Disicplining and Forgiving

Disicplining and Forgiving

September 6, 2017, HMC Chapel Service  

Matthew 18:15-20

(Philippine Setting) A news headline today started since last week is the impeachment of the one who’s in the highest position in making a law, that is Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno. The impeachment complaint was filed last month by Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption and then forwarded to Speaker Panteleon Alvares, who will later refer it to the justice committee. 

What is the complaint? The betrayal of public trust due graft and corruption. It has been said that Sereno was accused of spending a lot of money for buying a luxury car and spending foreign travel allowances without the approval of the entire court committee. 

If the law of the country recognises such kind of regulating actions, the church also does. The whole context of the passage we in Matthew 18:15-20 talks about disciplining an offender and giving mercy when he or she passed through the disciplining process. 

Why does the church have to do this? If the church people are righteous persons, why can’t church people just forgive a person from all his wrongdoings and just let him begin a new life?

We have to consider that forgiveness does not abolish discipline. Especially to those who are unrepentant offenders in the Christian community. However, there are differences how the church confronts the offenders. Christians don’t put it on headline news rather avoids destructive gossips. The church allows excommunication but not impeachment and later on offer reconciliation. In short, forgiveness offers discipline and also emphasises hope of bringing back the guilty person to the church and letting that person forget his mistakes in order to begin a new life. 

First, in verses 15 to 17, Jesus instructed his listeners probably the apostles and disciples including the Pharisees and the lawmakers in the church. In verse 16, the process of disciplining goes that if the person commits mistakes, instead of gossiping about that person, the offended should talk to the offender just between the two of them. This procedure was a standard Jewish custom. In confronting the accused, they should ask first wisdom from the Lord, which is taken from the book of law or the Torah, or the Dead Sea Scrolls. The rabbis and other persons who is in charged of this should do it in a private room. Why? Because publicly shaming someone, or gossiping someone is considered a great sin. Thus, Jewish teachers stressed the importance of private talk to the offender. 

What does it mean to us today? Sometimes or most of the time, when we are caught by our emotions of anger and hatred because someone wronged us or did an offence, we blog them on Facebook or Twitter. Or even gossip about them to someone in order to seek favour from them. However, doing this causes us to produce more sin. We should rather talk to God first, ask for wisdom and courage to confront the person in a right way. 

Second, in verse 16, if the offender does not listen, it requires two persons to witness. The rabbis took this principle so far,  because one eyewitness was not sufficient even if the eyewitness caught the murderer with the bloody knife in hand. So this is now where the judicial procedures should be followed. Again, Jesus here agrees with the procedures of the Jewish practice of rebuking the person private.  

In our church setting, it could be the pastor and the lay leader who can become eye witnesses, or in the Methodist setting it could be the Staff Pastor Parish Relations Committee (SPPRC) where church policies will take place in a private manner. 

Third, in verse 17, if the offender does not listen again, the following discipline will occur and this includes public beating, but the most severe were levels of dismissal from the community. After the most severe discipline, the offending member would be treated as a pagan member or a tax collector. Pagans and tax gatherers alike - tax gatherers were seen as agents of pagan government - are excluded from the religious life of the Jewish community.

Of course we do not do this in our church setting. What usually happens is that the offender will be excommunicated from the list of membership, and will be given definite time to not appear in the church for quite sometime until the disciplinary act has already been completed.  

What is the meaning of this then in our church community? When someone wronged us or committed a sin, we do it in due process. Why? Because we believe that in this way we can seek and promote harmony. However, it is sad to note that Christians and even church officials rather turn to anger and resentment, seek revenge,  and engage in gossip. 

With this, our Church is no longer different from that of the secular world.  This happened in the time of Paul when the church in Corinth were splitting because of factions and that even brought them division. What did Paul say to the Corinthians, “Shame on you! Sure there is at least one wise person in your fellowship who can settle a dispute between fellow Christians.” 1 Corinthians 6:5. Paul was shocked that no one in the church was mature enough to resolve the conflict peaceably. 

In this sense, we church people especially church leaders should know how to promote harmony in our local church and in any organisation we are handling on. We cannot afford to just sit down, ignore the situation as if nothing happens rather we should take the initiative to correct sin. Talk to God about it. Ask God’s help. 

We have to be aware, too, that our aim in disciplining the person is not only to correct the person but to help him bring back his broken relationship with God. We cannot afford to let that person be totally away from the church and be totally away from God. Rather we should strive to bring back that person to the church. After all the God of our church is forgiving, restoring and redeeming as how Jesus talked to pagans and tax collectors and offered them forgiveness and healing. 

Now this is the challenge in our church. Who is God in our Church? 

1. Does the God in our church correct and rebuke the wrong doers? Then we, church, are called to correct the evil doers. 
2. Does the God in our church forgive and redeem the sinners? Then we, church, are called to forgive, redeem and welcome them back in our community called a loving and redeeming community.  

In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, Amen.