The Way of Absolute Candor
NL131 for February 26, 2023
The Text
Last Time on ‘The Story’
On Wednesday, we heard of the Disciples asking about who is the greatest in the kingdom of God. Jesus continues the theme of holding up the least with a parable about a lost sheep, displaying how dearly God loves those who are lost (so maybe you should think about that).
Jesus continues his teaching today, focusing on the one ‘lost’ within the blessed community.
Overview of Matthew
Ch. 1-3 Overture
1:1-2:23 Nativity
3:1-17 John the Baptizer
Ch. 4-7 Jesus’ early ministry, culminating in giving Torah (Sermon on the Mount)
4:1-11 Jesus’ Temptation
4:12-25 Jesus begins ministry in Galilee, gathers disciples, and ministers with the message “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has drawn near.”
5:1-7:29 First set of Torah (aka Sermon on the Mount)
Ch. 8-10 Enacting the Kingdom, culminating in Jesus’ instruction to his apostles (sent ones) as they go out.
Ch. 11-13 Responses to Jesus, culminating in Parables about the Kingdom
11:2-30 Jesus questioned by John’s disciples, and Jesus teaches on John the Baptizer and the Kingdom of Heaven
12:1-46 Jesus questioned by Pharisees, and Jesus teaches about Leaders and Unclean Spirits
12:46-50 Jesus’ family tries to (presumably) question him, Jesus teaches on his true family
13:1-58 Torah on the Lake
Ch. 14-20 Various Expectations of Messiah, culminating in Jesus preparing his disciples/apostles for his death
14:1-12 Death of John the Baptist
Jesus goes to a deserted place
14:13-21 Jesus feeds 5,000 men plus women and children
Boat
14:22-33 Jesus walks on water
Gennesaret
14:34-36 The healing of people in Gennesaret
15:1-9 Pharisees confront Jesus over handwashing
15:10-20 Jesus gives Torah about what truly defiles
Tyre and Sidon
15:21-28 A Canaanite woman refuses to be dehumanized
By the Sea of Galilee
15:29-31 Jesus heals many by the Sea of Galilee
15:32-39 Jesus feeds 4,000 men plus women and children
Magadan
16:1-4 The Pharisees and Sadducees demand a sign
on the Boat, en route to Caesarea Philippi
16:5-12 Jesus warns about the ‘yeast’ of the religious elite
Caesarea Philippi
16:13-20 Peter’s declaration at Caesarea Philippi
16:21-23 Jesus foretells his death, and Peter blows it.
16:24-28 True disciples are those who take up their cross and follow
Mountain
17:1-8 The Transfiguration
17:9-13 Jesus teaches about John and Elijah
17:14-20 Jesus exorcizes a demon which the disciples were unable to
Galilee
17:22-23 Jesus again foretells his coming death
Capernaum
17:24-27 Temple Tax
18:1-5 the greatest in the kingdom is like a child
18:6-9 remove every stumbling block
18:10-14 The Parable of the Lost Sheep
18:15-22 Dealing with sin in the community
18:23-35 Parable of the Unforgiving Servant
Shift from Galilee to Judea (Jerico)
19:1-12 Pharisees ask question about divorce
19:13-15 Jesus blesses the children
19:16-30 The rich young ruler
20:1-16 Equal pay for all
20:17-19 Jesus tells his disciples that he will be betrayed and killed a third time
20:20-28 James and John’s Mother asks for special favor
20:29-34 Two men who are blind call Jesus “Son of David” and are healed
Ch. 21-25 Direct Confrontation with the Religious elites, culminating with a blistering critique of the Pharisees
Ch. 26-28 Crucifixion and Resurrection
Today’s Story
Setting: Jesus and his disciples continue to be in Capernaum on the Sea of Galilee. Immediately after today’s text, they will go to Judea.
If Another Member Sins: The set up for the following verses is the sin of another member of the community. We can come up with lots of examples of this. However, given the immediate context the focus may be tighter than we usually consider. This whole conversation began with the question about greatness in the kingdom of heaven, and Jesus points out a child, enjoining the disciples to become like a little child. Jesus praises the welcoming of such children (and by implication, all those who are marginalized), and warns against putting a stumbling block in front of them. Jesus then tells them to remove any temptation (stumbling block). Jesus then tells a story of a shepherd leaving ninety-nine sheep to find the one who is lost. It is at this point that Jesus talks about reproving someone within the community. Given this context, perhaps we should understand the ‘sin’ of a fellow member of the community to be, at least primarily, about presenting a stumbling block to ‘one of these little ones’. This context also puts the possibility of excommunication into a different light. Given the teaching that just came before, the ‘cutting off’ of a member is an act of preservation for the community, and that the one cut off is dearly loved by God.
