Stories

By Fr. Anh Nhue

This Sunday’s Gospel offers an instruction on fraternal correction among members of the community of believers in Christ. These are the concrete directions within the so-called “Church Discourse” (or on the Church) of chapter 18, in which the evangelist St. Matthew groups the teachings of Jesus concerning the relationship between brothers and sisters in the community. The words heard today seem very clear and indicate concrete steps to be taken, almost as if it were a manual of the law to be applied in the specific case “if your brother sins against you.” They are therefore not to be ignored (it would be too complicated to talk to someone with whom we already have a difficult relationship!) nor put into practice incorrectly (in using them for a personal settling of scores). The whole thing must be interpreted in the right way, keeping in mind the literary-spiritual context of these same directions, beginning with Jesus’ very important statement at the end of the passage about his presence in the midst of the disciples gathered in his name.

1. “Where Two or Three Are Gathered Together in My Name, There Am I in the Midst of Them.” The Principle of Christ’s Constant Presence Among His Disciples

This is the theological truth that Jesus emphasized at the end of the instruction on fraternal correction. Thus, it illuminates the whole process that He recommended to His disciples. In itself, this final statement of Jesus refers back to the angel’s words to St. Joseph at the beginning of Matthew’s Gospel concerning the identity of the unborn Messiah who will be Emmanuel – “God with us”. On the other hand, it also refers directly to the last statement of the risen Jesus to His disciples before ascending to Heaven and after sending them on a mission throughout the world: “And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age” (Mt 28:20b). Christ’s constant mystical presence among his disciples in their lives and mission, is thus highlighted, even where there are only two or three people, gathered in His name. 

For further consideration, it is worth mentioning here the almost parallel saying in the rabbinic tradition, “When two sit together and words of Torah pass between them, the Shekinah [Divine Presence] rests between them” (m.Avot 3:2). Here, Shekinah indicates the immanent presence of God in the world and has a strong connection with the biblical-Jewish view on the divine dwelling among the people, which was developed in later traditions. The parallel form of the two sayings, that of Jesus and that of the rabbis, makes it possible to trace two significant correspondences in terms of content: Jesus with the Torah (Law) and Jesus’ presence with the divine presence. The Jesus’ saying turns out to be all about Jesus: it is Christ-centric, unlike the rabbinic saying which is Torah-centric and theo-centric. 

In this regard, Jesus’ analyzed statement comes after the instruction in Mt 18:19-20 (“if two of you agree on earth about anything for which they are to pray, it shall be granted to them by my heavenly Father”). The latter thus illuminates and clarifies, specifically, the promised presence of Jesus. Indeed, first and foremost it affirms the efficacy of communal prayer, that is, at least in two! The motivation is the mentioned Jesus’ presence in the midst of his disciples. Thus, the gathering by “two or three” here refers primarily to gathering for the purpose of “asking the Father” or generally for worship, as also suggested by the emphasis “in my name.” Jesus’ presence among those gathered in His name will have a strong cultic or “liturgical” dimension oriented toward the Father. He will be present not so much to receive praise and worship as to pray to God the Father together with them. Such presence of Jesus, and nothing else, guarantees the Father’s benevolence and acceptance of their requests. And this is also the perspective of some affermations in John’s Gospel: “whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you” (cf. Jn 15:16; 16.23,24,26).

It is therefore a presence that is not static but dynamic. As in the case of the Shekinah, Jesus will be present in the midst of the faithful, but now with the precise mission of walking with them to assure them of the grace and benevolence of God the Father. Such principle of Jesus’ dynamic mystical presence with his disciples in their lives and mission will be crucial, particularly for the one who will have the delicate and not easy task/duty of “correcting” his brother and sister for the “fault” committed. When they, two or three or the whole church-community, come together, do they do so in His name or in their own name? Do they let Jesus really be in their midst and thus act in them as well?

2. “If He Listens to You, You Have Won Over Your Brother.” Fraternal Correction Within the Mission of Reconciliation in Christ

What was noted above shows us the true spirit in which the concrete steps of fraternal correction must be applied. It needs to be done, when there is a need, but always as Christ the good shepherd does, that is, with love, gentleness and meekness. (It is not by chance that the evangelist Matthew mentions the parable of the Good Shepherd just before the indications on fraternal correction that we have heard!). St. Paul will be even more explicit, mentioning meekness among the fruits of the Spirit in the new life and suggesting to the faithful Galatians: “Brothers, even if a person is caught in some transgression, you who are spiritual should correct that one in a gentle spirit, looking to yourself, so that you also may not be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so you will fulfill the law of Christ.” (Gal 6:1-2).

In the same vein is the Apostle’s own teaching to the faithful Romans in Rom 13:8-10 (which we heard in the second reading): “Brothers and sisters: Owe nothing to anyone, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.” He concludes with words illuminating for our reflection, “Love does no evil to the neighbor; hence, love is the fulfillment of the law.” Therefore, fraternal correction, that is, between brothers and sisters in Christ, has and shall have no other motivation than fraternal charity. It then does not and shall not go outside this fraternal charity that “does no evil to the neighbor.”

In this way, fraternal correction is done within reconciliation in Christ. In other words, correction among brethren is done within the broad context of constant reconciliation with God in Christ, because reconciliation with brethren is intrinsically connected with reconciliation with God. It is also about the mission of reconciliation for the whole world to which Christ sent his disciples-missionaries. Let every disciple of Christ then, whether he be the one who corrects or the one who is corrected, listen again and take this profound reflection to heart with a final pressing invitation from St. Paul the Apostle: “God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting their trespasses against them and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. So we are ambassadors for Christ, as if God were appealing through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.” (2Cor 5:19-20). 

3. “This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (Jn 13:35). The Principle of Unity in Love Among Disciples for the Credibility of Christ’s Mission

In this perspective, we understand even more the “missionary” significance of every act of correction and fraternal reconciliation. It is about being united in love for the credibility of the same evangelization/reconciliation mission of Christ and of the church-community of His disciples-missionaries. That is why Jesus insisted so much on mutual love among His disciples, defining it as His new commandment and stressing the importance of this as a testimony of belonging to Him before humanity: “This is how all will know that you are my disciples.” He then prayed to the Father for all His disciples, both in the present and in the future, “so that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us, that the world may believe that you sent me.” (Jn 17:21). May each one of us, his disciples, feel Christ’s heart for unity in love and always have that desire of the Master in mind in every action!

We therefore conclude with St. Paul’s inspired words to the Thessalonian believers. They are also the Lord’s wish for all of us, His disciples-missionaries today, even in the midst of various corrections necessary because of human weaknesses. “May the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we have for you, so as to strengthen your hearts, to be blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his holy ones.” (1Thes 3:12-13).