Sunday, September 4, 2011

Lectionary 23A
Ezekiel 33:7-11
Psalm 119:33-40
Romans 13:8-14
Matthew 18:15-20

And this, knowing the season, that already it is time for you to awake out of sleep: for now is salvation nearer to us than when we first believed.

An Alaskan woman was recently convicted of using excessive punishment on her son. He had done something he shouldn’t and then lied about it, so she made him drink hot sauce and take a cold shower. It is a ridiculous punishment, but she claimed that normal discipline techniques did not work with him and that she didn’t know what else to do. This is a sensational story not only because the punishment was excessive, but for the reason her parenting methods were discovered. She recorded herself giving the punishment as an audition for a television show.

The talk show was going to focus on angry mothers and they needed video of this mother to play during the show. I would like to think that the show meant to bring in a counselor or someone to help this woman find a way to deal with both her anger and her child’s discipline, although I suspect that the show was more interested in the sensational nature of the issue. They like to shock, and I don’t think much healing or help ever really happens on that show.

I haven’t seen that parenting technique used on the show “Supernanny,” although some of the techniques are equally excessive. Supernanny Jo Frost helps families find the reasons for their troubles and teaches them methods that will make a difference. Sometimes the most important lesson she teaches these parents is that the children need them. The children need love, time and interaction with their mothers and fathers. In so many cases, the parents only interact with the children when they’ve done something wrong. The entire relationship is built on punishment, which doesn’t work.

If we were all in a room discussing parenting techniques, we’d hear dozens of different theories of what we should do to discipline our children. Though I doubt anyone would list hot sauce and cold showers as possibilities, I imagine that some would find the answers of others equally extreme. Does time out work? Should we spank? Should we make promises or threats? What punishment is appropriate? What is the difference between punishment and discipline? Is one technique right for every child or every situation? Where do we draw the line? One line might seem right to one family but extreme to another.

What do we do when we are dealing with an adult who has done something wrong? The Gospel text deals with the discipline within a community of faith. We might like to think that everyone who joins our fellowship will do what is right. We expect they will abide by the Ten Commandments, treat one another with justice and mercy, love and support each other. Yet, the Church is made up of real people who are not yet perfect. We make mistakes. We willfully make choices that harm our neighbors. We lie, cheat, steal, covet. We have idols and worship false gods. We do not respect authority or honor our elders. We fail every day, and though most of our failure is common among our communities of faith it is our responsibility to help our neighbors live as God has called us to live. We are to encourage, rebuke and correct one another.

There comes a time, however, when the offense is much greater than those daily failures we are all guilty of making. Sometimes, within our fellowship, there are those who purposely act sinfully, harming relationships and breaking trust. Some of the stories have made it to national news: pastors who take advantage of parishioners, church presidents guilty of murder, treasurers who steal offerings. These actions are not only sins against one another, but are criminal offenses in our society. They will be dealt with by the authorities.

But whether the transgressions are minor or major, the church also has to deal with the people involved. We are a body built on forgiveness, so when someone harms a fellow Christian or does something against the Church, do we respond with forgiveness or with discipline? Where is the line?

Jesus has taught us how to deal with sinfulness in today’s Gospel lesson. If our brother offends us in some way, or to be blunt, sins against us, we must first sit down with our brother and explain how he (or she) has hurt us. We do it privately at first to keep our brother from embarrassment. If he (or she) refuses to hear us, then we take another person who can testify with us about his behavior. Again, this is done privately to avoid embarrassing our brother. If our brother still will not hear what we have to say, then we take it to the church, which together can help our brother see his error and help him to be reconciled to us. If he still refuses to hear, then we sever the relationship, treating that brother as we would a pagan or tax collector.

This sounds very harsh, especially since we really don’t like tax collectors and we don’t understand pagans, but we need to consider how Jesus treated the pagans and the tax collectors. Did He reject them? Did He ignore them? Did He send them away? How did Jesus treat us when we were nothing more than sinners? How does He treat us when we continue to sin? Does He abandon us? No, He comes to us with His Word, reminding us of His mercy and grace. He fights for us. Earlier in Matthew 18, Jesus talked about the shepherd who left the ninety-nine to find the one lost sheep. He cared so much for the one that he risked the lives of the ninety-nine to save it. He does the same for us, and calls us to do the same.

