Homily – Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)

Communal life is a beautiful gift in which members benefit from a sense of support, shared friendship, and life-enriching experiences that stem from the talents and gifts of other members.  However, communal life can sometimes be difficult and challenging when things do not go as planned.  Conflict or misunderstandings may arise, members may become uncomfortable with one another, and relationships can be damaged or even broken.  When a member wrongs another, Matthean Jesus suggests a few steps to take, with the ultimate goal of mending broken relationships and restoring harmony and unity within the community.

The first step is to have the courage to meet with the person on a personal level.  It is definitely not about gossiping about the person or discussing the matter with others, but rather about having it out with the person face to face.  Putting the matter into words helps us avoid unnecessary overthinking and being overtaken by a sense of personal hurt.  Brooding over it without expressing it can create terrible negative feelings.  Being honest and upfront with the person who might have wronged us can help save the relationship.  The Gospel tells us, “If he listens to you, you have won back your brother” (Mt 18:15).

Should the first step not work, the second step is to invite one or two witnesses to be involved in the conversation.  The purpose is not to use these witnesses to prove the other person wrong or to force them to admit their wrongdoing, but rather to help the process of reconciliation.  Talking the matter over with wise and trustworthy people could help to create a space or an atmosphere in which one can see the matter from a more objective perspective.  It is like seeing ourselves as “others see us.”

If the second step fails, the third step is to “report it to the community”.  This step is not about humiliating the person publicly by presenting the matter to the community, but rather using communal fellowship and prayer to enable the process of healing.  When a personal conflict has to be settled legalistically, more often than not, the relationship suffers further damage rather than undergo healing.

In the last part of this week’s Gospel passage, we hear Matthean Jesus emphasising the importance of communal prayer: “I tell you solemnly once again, if two of you on earth agree to ask anything at all, it will be granted to you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three meet in my name, I shall be there with them” (Mt 18:19-20).  At times, we rely solely on our own abilities to settle issues, and we forget that God is with us and wants to help us through them.  Being open and letting Him in can be a wise spiritual move in times of conflict.  It is, in itself, a beautiful act of humility.

Is there any limit to the message of forgiveness presented to us by Jesus throughout the Gospels?  If not, then what does it mean to treat a wrongdoer as a pagan or a tax collector, as the final step suggests, should the third step not succeed?  Perhaps we are aware that some broken relationships might take a lifetime to be healed, or they might not be restored at all in this life.  However, this does not mean that we should entirely give up trying.

To treat a wrongdoer as a pagan or a tax collector is to begin anew the work of evangelisation: to propose once again the Good News of love and allow their heart to be touched at the appropriate time.  We have seen and heard the beautiful story of Zacchaeus, whose heart was touched by Jesus and whose life was transformed in the most powerful way.  The final step is not about abandoning the person, but rather about continuing to work towards reconciliation, to re-evangelise, and to win hearts back to the community of faith.

It is important to note that unity and harmony within Christian communities are always at the heart of Jesus’ teachings.  He has a deep desire for Christian unity because, through the visible sign of a loving and caring community, we become a sign of God’s love: “That they may all be one.  As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me” (John 17:21).

By Fr Sang Ho