The Christian in Dialogue (Mt 18:15-20)
Faced with an enemy or an unjust aggressor, an animal has basically three possible responses (3 F’s): Flight, Fight and Freeze. Faced with an unpleasant situation we humans too have the these options. What do you do when we come across situations we don’t like in the street, or even in our parish community? But we humans have a fourth option: dialogue. We can use our gift of reason to appeal to others’ reason. We can appeal to the goodness of the heart of others. This presupposes a basic trust in the goodness of human nature itself, namely, that others are capable of reasoning and feeling just as I do.
In the gospel passage, Jesus tells us how we could be dealing with unchristian attitude and behaviour in our communities. It is interesting to note that, in the text of today (Mt 18:15), Jesus is not talking about a personal offence committed against you. This will follow as the next episode (in Mt 18:21-35): in the case of personal offence Jesus is simply recommending forgiveness (see also Lk 17:3). In the section that we read today, Jesus says, “If your brother does something wrong…” in general (Mt 18:15). This teaching follows immediately after the analogy of the shepherd who goes in search of the lost sheep (Mt 18:12-14). So Jesus is actually inviting us to be shepherds going in search of our lost brothers and sisters. How do we do this? Jesus suggests a three-step strategy:
Step 1: Deal with the individual one-on-one. Jesus suggests a private chat as the first step: “go and have it out with him alone, between your two selves” (Mt 18:15). This step presupposes a considered response to what we perceive to be wrong. It is not a reaction of flaring up in anger, but a cool dialogue. The run-up to this step could be painstaking, and often demands deep courage. I find this step very challenging in my own life. It is much easier to make generalised statements about wrongs that I see in the community, or to rise up as a cobra when my own little haven is disturbed. On the contrary, Jesus is inviting me to be fully human – to use my gift of rationality and my ability to empathise with the other. “If he listens to you, you have won back your brother” (v.16). My experience is that most often this step really works. If this step does not work, then I can go on to the next step.
Step 2: Involve close associates. “If he does not listen, take one or two others along with you…” (Mt 18:16). Jesus here is quoting the Torah (Dt 19:15-16). But this step is necessary to clarify your own perception of the wrong: was it just an illusion; was it my own prejudice; or was I acting on a personal vendetta? The two others will help you clarify your own position, and if your position is sound and Christian, then they stand behind you to allure the wrong doer to return to the fold. It is easier to find the lost sheep when three shepherds search together than if one shepherd did it alone. In case this does not work, then we need a better strategy.
Step 3: Bring the issue before the community. This is the last resort. Here the procedure becomes public and judicial. Interestingly, Matthew talks about bringing the person before the community (or the church – ecclesia) rather than the leaders. At this point, if the individual chooses not to follow the direction of the community, then s/he can be considered not being part of the community anymore. Jesus’ words to Peter in Mt 16:18, is here addressed to the whole community. The community is given the authority: “Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven; whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven” (Mt 18:18).
The steps that Jesus is laying out here in dealing with a wrongdoer are not merely part of a legal procedure. I see this as an invitation to me to prepare myself internally to deal in a humane manner with the person whom I perceive to be on the wrong. It is a personal inner process of growth towards wisdom, love and freedom.
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