TWENTY-THIRD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

Ezekiel 33: 7-9; Romans 13: 8-10; Matthew 18: 15-20

(Rev. Dr. Francis Perry Azah)

Today’s Scripture readings from both the prophet Ezekiel and St. Matthew’s Gospel mention the grave responsibility we have toward others. Therefore, the phrase "It's none of my business" is neither biblical nor acceptable in the practice of the Christian life. Such an expression echoes a passage that we are familiar with from the Book of Genesis, where it states, "Then the LORD said to Cain, 'Where is your brother Abel?' Cain answered, 'I do not know; am I my brother's keeper?'" [Genesis 4:9] As parents and caregivers, Christians are responsible and held accountable for the welfare of those under their care, be it their children, grandparents, or even friends. Equally, lawyers are responsible and held accountable for their clients. Doctors are responsible and held accountable for their patients. Police Officers, Security Guards, and Correctional Officers are responsible and held accountable for their actions in upholding the law. Even Bank Managers are responsible and held accountable for the money deposited by their clients. In each occupation, there is a responsibility, and full accountability is required of the individuals.

To our ears it may sound surprising, even unjust, that the Lord, through the prophet Ezekiel, will hold us responsible for the sins of others if we fail to warn them of their errors. We will be saved only if we do all we can to turn others from evil ways. St. Matthew’s Gospel addresses the same theme of fraternal correction in the context of both private and public warnings, as well as the requirement to dissociate oneself from those publicly separated from the Church. Jesus repeats the authority he gives to Church leaders to make binding decisions in his name. The Gospel passage ends on a different note, stressing the power of brotherly unity in prayer. Psalm 95, which we just heard, apart from singing the praises of the Lord, reminds its hearers not to harden their hearts, as they have done in the past when they complained about the Lord in the desert. In the second reading, St. Paul reminds the Roman Christians that the Lord’s Law is observed by loving one’s neighbor, neighbor being understood to include enemies and all those in need.

During today's Gospel reading, Jesus taught us how to act as responsible and accountable spiritual brothers and sisters, genuinely concerned for the spiritual well-being of others. First of all, we are obligated to approach the sinner privately so as not to humiliate them publicly. If the sinner has sincerely repented, praise God and maintain that privacy afterward. No one else needs to know of the sins of others to avoid a chain reaction of gossip that will damage the spiritual life of all those who are involved. If the sinner remains indifferent to his salvation, we have an obligation to meet again, but this time with two or three witnesses. If the individual refuses to listen to all, we are commanded to tell it to the church. And if the offender still refuses to listen, even to the church, let such a person be to us as a Gentile and a tax collector.

To the Jewish people, the Gentiles were non-members of the Body of Christ, the tax collectors being disliked. They were avoided. Why did Jesus say to disassociate from them? It is because when we put bad fruit among good fruit, the bad fruit corrupts the others. The good fruit begins to take the same shape as the bad fruit. If everyone is indifferent to the sin of one person, that sin becomes acceptable to the extent that soon or later, all are committing the same sin as a norm of Christian life and society. A similar attitude of indifference and acceptance towards sinful behaviors is evident in the gradual acceptance of other sins by most people in society. These are the sins of divorce, common-law relationships, the practice of homosexuality, lesbianism, same sex marriage, and the removal of prayer from the schools. All of these are perversions of the truth that lead away from God's Holiness and holy ways. While some might be reluctant to address others' wrongdoings, claiming, "It's not my concern," this is not the case according to God. As Christians, we have an obligation to make it our responsibility to advise the sinner, and until it is done, God will condemn us alongside those who live in sin.

As today’s gospel makes clear, gossiping is not something our Lord wants us to do. Gossiping is called the sin of “detraction”; it detracts from a person’s reputation and takes the shine off their good name. Gossiping, to say the least, is not an act of love. It is ironic that, at times, we act this way towards the very people we ought to love the most. Husbands and wives, for instance, sometimes complain about their spouse’s behavior to their friends or acquaintances. They say things like: “My husband is so clueless; he can’t even screw in a light bulb.” Or, “My wife is such an airhead: she can’t even balance a checkbook.” Or, “He’d rather go to the sports stadium than spend time with his family.” Or, “If I spent the way she did, we’d be in the poorhouse.” If people made such comments about our spouses, we would become upset and defend them. But we don’t hesitate to say these things ourselves. There may be truth to what we say. But saying it doesn’t improve the situation, resolve the problem, or help the relationship heal or grow.

Sometimes we’ll excuse ourselves by thinking that now that we’ve gotten it off our chest, we won’t fight with our spouse later. But that’s baloney. All we accomplish is making someone we love look bad in others' eyes. And what will they think of our spouse the next time they see them? They will recall your words and regard your spouse with disdain. You have given them a bad reputation, and the harm we have caused can be almost impossible to repair. Now the damage is done. Gossip in the workplace can also cause significant harm. If you've ever held a job, you've likely encountered this situation at least once. It's difficult to resist because it seems so intriguing, and we don't want to feel excluded or miss out on the conversation. However, workplace gossip consumes time, reduces productivity, harms workplace morale, creates divisions and cliques, and can damage reputations and careers.

Jesus says that loving God and loving others defines us (Matthew 22:37). Everything depends on the two of them. Love is the hallmark of a Christian. John writes in his first letter that if you say you love God and don’t love others around you, then you are a liar (1 John 1:10). How you love others is how you love God. Paul says that even if you have enough faith to move mountains and don’t love, then you are just like an empty clanging vessel (1 Corinthians 13:1-2). Jesus told us to love our enemies (Matthew 5:44). When you love your enemies, something powerful happens – something that is transformative, something that is from God, which cannot be denied or perverted. And yes, God does indeed love everyone: he loves you, and he loves me. He loves axe murderers and child molesters, and he even loves those who don’t think that He exists, or those people who think that God loves only them and hates everyone else. God is love (1 John 4:8).

The apostle James said that God shows no favoritism (James 2:1-10) – that he loves without condition or exception, and because God so loves the world, so a Christian too should love the world. Rejection and condemnation have no place within the Gospel. These words might challenge you and prompt you to consider perspectives you've never thought about before. I am aware that what I'm saying is both radical and dangerous, but I hope you agree that certainly the same was said about Our Lord. Or you might be sitting there thinking, finally someone said it. Although many people believe Christianity is defined by rejection and condemnation, it's more complex than that. Jesus said in the Gospel of John: “I come that you may have life and life in all its fullness.” (John 10:10). Our faith should not be kept hidden from those who do not pass the soundness test; instead, it is something valuable to share. It should not lead us to judge others, but rather inspire us to open our hearts to those in need. Let us strive to influence people's consciences globally through our guidance and, most importantly, our positive examples.