Proper 18
Preaching
PREACHING MATTHEW'S GOSPEL
A Narrative Approach
Matthew 18 is of crucial importance to the structure of Matthew's Gospel. As we have said before, biblical scholars indicate that there are Five Discourses of Jesus in Matthew's Gospel. Matthew 5-7 is the first discourse, the Sermon on the Mount. Matthew 10:1--11:1 is the Missionary Discourse. The third discourse is the Parabolic Discourse in 13:1-53. Matthew 18:1--19:1 is the Discourse on the Church. The final discourse is the Discourse on the End Times in Matthew 24:1--26:1.
Narrative preaching needs to pay attention to the entire discourse in Matthew 18. Some scholars refer to this material as a Manual of Church Discipline. It is clearly centered in ordering aspects of the internal life of the early Christian community. The heart of the community is God's presence (Emmanuel): v. 20. God's presence is a presence of love and forgiveness. Love and forgiveness, therefore, are to be the marks of this community. We see this reality throughout the chapter.
Matthew 18:1-14 is omitted from the Matthean lectionary. We discussed this material in Chapter 12. We noted there the theme of the "little ones" who are referred to often in this chapter: vv. 4, 6, 10, 14. Matthew 18:1-14 demonstrates clearly that the God of the kingdom is a God who is concerned with the lost, the least, the little ones. The Christian community is fellowship of the "little ones." That's a wonderful way to image the Christian church!
The verses appointed for this week are 18:15-20. This is a small piece of the whole chapter. We have just said that 18:1-14 is omitted from the Matthean lectionary. Matthew 18:21-35 is appointed for next week. These factors will help us in focusing our preaching for this week.
The appointed text marks a shift in the story from God's concern with one sheep who has strayed to one brother who has strayed. A process is laid out for a kind of church discipline. Rules for the community were common in Jesus' day. They are common in our day as well. For Matthew, the rules exist as a means toward reconciliation. Matthew embeds the rules within a context of the sheer and utter graciousness of God. The story before this one is about God's care for one straying sheep. The stories that follow are about the importance of forgiveness in the life of the community of God's people. It is God's will that those who stray be won back to the community.
In v. 17 we see that Matthew is, indeed, talking about the church. The story of reconciliation that he tells is to be a model of the life of the church. Scholars have always thought that Matthew had a deeper concern with the church than the other synoptics. It is only in these verses and in 16:18, however, that Matthew specifically mentions the church. In both of these passages the "keys of the kingdom" are mentioned prominently. In the story of Peter's declaration that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, Jesus speaks to Peter saying: "And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church.... I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven" (Matthew 16:18-19). These verses are the equivalent of the words in this week's text concerning that which is bound on earth being bound in heaven and that being loosed on earth being loosed in heaven
(16:18). The very heart of the church, that is, is the action of pronouncements of forgiveness and judgment over the lives of people.
The reality of forgiveness in the life of the church is referred to by some traditions as the "Office of the Keys." The keys to heaven and hell are in our hands. We speak them into existence. What we say on earth in Jesus' name is true in heaven. The church has an awesome task! The heart of the task, the heart of the community, is the power to speak forgiveness into the lives of people.
In v. 19 we hear that what we agree upon and speak on earth will be done "by my father in heaven." The work of the "father in heaven" is a theme that runs throughout the Discourse on the Church: vv. 10, 14, 35. We are left in no doubt about what the will of the father in heaven is. The will of the father is that not one of the "little ones" should perish: v. 14. The will of the father in heaven is a word of forgiveness and mercy. The will of the father in heaven is a word of judgment, in turn, upon forgiven people who will not forgive others: v. 35.
Finally, we hear in the text appointed for this week that when two or three are gathered in Jesus' name, Jesus is there in the midst of them. Two or three! The rule among the Jewish people was that at least ten men had to be present in order to invoke the assembly. Among those gathered in Jesus' name it will be different. God is present in Jesus (Emmanuel) when only two or three gather! It is the presence of Jesus that marks the life of the new community of the faithful.
Jesus, enthroned on the prayers of the community, is the one leader absolutely necessary for the being and well-being of the church (cf. 23:8-10).... The new community focuses...on God's will as Jesus has revealed and embodied it. And Jesus will be power surging up in the members to ensure that what they ask really is the will of God.... Matthew's Gospel bears witness to the exalted Jesus rather than the torah as the vehicle of the divine presence in the community (1:23; 18:20; 28:20; cf. 11:28-30), as it wrestles in prayer with doing the will of God on earth as it is done in heaven (1 Corinthians 5:4; Luke 24:15; John 14:23).1
Robert Smith reminds us here of the central theme of Matthew's Gospel: the presence of God with us. This was the promise in 1:23. A virgin would conceive and bear a son who would be called Emmanuel. Emmanuel means "God with us." At the end of Matthew's story we are promised by Jesus that he will be with us, he will be Emmanuel, to the close of the age (28:20). The promise to the church is the promise that "where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them" (18:20). This is an incredible promise to the people of God. This is an incredible promise to the gathering of Christian people wherever they are. We are promised: Emmanuel. When God is among us, the "little ones" do not perish. When God is among us, love, forgiveness, and reconciliation reign. When God is among us, what we bind on earth is bound in heaven and what we loose on earth is loosed in heaven.
