First Reading: Ezekiel 33:7-9
Reflection:
Here the Prophet Ezekiel is “appointed watchman for the house of Israel” by the Lord. He is called to speak the word of God to the people of God, including calling out their sins and beckoning them to repentance and forgiveness. In this Sunday’s Gospel, we will see that Jesus will appoint the Apostles to a similar role and provide all of us with guidelines regarding how to respond to the sin of a brother or sister in Christ. We should, therefore, pay close attention to the words in the first reading and ask, how do they apply to us today? The instructions to Ezekiel may seem harsh at first glance. The Lord instructs Ezekiel to correct the “wicked” who are living in sin. Ezekiel is to share the truth in love with them and invite them to repent and receive the forgiveness of God. If he does not do this, he is not only risking the soul of fellow Israelites who are living in sin, but he is also putting in jeopardy his own soul for turning a blind eye to the issue. On the other hand, if he does speak up and call his brother or sister to repentance, even if the individual rejects the message, he will have saved his own soul. The lesson we can learn from this is that we are called to speak the truth in love to our “neighbor” (as we’ll hear about in the second reading). At times, this requires us to confront them about a sinful lifestyle and invite them to repent and turn to God (as we’ll hear about in the gospel reading). Our part is to speak this truth in love, even if they will not change as a result. Merely getting up the courage to say something can be very difficult, but it is worth it for the sake of other’s souls and ours.
Second Reading: Romans 13:8-10
Reflection:
Here the Apostle Paul reiterates Jesus’ teaching on the second greatest commandment: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” The greatest commandment is “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind” (Matt. 22:37). These two commandments summarize the entire law. If you think about the Ten Commandments, some of which are listed in this passage, they are negative commandments (i.e. “You shall not…”). To love God and love your neighbor are the positive way of saying the same thing. That’s because, as Paul states here, “love does no evil.” If you love God and love your neighbor, you will not commit adultery, kill, steal, covet, etc. because love wills the best for another. And as we hear in the first reading and the Gospel, sometimes love involves speaking the hard truth to someone to help them avoid or turn away from sin. Love is more than a feeling. It is truly working for the good of another.
Gospel Reading: Matthew 18:15-20
Reflection:
Here Jesus gives us instructions on how to approach a brother or sister who sins against us. We are to confront that person in love and invite them to repent. Ideally, the person will recognize the error of his way and change. But sometimes he will resist and not want to admit his fault. In this case, Jesus exhorts us to bring one or two other Christians with us to confront him again. If the first time didn’t get his attention, hopefully this time will. But, if the brother or sister is still not willing to repent, then we are to bring the situation to the church. In other words, we are to bring it to the community of faith and especially the leadership to deal with the problem. Again, this is intended for the best of the offender, for the desire is to get his attention and help him recognize his sin and repent. But sometimes even then he will still be obstinate and unwilling to admit his wrong. In that case, the individual is to be removed from the community (i.e. excommunicated). This may seem harsh, but it is ultimately intended for the good of the individual. In fact, it is a form of discipline to help the person recognize his sin and repent.
To be treated as “a Gentile or a tax collector” means to be treated as an outsider of the community. The individual, in essence, has chosen to remove himself from the community through persisting in sin. Yet, if we are to keep in mind the commandment in the second reading (“You shall love your neighbor as yourself”), we recognize that people outside of the faith community are to be treated with love just as much as those inside. In fact, we are called to reach out to them and invite them in. Thus, someone who is persisting in sin and is thus removed from the community, has the continual invitation to come back and be welcomed in. In fact, the intention behind the confrontational and disciplinary instructions given by Jesus is to serve as a wake up call to help the sinner repent and find forgiveness. Let us, therefore, share the truth in love (even when it is difficult), out of a desire for what is best for others.
Application:
- Is there someone in your life who has hurt you? Forgiveness starts with us. Start by praying for the person and about the situation. Ask for God to give you wisdom regarding what to do. If necessary, make the effort to talk with the individual in a loving way and invite them to repent.
- When have you been called to speak the truth in love, even when it wasn’t popular?
