jesus hang out with? Sinners and tax collectors. Gentiles and prostitutes. I can’t imagine that the irony of Jesus’ statement was lost on his disciples. Matthew himself was a tax collector when he was called by Jesus.
Jesus maintains that when you’ve brought sin into the light and repentance does not occur, there comes a point where you must set up a boundary between a community and an unhealthy lifestyle. But even as we are called to set healthy boundaries in our lives, we are simultaneously called to forgive people outside these boundaries. We are called to pray unceasingly for them, to love them and bring them the good news of God. Ask forgiveness and God will forgive you. Our Christian community needs healthy boundaries, just like your life does, but we are called, just as Jesus was, not for the healthy, but for the sick, not for the righteous, but for the unrighteous. The gateway back into a community is the same way you came in: Asking for forgiveness.

As you may know, people, especially, I have heard, many men, have trouble leaving their socks lying around on their beds, on the floor, on the lampshade or wherever. As you also may know, when they are asked to pick up their socks, these same men do what they are told, they pick up their socks. The law says, “Don’t leave your socks lying around the house.” And, if a sock is left outside of its drawer, the punishment is an angry spouse, a raised voice and a sock thrown in your face. That’s the law at work.

“I don’t want to have to keep telling you . . . to pick up your socks!” THAT, my friends, is what the law wants. The law doesn’t want to have to tell you. The law doesn’t want to have to punish. Your spouse doesn’t want to have to tell you to pick up your socks! Your spouse wants love. So much love that there are never socks left lying around! The law wants love. Unfortunately, the law can’t keep you from forgetting where the hamper is or missing the laundry basket. The law can’t make you do what it wants.

When Jesus talks about church discipline today in the gospel of Matthew, he sets out the law. There are sins. There are people who have unhealthy behaviors and there must be boundaries. The law has its place. But he also points out that the law is not the goal. Punishment is not the goal. Jesus doesn’t want a church where sinners are kicked out (otherwise called an empty church). He wants each of us to come asking forgiveness just like a Gentile and a tax collector. Not because we deserve forgiveness, but because we need it.

God wants you to love your neighbor so he created the Law. But all the Law can do is tell you to love people, or scare you into loving them. Love your neighbor or else! Crrrrrreeech! It can’t make you love them. “Honey, do you love me?” “Yes. Of course I love you.” “Well, why don’t you ever tell me?” Well, I just did tell you!” “Oh sure, when I asked!” Love wants to be loved without asking. Love wants to be loved without the demands. Love wants to be loved apart from the Law. To be true love, it must be spontaneous. Not coerced or manipulated. The law can never create love. Jesus gives you the love that the law was looking for. How? By loving you first.

In today’s passage there is a word of hope. And do you know where you can find it? In a surprising place: “Let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.” Yes, right there! The part everyone hates! Why is this such a hopeful verse? Because wherever you find sinners you’ll find Jesus hanging around. If you refuse to admit you are a sinner, you need forgiveness more than ever. You can be sure Jesus is after you. And if you ever find yourself lost, you know for sure Jesus is on his way to find you.

There is a story that ends right before this passage in the gospel of Matthew that I
would like end with today. Maybe it can help us understand what to do with those we consider to be “Gentiles and tax collectors. “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? And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. So it is not the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones should be lost.”

Boundaries are needed. Even churches have to have rules. The Law requires it. You need protection and your neighbors need to be loved. But the law finds its goal in forgiveness. The law finds its goal in Jesus. The goal of this passage isn’t to throw people out. The goal is to forgive and bring people back to Jesus. Jesus, who was sent for the lost. Jesus who was sent for the Gentiles. Jesus who was sent for the tax collectors. Jesus who was sent for the sinners. Jesus who was sent for you. Amen.