Bonus Sermon: “Watch out!”

Sermon

Sunday, September 10, 2023

Fourteenth Sunday after Trinity (Proper 18) (Year A)

Holy Communion

Ezekiel 33:1–11

Psalm 119: 33-48

Romans 12:9-21

Matthew 18:15-20

Aren’t you glad that you live in Lloydminster? I mean, no hurricanes, no torrential flooding, no earthquakes, no forest fires, no mud slides, and very few tornadoes.

Having said that, have you ever had a ‘disaster’ fall upon you without warning? Just imagine what it was like in Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii, when you have absolutely no warning of the impending fire storm.

Or think what it would have been like with the recent hurricane Idalia in the Big Bend area of Florida if they’d been no warning!

Well, in today’s passage from Ezekiel we hear of a watchman set on the castle walls, the city’s towers, busily scanning the horizon for any sign of danger. He’s there precisely to warn his fellow citizens about any impending danger.

This was rather vital back then, just like the warning of possible

wildfires, tornadoes, hurricanes or thunderstorms, or infectious

diseases, are today;

The warning, as often seems to happen with our storms, may amount

to nothing. Even so, it is best to be forewarned so you can take

precautions. And, if they fail to take notice and heed the warning,

well, their blood is upon their own heads. The responsibility is their

own, and not the watchman.

Normally, in ancient times, the function of the watchman was to warn

the citizens about an approaching enemy, what the prophet refers to

as the ‘sword’, which could well be quite catastrophic.

However, here, in today’s passage, it is about something else, namely sin or unrighteousness, and according to the prophet, this is far, far worse. It has to do with their salvation.

Here, according to Ezekiel, the citizens have appointed one of their

number to be that watchman, and so he (or she) is ultimately

responsible for the welfare of the whole lot of them. And, so by

extension, that is exactly what, in the church, pastors are called

to be and do.

So, what are pastors called to be the sentinels or watchmen about? Let me suggest that it has to do with the unity, the harmony, the health and proper functioning of the local church. And, in a very real way, these things are even more crucial and important even that the natural disasters that we customarily think of as being so very dangerous, for unrest, disputes, disharmony, and interpersonal dis-ease can cause untold—and dare I say it, lasting damage within the local congregation. Of this, I am sure that we all have some familiarity.

Here, then, what is said in our other two readings takes on a particularly important role. Jesus, in Matthew’s account, addresses the question of problems or issues within the church—particularly between church members. The passage begins, “If your brother or sister—a brother or sister within the church--sins against you…”, and then goes on to give some instructions about how the matter is to be resolved.

First, you are to go directly to the person who has ‘sinned against you’ and try to resolve it in person. Secondly, you are to take one or two witnesses with you to meet up with the person, so they might witness what was said or done. And finally, if neither of those two remedies have worked, you are to take it to the entire church, and if still no solution, then to ‘write the person off’, that is, to treat the person as a pagan or a tax collector. They are simply to exclude that person from their congregation. That, I must say, is exactly how many churches, especially those of a more fundamentalist streak, have taken it. They see this as grounds for shunning or excommunication. However, in light of the context of this

entire chapter, one has to wonder whether this ‘reading’ of the passage is indeed the correct interpretation.

But before we look at the immediate context of the passage, let us look at the nature of the problem itself. One church member is described as ‘sinning’ against another. So, what is the nature of this ‘sin’? The Scriptures have many words used to describe ‘sin’, but the one used here, hamartia, is the general one, and seeing as it means simply ‘to miss the mark’, it really doesn’t tell us very much. However, given that it could result in excommunication in some churches, and the loss of salvation in the perpetrator, it gives the impression of being very severe indeed, something akin to serious error or misconduct of some grievous sort.

However, noted Biblical sociologist John Pilch alleges that it is something that, to us at least, seems pretty minor, namely the shaming of one church member by another. So, basically, this is something said or done that had the potential to put that first church member down or cast that person in a bad light. Pilch says this because in an Eastern Mediterranean society shame and honour were all important. That is because how your neighbours and society in general saw you, that is, your reputation and standing in society, were more important than even your actions. And so, being shamed in any public setting was serious business indeed and could result in violence between the two parties—and even death. So, it was important to nip it in the bud, especially within the church.

