In a time such as ours when we see intensified
violent conflict around the world––within and between differing religious,
cultural, and political perspectives––we do well to speak with each other about
how we are called to respond.
The church is half-way now between Pentecost and
Christ the King Sunday. We are half-way through the season called Time after
Pentecost when we reflect week after week on the meaning of being the body of
Christ.
It is time to reflect on the relationships we have
with each other and with those who are not part of the Christian community.
Such is the concern of all the readings.
Matthew 18:15-20
Matthew’s admonitions about forthright and honest
confrontation when conflict occurs is crucial to a healthy congregation. And
almost nothing could be more difficult… or more avoided!
What is at stake is nothing less than the unity of
the church. In light of the preceding verses, which describe a shepherd leaving
ninety-nine sheep on the mountain in order to seek one lost stray, the process
must be understood, not as the steps necessary for exclusion, but as steps that
may lead to reconciliation. Like the shepherd seeking and finding the sheep,
the Christian community must make every effort to uphold unity among its
members. Because the process is realistic about the presence and power of sin
at work in the lives of believers, it recognizes the need to overcome division
and restore estranged brothers and sisters to their place in the family of God.
At least as important as the steps in the process, however, is a spirit of
love, openness, respect, and humility on the part of all involved.
– Aaron J. Couch
Healed relationships begin with admission of
responsibility.
Ezekiel 33:7-11
The forty-eight chapters of Ezekiel constitute two basic prophetic
periods. Chapters 1-32 are often seen as messages of judgment; chapters 33-48,
of hope. Ezekiel’s ministry occurred after Jerusalem was overtaken in 587 BCE.
Chapters 33-37 are, in particular, concerned with the
orientation needed for a people to appropriate salvation. The prophet is to
address individuals, not simply the community, and it is the response of the
individual that will be attributed to the prophet’s own self. The New English Bible translation of 33:8 is
helpfully clear on this score: “[I]f you do not warn him to give up his ways,
the guilt is his and because of his wickedness he shall die, but I will hold
you answerable for his death.”
Chapter 33 . . . begins with the image of the prophet
as a sentinel, established by God to warn those in danger. . . The prophet
begins the message of hope by addressing the guilt of the people. Although
their guilt drains the life from them, God is able to restore life. God creates
the potential for a new future for the people by inviting them to turn away
from their wickedness and live. The prophet speaks for God, declaring that God
takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked. God's deep desire is for the
people to turn to God and live.
– Aaron J. Couch
Hope begins with admission of guilt. No one is
exempted from the need to realize ownership in situations of tension and
struggle. We all play a role in the affairs of our time. The prophet announces
God’s desire for all people to turn to what is life-giving.
Romans 13:8-14
God’s admonitions are for the sake of love, and the church
has an opportunity on this Sunday to ponder the every-day expression of that
life-giving impetus. Paul’s strictures return us to the Ten Commandments.
Paul appeals to Christians to live lives defined by
love. Such a life accomplishes everything the law requires. Contrary to the
sentimentalized and sexualized definitions of love operating in Western
culture, Paul is summoning believers to a way of acting that seeks the
neighbor's good. In our setting, though, where global media makes every
disaster immediately visible, the call to such a life of love can seem
overwhelming. It is important to note that while the neighbor could be anyone,
it is not everyone. Neighbors are those whose paths one crosses, whose need may
be addressed in some direct and compassionate way.
It is a matter of perspective that
makes such a way of life possible. The believer understands that God has acted
in Christ to create a new future for the human family. The dawn of this new day
is near. The end is coming for the long, sad history of humanity defined by
self-concern. The Christian knows that nothing is to be gained by giving one's
energy to that old way of living that is passing away, but instead lives fully
in the new identity he or she has received from Jesus Christ.
– Aaron J. Couch
Aaron J. Couch is co-pastor of First Immanuel Lutheran
Church, Portland, Oregon.
Homily Service 41,
no. 4 (7 Sept 200): 3-13.
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