In Mt 18: 5, there is a transition. Jesus says, “Whoever welcomes one such child in my name, welcomes me.” This new emphasis is from humility to service. We are called to recognize and respond to those who are neglected and marginalized as members of the community. Later on, in Mt 25:31-46 Jesus will tell us he is present in the lowly members: the hungry, the thirsty, the naked, those in prison. We are warned not to lead these weaker members of the community into sin. Both the individual and the community suffer inordinate harm by such horrific action.
Finally, this concern for the neglected lowly ones is highlighted in the parable of the lost sheep. Here the extravagance of God’s love is underscored in the truly outrageous idea of leaving the ninety-nine for the one. There is no way to make sense of such a decision other than by beginning to grasp the deluge of God’s love for each and every human being.
One of the most important titles of the Pope is Servant of the servants of God. This title is an expression of Mt 18. Any community needs a distribution of roles and a sense of order. The message of Jesus in Mt 18:1-14 is that all leadership and responsibility must be fundamentally an expression of humble service.
Whether it is welcoming a new and different group to a parish or an influx of an immigrant population to a religious order or new people to ministries in a parish or a pastor’s decision to accept the guidance from the pastoral council and finance committee or the other almost innumerable items of potential conflict, wherever Christians gather, it the golden standard o the gospel is humility and service. With humility and service, problems do not go way, and often, are not solved. There is, however, a life-giving atmosphere of peace. The group does not lose focus. The squeals of life-draining egos do not distort the agenda. The healing power of the Spirit is set free to call us to humble service for “the little ones.”
In his glorious exhortation, The Joy of the Gospel, Pope Francis has a constant refrain that we must reach out to the people on the margin, the most neglected. He exhorts us to never neglect the service of “those who are least, those who society discards” (#195).
Francis says to follow Christ demands an openness to the gospel’s ever-expanding challenge to inclusion. There are many ways we tend to marginalize those who are different, along with overlooking the poor. The Pope points out that Christian groups must face the challenge to move beyond words to action. Failing to make the gospel concrete, they “will easily drift into a spiritual worldliness camouflaged by religious practices, unproductive meetings and empty talk” (#207). We are called to be instruments of God for the liberation of the poor, enabling them to be fully part of society. This leads him to conclude, “I want a church which is poor and for the poor” (#198). That is pretty close to what Jesus is teaching in Mt 18:1-14.
The Reconciling Community
I was pastor of a multicultural parish in South Central Los Angeles for twenty years. It was predominantly Hispanic with an aging African American group. The Mexicans were dominant among the Hispanics which included Salvadorans, Guatemalans and Belizeans who were both Hispanic and African American.
When people asked me how many do you have in your parish? I would say, “I am sure God knows but I don’t have a clue.” On Ash Wednesday, there were thousands more than an ordinary Sunday. On other cultural feasts there also were a great influx of attendees. Then I experienced another set of encounters on my frequent walks through the neighborhood. I came across seemingly countless numbers of people who called themselves Catholic but who I never saw in the gathered faith community.
The second section of Matthew’s teaching on the church in chapter 18 (Mt 18:15-20) raises some truly challenging issues about the church as community. It is much more complicated than just having an accurate parish list. The first section of Mt 18 (Mt 18:1-14) taught us the teaching of Jesus on the church as the loving community. It is always is expanding the borders to be more inclusive. It is constantly welcoming, especially to the marginalized and neglected.
Forgiveness and acceptance of the sinner is the coin of the realm for any authentic Christian community. On the other hand, there must be a righteousness that goes beyond that of the Scribes and Pharisees (Mt 5:20). The kingdom, which is the heart of Jesus’ teachings, entails ethical demands for those who are committed to live and proclaim it. Balancing these three items of inclusiveness, forgiveness and true righteousness is a never-ending challenge for any Christian community faithful to the teachings of Jesus.
This portion of Mt. 18 (Mt 18:15-20), calls us to a community life which demands meaningful and costly interaction. God values the sharing and personal commitment among one another. The give and take of living in community is clearly part of the divine plan for salvation. When the interaction takes place between flawed and sinful people, there will assuredly be conflict, even between brothers and sisters striving to live the values of the kingdom. God uses our brokenness to set us free from a narrow, ego-driven world. Jesus’ message is first directed to sinners. Saints hopefully come into the picture later in the journey.
The gospel-mandated community must have standards. These norms need to guide the lifestyle of the individuals. People are not free to set their own rules. Likewise, no community can avoid facing up to damaging personal hostilities between individuals. Habitual violation of community values has to be confronted. There must be a structure of reconciliation to address these situations.
When people asked me how many do you have in your parish? I would say, “I am sure God knows but I don’t have a clue.” On Ash Wednesday, there were thousands more than an ordinary Sunday. On other cultural feasts there also were a great influx of attendees. Then I experienced another set of encounters on my frequent walks through the neighborhood. I came across seemingly countless numbers of people who called themselves Catholic but who I never saw in the gathered faith community.
The second section of Matthew’s teaching on the church in chapter 18 (Mt 18:15-20) raises some truly challenging issues about the church as community. It is much more complicated than just having an accurate parish list. The first section of Mt 18 (Mt 18:1-14) taught us the teaching of Jesus on the church as the loving community. It is always is expanding the borders to be more inclusive. It is constantly welcoming, especially to the marginalized and neglected.
Forgiveness and acceptance of the sinner is the coin of the realm for any authentic Christian community. On the other hand, there must be a righteousness that goes beyond that of the Scribes and Pharisees (Mt 5:20). The kingdom, which is the heart of Jesus’ teachings, entails ethical demands for those who are committed to live and proclaim it. Balancing these three items of inclusiveness, forgiveness and true righteousness is a never-ending challenge for any Christian community faithful to the teachings of Jesus.
This portion of Mt. 18 (Mt 18:15-20), calls us to a community life which demands meaningful and costly interaction. God values the sharing and personal commitment among one another. The give and take of living in community is clearly part of the divine plan for salvation. When the interaction takes place between flawed and sinful people, there will assuredly be conflict, even between brothers and sisters striving to live the values of the kingdom. God uses our brokenness to set us free from a narrow, ego-driven world. Jesus’ message is first directed to sinners. Saints hopefully come into the picture later in the journey.
The gospel-mandated community must have standards. These norms need to guide the lifestyle of the individuals. People are not free to set their own rules. Likewise, no community can avoid facing up to damaging personal hostilities between individuals. Habitual violation of community values has to be confronted. There must be a structure of reconciliation to address these situations.
