‘the sometimes hard work of Christian unity…’

September 10, 2023

Scripture: Romans 13:8-14, Matthew 18:15-20

Let’s all admit one thing upfront…Christians…are people…much like anyone else, quite far from perfect, prone to mistakes, and most likely, too often focused on their own wants or desires. They are different from others however in that they have been given careful instructions on how to live together and love one another.  That difference however, makes no difference at all if we do not really understand it, or do not apply those instructions in all the ways we interact with our community and the world around us.

In our reading from Matthew’s gospel, Jesus tells his disciples that they need to be open and honest in all their interactions with one another.  He told them that to preserve the unity of their fellowship, they needed to learn to listen carefully to one another, and to find and deal with any division quickly, so as to prevent little disagreements from escalating into full blown division and bitterness.

However, as we all know, this is sometimes far easier said than done. For being truly and fully open and honest with each other means that we may also need to be willing to admit that it is we ourselves who might be at fault, which is sometimes not all that comfortable at times. It is not always an easy thing to share our true feelings. It is often far easier to hide them and only deal on a surface level with each other. Being ‘nice’, rather than sharing our true inner feelings. Saying, ‘I’m fine thanks’, rather than admitting to an inner struggle or some turmoil that may be fully contrary. And yet, Jesus is calling us to be open and transparent with one another in order to preserve the fellowship and the love we find in holy relationships.

Now I must admit that I struggle at times these days with the term or label ‘Christian’. And that’s because it has come to stand for a lot that I just do not believe in. ‘Christian’ has become a label for all sorts of behaviors that I think many would agree are far from loving, and far from what Jesus sought to teach. In fact, just recently, I read about a survey of some Christian pastors who were challenged because their words and actions were quite far out of touch with the life and actual message of Jesus. Their reply and justification was that the words and examples of Jesus were ‘just too soft nowadays, and not at all effective enough’. I must tell you, that I would so not want to be one who had to justify those words one day while standing in the presence of God!

And it seems that at least once a week we hear in the news some claim that purports to speak some truth about Christian behavior or belief that is at best deeply divisive, and at worst fully intent on excluding some group or individual from the fellowship of the family…our family which we have all been called to support and celebrate.

And while it seems that nowadays there is little hope in getting broad agreement of belief and principle amongst followers of any religious tradition, I think that today’s reading points out a way that at least tries to find a measure of unity and community that is truly blessed.  In Matthew’s gospel Jesus acknowledges that there will be rough spots in the living out of our faith witness together.  He knows we will have times of disagreement, and even times of division in which we will find it hard to reach common ground.

He knows this, and tells us…‘In those times…in those times of disagreement, in those times when there is danger of parting ways, of losing the unity that is so precious…in those times when you or someone you love seems to have missed the mark…then first of all, be open and honest with each other. Work diligently at finding common ground and consensus, for the living and abiding unity of the body is so much more precious than whether or not you are right this time, or whether or not your opinion is more correct than that of someone else.

Give a little, work together, hold each other accountable. Do not let a brother or sister stray from the fellowship to a point where you lose touch with them altogether. And above all else, do not forsake the gathering of yourselves together! For only in unity of purpose and steadfastness of resolve, are you strong enough to come against all that yet stands in the way of God’s will and goodness being finally and fully realized.’

Jesus calls each one of us to work together at holding the unity of this body of believers intact. None of us is excused from the oftentimes hard work of being a light of hope and love for a world that seems to be spinning on in increasing darkness. We are each called to take part in the hard work of lifting one another up in times of struggle or loss, the hard work of standing down from the feeling that you have to be right each time, the hard work of reaching out to those who are not yet a part of the ‘family’ in ways that are loving and truly liberating.

But at the end of our passage Jesus adds a word of deep assurance that the work before us is not work we must accomplish all alone, but rather work that is to be done within the company and companionship of our Lord, each and every time we are of one mind and heart together. ‘Wherever two or more are gathered in my name’, Jesus says, ‘There am I in the midst of them’.  There I will be in the midst of them…right there in the midst of those who have faithfully gathered in my name.

I know I have said it before, but it is important to recall that for those who heard these words in the times in which they were first spoken by our Lord, there was a deeper sense of the significance of a ‘name’. Whenever someone was speaking or acting ‘in the name’ of someone they were following, and believed in, they were called to act as though they were the person whose name was being intoned. They were expected to imitate the words, the actions, and the way of living of the person whose name they were speaking of.  Therefore, ‘Wherever two or more are gathered in my name’, means wherever two or more have decided to act fully as Jesus’ disciples, wherever two or more have given their lives fully over into the teachings and rigors of a life offered in the service of our Lord…there they will find Jesus. There they will find their unity graced by the very presence of God…there they will find the guidance and assurance they are seeking in the person and presence of our Lord’s Holy Spirit.

Yes, we do have a call to unity in our ministry of speaking and giving witness to a life of love, and yes, that call can be strenuous or trying at times, but the pursuit of Christian love is really the only quest worthy of life itself.  And finding our way to that place is critical, if we are ever going to witness the full flowering of the promises of our Lord.

…amen