We are founded on forgiveness. When that brother or sister has sinned against us, whether the infraction is minor or major, it is our responsibility to tell them what they have done wrong in a way that will help them become what God has created them to be. In the Old Testament lesson, Ezekiel is given the responsibility to tell Israel the Word of God. If He speaks about some sin, Ezekiel is called to warn the people. If they listen, they will be saved.

But Ezekiel is warned that if he refuses to speak God’s word into the lives of the people; he will be responsible for their death. God said, “When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt surely die, and thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way; that wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but his blood will I require at thy hand.” God sent Ezekiel to speak His word into the lives of the people. He gave Ezekiel the responsibility to tell them the truth, to tell them about God’s wrath and His promise. If Ezekiel failed to do so, their blood would be on his hand. If we fail to tell our brothers and sisters the truth about their failure, we will also share responsibility and the consequences.

“As I live, saith the Lord Jehovah, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?” God does not want any to perish. We may suffer the consequences of our failures, experience the cost of our mistakes, but our life in God’s kingdom is built on forgiveness. We may be the one called to give that word to a brother or sister. The call for repentance is the beginning of hope, a revelation of the mercy and grace of God. We might be afraid to speak those words, but God calls us to this ministry so that none will die. He calls us to share in the life-giving promise of forgiveness in His word.

Ezekiel was called to a hard task: to tell the people of Israel about their sin against God. The truly prophetic voice is not something that anyone would choose by their own will because God’s Word is not something the world wants to hear. We’d rather let things go, ignore the failures of our neighbors. We don’t want to talk about sin, correct error or rebuke willful disobedience. We’d rather take the idea of sin out of the Church. We focus on forgiveness, on love, and encouragement. But what use is forgiveness if there is nothing to be forgiven? And why would anyone seek forgiveness if they didn’t know they’d done something against God’s Word?

That’s why we are called to speak God’s Word, both Law and Gospel, into the lives of other Christians. There is a right way to do it, though. While we might want to make a public spectacle of some transgressions, Jesus tells us to first take it to the person privately. Then we take a witness. Then the Church must act as a witness. Even then, we should not do so in a manner that will shame our brother. We aren’t in the position to condemn, although we are given the responsibility to judge their actions. If, in the end, our brother (or sister) does not repent, then the final step is to remove them from fellowship.

Does that mean that there’s no room for forgiveness after they’ve been removed? Of course not. As a matter of fact, that is the moment when the Church is called to begin again, treating that person as they would a pagan or tax collector. Jesus did not ignore them, He showed them mercy. He did not reject them; He spoke God’s Word to them. The relationship was different. He was an evangelist, proclaiming the message of grace as if they had not yet heard. We, too, are called to be evangelists again; to take the Gospel of Christ to those who must be removed from our fellowship.

The hard question is: where do we draw the line? Which sin is so great that it requires separation? Which sin is so bad that we should not even welcome the sinner into worship? As with childhood discipline, we would get many different answers to the question. Some churches are harsher than others, perhaps too harsh. Some churches are too lenient. It is a hard task we face, discerning what to do about sin in our midst. But the words to Ezekiel remind us that we will be responsible if we do not speak forth the words of warning that God has given to us. If we allow sin to fester in our midst, we’ll not only put our brother in jeopardy, but also the community of faith.

When we see those reports about the pastors who have abused their position or the murderous council presidents, we wonder, “How did they not know?” Some people are really good at deceiving others. Yet, I wonder how many times the problem continued and became worse because everyone refused to believe the truth. Did they ignore God’s voice? Did they decide to keep out of it because it is none of their business? Did they hold their tongue when God was calling them to speak His words of warning and grace?

Unlike the secular world, Christian judgment does not mean condemnation. There is always room for grace. There is always room for forgiveness. The more extreme examples of evil doing certainly do need to be dealt with by the court system, but how do we deal with those same examples in the Church? We must speak the words of warning and but with a reminder that God does forgive those who return to Him. And then we help them deal with the consequences of their actions.

Sin leads to death. It is our responsibility to call for the repentance of those who cross our path, bringing attention to the sins that might cause harm to others or to themselves. It is a very fine line we walk when we talk about the sins of our neighbors. Who are we to judge a person’s heart? Yet, sometimes God does call us to intercede in the lives of our neighbors for their sake, to shine a light so that they might see their error and repent before their sinfulness leads to irreparable damage.

