Sunday 10 September 2017

Psalm: Psalm 119:33-40

Background

We sometimes forget that the Gospels were written not as theevents of Jesus' life were occurring, but some few years later ashis followers were becoming somewhat more formalised and beginningto be the start of the Church of which we are a part.

In this passage Matthew's Gospel (speaking to those who havecome to faith from a Jewish background) is setting in place aformula for the congregation, a formula which goes beyond what theywould have been used to growing up within the exclusiveness ofJewish society. They were perhaps somewhat entrenched in thisviewpoint, something which was clearly not seen in the life andministry of Jesus, and so the Gospel seems to be encouraging themto seek a new way forward for the Church.

The previous verses (Matthew 18:10-14) demonstrate an openness whichwould have been unfamiliar to them in their previous morerestrained life within the Jewish faith. They would have beenfamiliar with a tradition that excluded certain occupations andeven certain nationalities from being within God's grace, andMatthew seems keen to encourage a more open understanding withinthe community to whom the Gospel is written. However, seemingly,there comes a time when those in a leadership position would haveto challenge the person who was in conflict with their fellowswithin the community, and, whereas in the past it would have been acase of just telling that person they were no longer welcome there.Now we have a new formula in an effort to get past the difficultiesinvolved and enable all to move on in fellowship together.

The passage sets out a very straightforward pattern. First ofall the person who has been offended seeks to find a solutionone-to-one with the offender - one that hopefully will besufficient. If this does not work then others are brought into thesituation as witnesses so that the offender can perhaps see how theoffence has occurred and can make amends.And if this fails, Matthewsuggests they do as the Jewish faith would have done, and take thedrastic action of expelling the person from the community of whichthey have been a part, using the example of Jewish restrictionsabout Gentiles (non-Jews) and, ironically in the case of Matthew,tax collectors. Matthew 16:19 would seem to justify this treatmentof the person concerned, "whatever you bind [forbid] on earth shallbe bound [forbidden] in heaven, and whatever you loose [allow] onearth will be loosened [allowed] in heaven". Words that arerepeated in verse 18.

To Ponder

• Are there situations within the Christian Churches of which weare familiar where such harsh judgement could or should be made?What might they be?

• Is one of the reasons that Church attendances seem to bedecreasing the fact that they are beginning to be seen as anexclusive body where sinners are no longer welcome? Why? Or whynot?

• To what extent is the formula set out in Matthew's Gospel asvalid within the Church today as it was at the time of the EarlyChurch?