Church: It would be appropriate here to take moment and reflect on our common word, church. In the modern use, church can refer to an individual congregation, a denomination, and the Church Universal across space and time. Like a hologram whose pattern continues no matter how close you look, it can mean all of them simultaneously. For us this word raises very clear ideas of institutions, membership, hierarchy, etc. Church can also refer to the building in which the congregation meets.
However, for Jesus’ day, and to a certain extent in Matthew’s day, the word ‘church’ (ekklesia in Greek) simply meant an assembly. The most common use of the word was in the Roman world for an assembly of voting persons for an election. Jesus uses this word for the assembly of the kingdom of heaven, so the political overtones are interesting when reclaimed. Use of ekklesia by Jesus and the early church adds some familial connotation to the word, so that ‘community’ might also be a good translation. I will use all of these words in the further reflection.
Process: Jesus then unfolds a specific process to go through when a member of the community sins against you.
Step 1: Point out the fault when you are alone- While there are some possible boundary issues with being alone with the person, I think that the purpose here is to make sure that you are not bringing group dynamics to the situation. If someone is accused of misdeed in a group setting, there are all sorts of other factors that are included and/or heightened (ego, shame, pride, etc). There are some times when actions said or done in front of a whole group also need to be addressed before the whole group, but this does not seem to be that case (yet). This is just a small side conversation, pointing out a fault. Again, the motivation is to promote the health of the community, remove stumbling blocks, and care for the least.
I will also note that this is the step that people within church communities tend to skip. Jesus is here lifting up direct contact between the person who is bringing the accusation and the person accused. In my experience, the person bringing the accusation talks to literally everyone else, except for the one who they are accusing. The information then gets to the person accused indirectly. This is a process that church system theory folks call ‘triangulation.’ It is the unhealthy building block of most church (and family) systems.
Outcome 11: The member listens to you- This is the best outcome, they reform their behavior, the stumbling block is removed, and the health of the community is strengthened.
Outcome 12: The member does not listen- Proceed to Step 2.
Step 2: Point out the fault with a small group- Here more people are brought in, but not too many, one or two. This seems to seek to guard the person who is accused’s dignity, but also includes other perspectives. Including others gives the possibility of reevaluating the offense. Perhaps, for example, the person bringing the accusation was offended by the person accused eating meat sacrificed to an idol. It could be deeply offensive to the person bringing the accusation, but bringing in others could present different perspectives on the alleged offense. If they also feel that the office needs to be addressed, then they will be able to provide a wider perspective.
Outcome 21: (Implied) The member listens to you- Great, the person accused may have not listened to the first time it was brought up, but now has seen the error of their ways, and has repented.
Outcome 22: The member does not listen- Proceed to Step 3.
Step 3: Point out the fault with the whole community- as mentioned in step 1, there are potential downsides to this option, but having gone through steps 1 and 2, the person bringing the accusation has given the person accused an opportunity to consider their perspective, and repent. Here we have the whole assembly deciding what is to be done with the accusation. One of the Principles of Presbyterian Government (Book of Order, F-3.02) is that given the freedom of conscience of every member, decisions are to be made by the majority. If an accusation is made, and the majority feel that it is necessary, they will be ‘cut off.’ If, however, the majority feel that it is not a punishable offense, then such action is not taken. Once again, the motivating principle is that the health of the community is to be upheld, and that all are dearly loved by God (though some get extra attention).
Outcome 31: (Implied) The member listens to you- Wonderful, the person who is accused makes amends, and changes their action out of love for the whole.
Outcome 32: The member does not listen- The person accused is ‘cut off.’