God does not want any to perish, that’s why He calls us to help one another live as He has created us to live. When we hear God say “I do not want to see any perish” we realize there is hope. God is holy and it is hard for us to look at Him, knowing we are unworthy of His love. Yet He calls us to do so. He calls us to turn around, to repent, to seek His mercy. As we hear the promise found in these words, we can seek His face. The psalmist sings about God’s law and asks God to help him live according to it. “Teach me, O Jehovah, the way of thy statutes…” We may not be able to live fully or perfectly according to God’s Word, but there is hope for us. God wants us to live and He will be there for those who turn to Him, who hear His word and seek His righteousness.

Paul’s words do not make this week’s lessons any easier. He writes, “Owe no man anything, save to love one another: for he that loveth his neighbor hath fulfilled the law.” I’ve failed here. Quite frankly, there are some Christians that just aren’t lovable. There are some actions that, in my understanding, are not appropriate. Perhaps my standards and expectations are different, just as parents differ in the way they deal with their kids. I can’t help but judge in my heart when someone has done something I believe is wrong. It is hard to love someone when that happens.

I know that I have not loved my neighbor as myself. I have certainly not done all that is possible to live in harmony with my neighbor or encourage peace. I’m sure there is someone who needs my forgiveness or with whom I should be reconciled. We think that it is no big deal: tomorrow is another day. We think we can wait until a better time. Maybe tomorrow I won’t be so angry. Maybe I’ll find the words to make them understand how they have hurt me. But, Paul reminds us that there is no time to wait. “And this, knowing the season, that already it is time for you to awake out of sleep: for now is salvation nearer to us than when we first believed.”

Now, we might interpret this passage from the eschatological point of view. We are certainly closer to the day Christ comes than we were yesterday, because time always moves closer. We don’t know the day or the hour. I expect that the day will not come for some time, but we should always be ready for that moment, so that we can meet our Lord with a clean heart. Even if we do not think of this passage in terms of the second coming, we do not know the day or the hour we will no longer be able to love our neighbor. We can die at any moment. We can take our selfishness and self-centeredness a step too far and destroy a relationship or find ourselves separated from those we love. Our failures can mean immediate and devastating destruction to ourselves and others.

Paul tells us to live honorably today, at this very moment. This is not by our own power, but by that which comes from our Lord Jesus Christ. “But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.” We don’t always react to adversity with faith and hope and love. We get angry when people, and circumstances, get in our way. We react negatively when we lose control. It is then that we slip from being the people God has called us to be. Paul reminds us to live in faith, hope and especially love. No matter what the circumstances of tomorrow might be, by loving our neighbor today we will face tomorrow’s joys or disasters with God’s grace, leaving nothing undone or unsaid so that all might see the light of Christ.

Paul’s writes, “Love does no wrong to a neighbor.” I don't think a day goes by without my failing at this one. Even if the infractions are insignificant, I have wronged my neighbor. I’ve gossiped. I’ve lied. I’ve cheated. I have done a million things that I should not have done. The more I hear God's Law, the more I realize that I deserve nothing but death for my iniquity.

That’s why God does not give us a word of instruction and judgment without a word of hope. He does not want any to die. God’s Law condemns, but Christ saves. We hear the words and we cry out like the Israelites, “Our transgressions and our sins are upon us, and we pine away in them; how then can we live?” In our sin we see no hope because we are unable to live according to the law of love. We fail miserably on a daily basis. It is not surprising that many people give up on religion because it becomes impossible. Where is love in the bickering? Where is love in the committee and council rooms of the churches? However, without the company of believers to hold us up, we easily drown in our self doubts and sorrows. That’s why it is so important to treat those brothers and sisters in Christ with grace and mercy, even if they must be removed from our fellowship. He wishes none to perish and has called us to be sentinels to proclaim His Word to the world.

The psalmist asks God to teach him how to walk in God’s way, and we can do the same. In our own situations, when there is brokenness in our relationships, God gives us a way to speak the truth while leaving room for forgiveness and reconciliation. Our tendency is to blow up over the little things, to take everything to an extreme. God reminds us to deal with our neighbors with love, speaking His word of both Law and Gospel so that they might live. There might be a line we have to draw, a place where we have to break fellowship for the sake of others. But we must never forget that God is not limited to our side of that line, He longs for all to experience His salvation. Let’s not wait until it is too late to speak His grace into the lives of those who have turned from God or we might just find ourselves responsible for those who have been lost. Now is the time. Are you ready to pay that debt of love?