Jesus said to his disciples:
“If your brother sins against you,
go and tell him his fault between you and him alone.
If he listens to you, you have won over your brother.
If he does not listen,
take one or two others along with you,
so that ‘every fact may be established
on the testimony of two or three witnesses.’
If he refuses to listen to them, tell the church.
If he refuses to listen even to the church,
then treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax collector.
Amen, I say to you,
whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven,
and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Again, amen, I say to you,
if two of you agree on earth
about anything for which they are to pray,
it shall be granted to them by my heavenly Father.
For where two or three are gathered together in my name,
there am I in the midst of them.”
Gather in Jesus’ Name
Jesus says to the disciples He is speaking to: “Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” From this I conclude that Jesus is speaking to the Apostles about their priestly service in the Church.
From that perspective, when Jesus says, “If your brother sins against you,” I hear Jesus speaking of fellow Apostles and other men who are ordained to the priesthood. So, if one of the Apostles thinks that a “brother” has sinned against him, Jesus describes a three-step process to address the problem.
Step-1 is to have a private one-to-one meeting in hopes of bringing about repentance.
If that is not successful, Step-2 is to bring two witnesses into the discussion so that: “every fact may be established on the testimony of two or three witnesses.”
If the brother still does not repent, Step-3 is to take the matter before the Church. If that is not successful: “then treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax collector.” Exclude him from the Church hierarchy!
What grabbed me most in today’s Gospel were Jesus’ words: “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” Here Jesus is talking no just to the priestly apostles, but to all of his disciples. Jesus is talking to us! Step-1 is for us to GATHER. But, just gathering is not enough – we are to gather in Jesus’ name. Step 2 is to ENCOUNTER Jesus.
When I reflect on this, the Mass is the first and greatest example of Gathering and Encountering that comes to mind!! What is the Summit of the Mass, and of the Catholic faith? The Eucharist! Jesus gave us the Eucharist to TRANSFORM our lives. And at the end of the Mass, we are sent out to SHARE God’s Word – to share Jesus with those we encounter!
Come Holy Spirit! Whenever we GATHER in Jesus’ name, whether it is at Mass, in a small group, or one-to-one, help us to ENCOUNTER Jesus and BE TRANSFORMED. Shower us with your gifts of understanding and wisdom so we will then go forth and SHARE Jesus with others! Amen.
Looking For More Catholic Gospel Reflections?
The Liturgical Sense of The Readings at Mass – Year A by David L. Gray
Food for the Soul: Reflections on the Mass Readings (Cycle A) (Food for the Soul Series)
Breaking the Bread: A Biblical Devotional for Catholics Year A
The Word of the Lord: Reflections on the Mass Readings for Solemnities and Feasts
Through the Year with Jesus: Gospel Readings and Reflections for Children
Image: Photo by David Trinks on Unsplash