Church Discipline: Broadly processes like this are an effort to promote Church Discipline, one of the three notes of the Reformed Church (the other two being the Word of God truly preached and heard, and the Sacraments rightly administered). Making sure that there is some sort of oversight of who does what and how is an important factor of promoting the health of congregations, and safeguarding against bad actors. The Presbyterian branch of the Reformed Tradition seeks to do everything ‘decently and in order’ so we have a whole set of rules around how accusations should be made, how they are to be heard, etc.
Like a Gentile or a Tax Collector: To be sure, this can easily sound like very polemical language. It certainly has been used in that way, this is the scriptural basis for the act of ‘excommunication’ used by various branches and times in the history of the church. The most extreme example of this power of excommunication can be seen in late-medieval Catholicism where the theological undertones of salvation only being achieved through the Roman Church had the intent of eternal damnation(!)
However, given the greater context, that does not strike me as the appropriate interpretation. This paricape comes immediately after the Parable of the Lost Sheep, where Jesus is clear to say that God has a clear preferential option for the outcast and the one separated from the rest of the community. In the larger context, all of this Torah instruction is an answer to the disciples’ question about who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Jesus put forward a child, saying that the greatest in the kingdom was the one who welcomes one like this, and does not hinder them or put up stumbling blocks in front of them. Jesus’ ministry is one that clearly seeks out the reception of tax collectors, for which Jesus has gotten quite a bit of pushback from the religious elite. The Gentiles (non-Jewish folks) have not been explicitly included in Jesus’ ministry outside of a couple of incidents, but by Matthew’s day, the inclusion of the Gentiles into the gospel is a clear movement of the Holy Spirit. In other words, treating like a tax collector or gentile would not suggest a permanent ban or exclusion, but rather a continued invitation back into the community.
The season of lent began in the very early church as a time of reflection in instruction for those who wanted to become a part of the community of faith during the Easter season. This was especially important in times when entrance into the blessed community also meant becoming a part of a persecuted minority. This season was not only for new converts, but also for those who were once a part of the assembly, had been removed from the community (ostensibly using this process), and were seeking to rejoin the beloved community once again. Early records show that this was a relatively common occurrence. So this process not only assumes the continued health of the community, but also the intended inclusion of those (temporarily) ostracized from it.
Stumbling Block- Church Politics: Going with the theme of stumbling blocks that we have put up as the institutional church, which make others less interested in becoming or rejoining our congregations; this is a big one. The way that we treat one another is definitely a place where we have the opportunity to exhibit the kindom of God to the world, and one where we fail to do so much of the time. I have talked to many with church-trauma, or who have simply walked away from the institutional church, who cite the way the members treat one another as a primary reason. We do not deal one on one in a spirit of familial love. We are far more likely to be cliquish, back-bitey, and petty. This is something that we need to own, and be better with. We have been given a faithful way of being in community together, and we often do not follow it, and it is killing us.
Binding and Loosing: Jesus tells the disciples that whatever they bind (tie up) on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever is loosed (untied) on earth will be loosed in heaven. This is the famous ‘Keys of the Kingdom.’ It is actually a remarkable statement in which the divine being and administration of the heavenly kindom is affected by the administration of human beings (yikes). God calls us to be co-creators of the kingdom, equal parts amazing and humbling.
Two or Three: Jesus also suggests great power in the hands of a relatively few, on the one hand, the agreement of two or three is able to do anything that is asked. Luckily it is often a challenge to get people to actually agree in church (joking(?)). On the other hand, we also have the immense benefit of Jesus’ presence in such a group. This is the democratization of spiritual presence. It is n longer necessary to meet God in the temple, bringing sacrifices for yourself and the people. What immense power God has placed in such deeply flawed creatures as us.
A Limit to Forgiveness: So Peter has certainly understood the previous instruction to ultimately be more about grace and forgiveness, rather than punishment. And he immediately wants to put a limit on it. “So how many times are we talking here?” Peter seems to ask, “How many times do I have to forgive the same person for the same offense, like seven times? ‘Cause that seems like a lot.” Jesus turns it around, telling Peter that the expectation for forgiveness is seventy-seven times. They are both using the Hebrew metaphorical use of the number seven. In Hebrew, the word for seven, ‘sheba’ uses the same letters as the word ‘seba’ meaning fullness or completeness. It is also closely tied to the word to swear an oath, ‘shaba’. Because of this linguistic connection, there is a direct connection between the concepts, so often seven is used to signify completeness. This is clearly seen in the six days of creation in the first Genesis account of creation, and the seventh day signifying God’s completion of the work. Culturally, Peter is asking, ”how many times do I forgive? a lot?” and Jesus’ answer is a doubling of that completeness, as if saying, “No Peter, not a lot of times, a lot a lot of times.” There is no end to the times that forgiveness should be extended, no end to the grace that should be poured out upon a sibling who has sinned against you.
