Year B, Pentecost 15 Matt 18:15-20 & Romans 13:8-14
I became an
Episcopalian in the early 2000s, which was a complicated time in the Episcopal
Church. I remember telling someone that I was about to convert to the Episcopal
Church from the Roman Catholic Church and they asked, “Why in the world would
you choose to jump on sinking ship?” I was young and had the fervor of a new
convert. I thought, “what better time to
join a church then when everyone else thinks it’s sinking.”
Entire churches and dioceses were
considering leaving the church at the time and many eventually did. It was at least partially related to the 2003
consecration of Gene Robinson as a bishop.
He was the first openly gay man to be consecrated as a bishop. The Episcopal Church had ordained people in
the LGBTQ community starting as early as the late 1970s, but it was unusual,
rarely public, and never a bishop.
The reason that it’s a bigger deal when
it’s a bishop is because a bishop represents the denomination as a whole rather
than one church. That meant that bishops in countries from all over the world
could all weigh in on this consecration.
They did. But the place that it
became most contentious was in this country.
At the time there were still entire dioceses that refused to ordain women
and leaned more conservative. They were
very displeased with this development and it led to a split in the Episcopal
Church. Most went the way of a new
church called: Anglican Church of North America. Twenty years later, this denomination is
going strong and while we Episcopalians are in communion with Lutherans,
Methodists and Moravians, we are considered broken from the ACNA group.
Recently, there was a big article in an Anglican/Episcopal publication that featured a picture of female Episcopal bishop from South Carolina with an ACNA bishop from South Carolina. Apparently they were both on the board of a school and were asked to participate in a service that dedicated a new school chapel. There was a photo of them hugging behind the altar and the response was apoplectic. Most of the Episcopalians were measured in their response, delighted that they had found common ground. But the ACNA response was heated. One priest said,
“When you treat wolves as if they are legitimate shepherds, the sheep looking on get confused and then devoured by the wolf you’re busy ‘loving.’” The ACNA bishop has apologized and agreed to accept whatever consequence the leadership of ACNA deems appropriate.
I
was reading articles about this newest church conflict as I studied the Gospel
reading for today. There are some
Christians who read this text as a manual for how to handle church conflict…a
short manual, but a manual nonetheless. To really get a good understanding of this
reading from Matthew, you need to read the whole chapter, because as is so often
case, context is critical. When we read
just these 5 verses, we focus on the accusatory part. It doesn’t sound much like Jesus. Aren’t we supposed to forgive 7 times 70
times? Jesus told the disciples to
forgive 70 times 7--- just 2 verses after our reading for today! Yet here it
seems like he’s telling the community that they can cast out members who refuse
to cooperate.
And the language
that Jesus uses…he says you should treat them as you do a Gentile or tax
collector. That’s not good. The people he was talking to didn’t like
Gentiles or tax collectors. They wouldn’t eat with them, and they definitely
wouldn’t worship with them. Yet we see
Jesus eat with those outcasts. We see
him defend them and even name one (Matthew) a disciple. Why would Jesus tell people there is a limit
to forgiveness and that Gentiles and tax collectors should be maligned?
Again, it all comes back to
context. The chapter begins with Jesus
telling people that they must welcome little children. Now, in our day and age, this would seem like
a no brainer. Of course Jesus would love
the little children. We have a song
about it. Back then, children weren’t
valued as they are today. Most people
treated them as they would treat an outcast but Jesus always welcomed those on
the edge of society. Then right before
our reading for today, Jesus tells the story of the shepherd who has 100 sheep
and loses one. What does the shepherd do? He goes after the straggler…the one who
wandered away. Jesus has and will always care for those who are typically left
behind. He also cares for the sinners,
which is all of us. Jesus would not have
wanted someone cast out of the church with no opportunity to return. Jesus would want people to stay in
relationship…not just with their God, but with one another.
The last line of today’s Gospel
reading is very well known. We used it a
lot during COVID, when churches recorded the services when just a few people
could be in the sanctuary. “For where
two or three are gathered in my name, I am among them.” We quote that line when we need a reminder
that God is in the midst of us…always.
But it’s interesting—that this line would come right after talking about
people in a church not listening to one another. Jesus wants to remind us, sure he’s here for
a lovely service like this one. But God
is also present when we are arguing with one another, when we are in conflict,
when we are disappointed in the church or the people in the church. Those are the times when we need God the
most, but are also the times when we tend to ignore God the most.
The split within the Episcopal Church
has always pained me. It’s not the first
split. The Episcopal Church was formed
because we had to separate from the Church of England. And there have been more
splits between 1789 and 2003…but this is the only split in any of our
lifetimes. I find it astonishing that
ACNA would come down so hard on their bishop because he worshipped alongside an
Episcopal bishop. But they really
believe that we in the Episcopal Church are a threat to their Christian
values. I imagine they believe they are
honoring this passage from Matthew.
It makes me wonder
where Jesus would be in this. The point
that many in ACNA have made is that we (The Episcopal Church) have not repented
and it would thus be inauthentic to act like we have any hope of reconciling
with one another. (Obviously, I don’t
think we need to repent…but that’s not the point). But then I think of the tax
collectors and those other notorious sinners that Jesus dined with. There are places in the Gospels where Jesus
encourages people to “sin no more” but it’s never a requirement for a
relationship with him. Right before
Judas betrayed Jesus, they shared a meal together. Jesus washed Judas’ feet and
gave him the bread and wine he referred to as the body and blood. It wasn’t because Judas had asked for
forgiveness. It wasn’t because he deserved forgiveness. Jesus chose to remain in that relationship as
long as he possibly could, even knowing what Judas was about to do.
What progress can we possibly make in
the Christian Church if we demand that we all have to agree with one another
before we can worship with one another?
It’s the same in our individual churches. There will be many times when we are not in
agreement, when we are even disappointed with one another. The strength of our community is dependent on
our ability to remain in relationship with one another, continue to share God’s
love even when we can’t always agree on what that looks like.
When Paul writes
about putting on the armor of light, it’s not about defending ourselves from an
enemy…it’s about embodying the light of Jesus Christ so that others can feel
the warmth of that light. Usually when
we think of armor, we think of how it protects people in battle. However, when Paul uses the analogy, I think
it was less about protection and more about embodiment. Paul wanted us not just to share the light of
Christ, he wanted us to wear the light of Christ…to put on Christ. If we are to actually focus on how we are
embodying that light, then we don’t really need to spend as much time on who is
right and who is wrong, who is in and who is out. Because in the end, none of us are right all
the time. Let’s leave that honor to
Jesus.
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