Homiletical Directions
There are both didactic and narrative possibilities for this week's sermon. The didactic possibilities are crucial ones. We can preach on the manner that conflict is resolved in the Christian community. (This reality can also be communicated through stories.) We could also preach a sermon on the basic nature of the church, gathering such realities from throughout Matthew 18.
The chief narrative possibility we will mention centers in the Office of the Keys. Matthew 18 sets forth the reality of such an office with great clarity. In the exercise of the Office of the Keys we speak new realities into being. We speak words of judgment and our words are bound in heaven. We speak words of forgiveness and our words are bound in heaven. Our speaking becomes a reality because when we gather in Jesus' name God is with us. Emmanuel.
Our sermon with reference to the Office of the Keys and Emmanuel should not be about our power to speak new realities into being. We should actually speak them into being over the lives of our parishioners. We might begin such a sermon with the text from Matthew 16:13-20. This was the appointed text that we discussed in Chapter 21. This time tell it primarily to highlight what it says about the foundation of the church. The foundation of the church is the "keys of the kingdom" the power of binding and loosing.
Follow the telling of this story with the story from Matthew 18. The goal of this story, like the story before, is to highlight the power of binding and loosing. It might be helpful to tell the story that precedes this week's text. The story in 18:1-14 makes it very clear that God loves the "little ones." God searches for those who go astray. It is God's will that not one of the "little ones" should perish. This material makes it clear that God's primary will is forgiveness. When we come to the binding and loosing material, therefore, we know that God has a preferential option towards forgiveness.
The climax of this sermon will be our announcement of judgment and grace our exercise of the Office of the Keys. We will need to make a bridge to our announcement in Jesus' name by reminding all present that we are all sinners. We are the least. We are the little ones whom God does not will to perish. We are called by God to repentance for our sinfulness. You might wish to lead your people in an exercise of repentance at this point.
The climax is our enacting of Jesus' command to bind and loose. We do this in Jesus' name. We do this because Jesus is present with us. We say: What Jesus is saying to us today through these stories is something like this: "I am Emmanuel. I am God present among you. I am God present among you to lift up the little ones. I am God present among you to search out those who have strayed. I am God present among you to loose you from your sins. In the power of my presence: Your sins are forgiven. I am God present among you to speak a word of judgment over your life, to bind you to your sins, when you fail to pass my forgiveness along to others.
I am Emmanuel. Receive life in my name." Amen.
Narrative preaching needs to pay attention to the entire discourse in Matthew 18. Some scholars refer to this material as a Manual of Church Discipline. It is clearly centered in ordering aspects of the internal life of the early Christian community. The heart of the community is God's presence (Emmanuel): v. 20. God's presence is a presence of love and forgiveness. Love and forgiveness, therefore, are to be the marks of this community. We see this reality throughout the chapter.
Matthew 18:1-14 is omitted from the Matthean lectionary. We discussed this material in Chapter 12. We noted there the theme of the "little ones" who are referred to often in this chapter: vv. 4, 6, 10, 14. Matthew 18:1-14 demonstrates clearly that the God of the kingdom is a God who is concerned with the lost, the least, the little ones. The Christian community is fellowship of the "little ones." That's a wonderful way to image the Christian church!
The verses appointed for this week are 18:15-20. This is a small piece of the whole chapter. We have just said that 18:1-14 is omitted from the Matthean lectionary. Matthew 18:21-35 is appointed for next week. These factors will help us in focusing our preaching for this week.
The appointed text marks a shift in the story from God's concern with one sheep who has strayed to one brother who has strayed. A process is laid out for a kind of church discipline. Rules for the community were common in Jesus' day. They are common in our day as well. For Matthew, the rules exist as a means toward reconciliation. Matthew embeds the rules within a context of the sheer and utter graciousness of God. The story before this one is about God's care for one straying sheep. The stories that follow are about the importance of forgiveness in the life of the community of God's people. It is God's will that those who stray be won back to the community.
In v. 17 we see that Matthew is, indeed, talking about the church. The story of reconciliation that he tells is to be a model of the life of the church. Scholars have always thought that Matthew had a deeper concern with the church than the other synoptics. It is only in these verses and in 16:18, however, that Matthew specifically mentions the church. In both of these passages the "keys of the kingdom" are mentioned prominently. In the story of Peter's declaration that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, Jesus speaks to Peter saying: "And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church.... I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven" (Matthew 16:18-19). These verses are the equivalent of the words in this week's text concerning that which is bound on earth being bound in heaven and that being loosed on earth being loosed in heaven
(16:18). The very heart of the church, that is, is the action of pronouncements of forgiveness and judgment over the lives of people.