Really?: So here I am going of scrip[ture] and would say that there is, in fact, some limits on the grace that should be extended. I believe that the assumption here is the number of times forgiveness should be given for minor offenses, differences of opinion, and the like. There has already been a description of the way to deal with more serious offenses, which can end in a member being removed from the community. We can all think of cases when continued forgiveness for the same offenses would not actually be the most healthy thing for anyone involved. I am thinking specifically of cases of abuse, whether physical, sexual, emotional, or spiritual. To simply forgive a member who dehumanizes another member of the community is not a healthy response. Serious infractions need to be dealt with seriously. Unfortunately in many of the cases, especially of sexual abuse that have gone on in church institutions, there is a clear pattern of abuse that multiple people did not take as seriously as they should have.
This is especially the case when dealing with people with narcissistic tendencies, who will say and do and promise the sun and moon and stars in order to return things back to a status quo.
At the same time, we are also an institution of redemption. There should be opportunities for restoration and reconciliation whenever possible. That does not mean, however that we artificially coerce victims to be reconciled to their abusers, or continue to allow those who have shown the propensity to abuse continued opportunities to do so. Boundaries and abuse training for all leadership, as well as clear policies and procedures to keep potential victims safe are essential in creating places of safety. These proactive steps work to safeguard the beloved community.
Parable of the Unmerciful Servant: Which brings us ultimately to a feeling of gratitude for all of the forgiveness that we have received. First of all, we have received forgiveness from God, for all that we have done, and for all that we have left undone. We consider all of the times that we have failed to show the love of God to others, and yet we have been given forgiveness. So what does it look like, when we have been forgiven of so much, when we do not turn around and share that forgiveness with our fellow servants? We end up looking like petty, unmerciful, small people. This is a major theme for Matthew, we have seen multiple times, even in the Lord’s prayer that the willingness (or unwillingness) that we have for forgiving others, has a direct effect over the amount of forgiveness that we receive. This parable illustrates the overflowing generosity of God compared to our smallness when holding grudges with one another. It is ultimately pathetic.
Depending on how you calculate it, 10,000 talents (the amount owed by the servant to the master) would be equal to:
$3.48 Billion
1 Talent is equal to 6,000 denari
1 Denari is equal to a day-laborer’s wage (20 years wages, assuming a six-day workweek)
https://www.rheaheraldnews.com/lifestyles/article_334f283e-8262-11e5-aaf7-53cf9a2b76bb.html
$226,291,702.50
If you calculate using the price of silver by weight. (375 tons)
In contrast, 100 denari (the amount owed to the servant by another servant) would be:
$5,750 (extracting from the day-labor rate)
This is a decent amount (around what I bought my car for), but compared to the $3.48 Billion, it is chump change.
$377.15 (Extracting from the price of silver rate)
This really puts it into perspective for me at least.
Pop Culture References
In Star Trek: Picard, there is a set of Romulan warrior nuns called the Qowat Milat, who are committed to "The Way of Absolute Candor" where every communication is direct and truthful. One of the characters, Elnor, was adopted by the Qowat Milat, and there are some interesting cultural challenges. I couldn't find a good video clip, but here is a wiki page.
https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Elnor
One of my favorite movies is M. Knight Shyamalan's "Signs". If you have not scene it before, do yourself a favor and watch and DO NOT WATCH THIS SCENE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY SEEN THE WHOLE MOVIE!!! In the movie, and this scene, a whole bunch of seemingly random things come together and ends up saving a man and his family during an alien invasion. Through the movie, you find that the main character is an ex-priest who is dealing with his lack of forgiveness of God over a tragic event. The final scene, just after this one shows him in a clerical collar, presumably after rejoining the ministry. His experience of the deep forgiveness and providence of God leads him back to a life of service. BUT SERIOUSLY, IF YOU HAVEN'T WATCHED THE MOVIE, DON'T WATCH THE CLIP.