But then, we would say, surely it never comes to that in today’s world, especially in our own situations. Sure, I don’t think it would ever come to that here in the western world, but there are societies where that sort of thing is taken far more seriously. But, even here, it is important. I have seen churches split, people hurt and people leaving the church simply over such matters. And, so this is crucial, and so too is dealing with it, and healing it, if possible.

So, following Pilch’s logic, what one does if so offended, is to go directly and private to that other person, face to face, along with your grounds for feeling hard done by—fully prepared to explain what you think the problem is. The reality is that the other person probably didn’t even mean to offend you or wasn’t even aware that he or she had done so, and so, in hearing your side of the story, has a chance to explain and say sorry.

The idea of the two witnesses isn’t an attempt to ‘gang up’ on the person. Rather, it has the strategy of providing a wider perspective, both as a bridge between the two people and as a method of reconciliation. (It may be that you, the offended one, were even in the wrong!) It is to provide an atmosphere, a peaceable and calm one, where thoughts, feelings and experiences can be shared without anger and recrimination.

Then, if the alleged perpetrator refuses to budge, refuses to listen, refuses to be reconciled, then it’s a matter for the whole church, as it now impedes the work of the church, and sullies and stains its fellowship. Offence, resentments, bitterness and division are serious business in the church and so all is done in an effort to clear them up.

Now, seeing we have included just a small portion of chapter 18 in today’s reading, it is important to look at the entire chapter to set today’s passage in its full and proper context. (This will be a further help to understanding the true and full meaning of what Jesus was getting at. This entire chapter is about relationships within the Body of Christ, the Church, and so it is rather desirable to look at it in its entirety):

Verses 1-4 talk about the stance we should take as Christians. We

should not be thinking about ourselves at all, but simply acting as

servants of one another. Grievances and feeling ‘hurt’ should

be relatively unimportant to us if we are really trying to serve and

help that other person;

Verses 5-7 talk about our responsibility to look out for one another

and not knowingly allowing for anything that causes that other person

to stumble. This means watching, and being aware of our words and

actions, and how they impact others;

Verses 8-10 explain that we should look to ourselves, to our own

lives, and cut out anything and everything that might be a stumbling

block, to oneself, yes, and also to others. Sometimes a prevailing

sense of entitlement or a well-developed sense of offence or

grievance can be such a thing;

Verses 11-14 remind us that everyone, no matter who they are or

what state they find themselves, is important and loved by God. No

one, no one at all, is outside of God’s loving care, if that person

annoys or bugs us no end;

Verses 15-17 are the ones we have just dealt with, so we will skip

over them for the present and come back to them later;

Verses 18-20 talk about how very important the Church is and how

essential it is to provide for and maintain its unity and integrity;

And finally, verses 21-35 explain how God sees this matter of sin and

offence. Peter thinks there should be a limit to how often he forgives

but then Jesus tells him, and us, that forgiveness should be limitless,

unending, unbounded, because, after all, that is how God in Jesus

Christ has forgiven us.

So, this whole chapter, taken as context for today’s passage, puts an entirely different light upon the instance of someone ‘sinning against us.’ It reaffirms that yes, indeed, we should deal with personal slights and offences, but that we should do so in a forgiving, humble and non-self-seeking way. And done, with the end result, not of alienation or shunning or excommunication, but of creating bridges, loving that person as you would anyone who had strayed. Loving him or her in the same way as Christ loved the heathens, tax collectors and sinners—loved them, if at all possible, right into the kingdom.

And isn’t this exactly what Paul says in today’s passage from Romans? “Let your love be genuine and sincere…live in harmony with one another…as far as it is possible, so far as it depends upon you, live peaceably with all…Never repay evil for evil or try to avenge yourself, but simply leave all that to God. Instead of vengeance, simply do good by the person.”

And so, we are being reminded that, just as each one of us is loved and valued by God, so too is the entire church, such that He wants it to be whole and healthy and not sullied or impeded by quarrels or slights or hurts of any sort. To God, to Christ, the welfare of the church is crucial, so much so, that warnings about its possible fracture and disharmony are just as crucial as warning about some natural calamity.

Thankfully then, in this light, God gives us some advice, some strategies, about how we can deal with those things. And, of course, when it finally

comes down to that, it is up to all of us, all of us, together with God’s help to heed the warning and deal with the problem. Thanks be to God. Amen.