The reality of forgiveness in the life of the church is referred to by some traditions as the "Office of the Keys." The keys to heaven and hell are in our hands. We speak them into existence. What we say on earth in Jesus' name is true in heaven. The church has an awesome task! The heart of the task, the heart of the community, is the power to speak forgiveness into the lives of people.
In v. 19 we hear that what we agree upon and speak on earth will be done "by my father in heaven." The work of the "father in heaven" is a theme that runs throughout the Discourse on the Church: vv. 10, 14, 35. We are left in no doubt about what the will of the father in heaven is. The will of the father is that not one of the "little ones" should perish: v. 14. The will of the father in heaven is a word of forgiveness and mercy. The will of the father in heaven is a word of judgment, in turn, upon forgiven people who will not forgive others: v. 35.
Finally, we hear in the text appointed for this week that when two or three are gathered in Jesus' name, Jesus is there in the midst of them. Two or three! The rule among the Jewish people was that at least ten men had to be present in order to invoke the assembly. Among those gathered in Jesus' name it will be different. God is present in Jesus (Emmanuel) when only two or three gather! It is the presence of Jesus that marks the life of the new community of the faithful.
Jesus, enthroned on the prayers of the community, is the one leader absolutely necessary for the being and well-being of the church (cf. 23:8-10).... The new community focuses...on God's will as Jesus has revealed and embodied it. And Jesus will be power surging up in the members to ensure that what they ask really is the will of God.... Matthew's Gospel bears witness to the exalted Jesus rather than the torah as the vehicle of the divine presence in the community (1:23; 18:20; 28:20; cf. 11:28-30), as it wrestles in prayer with doing the will of God on earth as it is done in heaven (1 Corinthians 5:4; Luke 24:15; John 14:23).1
Robert Smith reminds us here of the central theme of Matthew's Gospel: the presence of God with us. This was the promise in 1:23. A virgin would conceive and bear a son who would be called Emmanuel. Emmanuel means "God with us." At the end of Matthew's story we are promised by Jesus that he will be with us, he will be Emmanuel, to the close of the age (28:20). The promise to the church is the promise that "where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them" (18:20). This is an incredible promise to the people of God. This is an incredible promise to the gathering of Christian people wherever they are. We are promised: Emmanuel. When God is among us, the "little ones" do not perish. When God is among us, love, forgiveness, and reconciliation reign. When God is among us, what we bind on earth is bound in heaven and what we loose on earth is loosed in heaven.
Homiletical Directions
There are both didactic and narrative possibilities for this week's sermon. The didactic possibilities are crucial ones. We can preach on the manner that conflict is resolved in the Christian community. (This reality can also be communicated through stories.) We could also preach a sermon on the basic nature of the church, gathering such realities from throughout Matthew 18.
The chief narrative possibility we will mention centers in the Office of the Keys. Matthew 18 sets forth the reality of such an office with great clarity. In the exercise of the Office of the Keys we speak new realities into being. We speak words of judgment and our words are bound in heaven. We speak words of forgiveness and our words are bound in heaven. Our speaking becomes a reality because when we gather in Jesus' name God is with us. Emmanuel.
Our sermon with reference to the Office of the Keys and Emmanuel should not be about our power to speak new realities into being. We should actually speak them into being over the lives of our parishioners. We might begin such a sermon with the text from Matthew 16:13-20. This was the appointed text that we discussed in Chapter 21. This time tell it primarily to highlight what it says about the foundation of the church. The foundation of the church is the "keys of the kingdom" the power of binding and loosing.
Follow the telling of this story with the story from Matthew 18. The goal of this story, like the story before, is to highlight the power of binding and loosing. It might be helpful to tell the story that precedes this week's text. The story in 18:1-14 makes it very clear that God loves the "little ones." God searches for those who go astray. It is God's will that not one of the "little ones" should perish. This material makes it clear that God's primary will is forgiveness. When we come to the binding and loosing material, therefore, we know that God has a preferential option towards forgiveness.
The climax of this sermon will be our announcement of judgment and grace our exercise of the Office of the Keys. We will need to make a bridge to our announcement in Jesus' name by reminding all present that we are all sinners. We are the least. We are the little ones whom God does not will to perish. We are called by God to repentance for our sinfulness. You might wish to lead your people in an exercise of repentance at this point.
The climax is our enacting of Jesus' command to bind and loose. We do this in Jesus' name. We do this because Jesus is present with us. We say: What Jesus is saying to us today through these stories is something like this: "I am Emmanuel. I am God present among you. I am God present among you to lift up the little ones. I am God present among you to search out those who have strayed. I am God present among you to loose you from your sins. In the power of my presence: Your sins are forgiven. I am God present among you to speak a word of judgment over your life, to bind you to your sins, when you fail to pass my forgiveness along to others.
I am Emmanuel. Receive life in my name." Amen.
