Introduction
While chapter 18 seems to be a continuation of the transitional chapters of 14-17, I actually read it as an abrupt shift. Thinking of chapters 14-17 as a montage of continued lessons that have been taught before (with a few climactic moments of Peter’s confession, the feeding of the thousands, and the Transfiguration), chapter 18 is a halt in the montage. We are no longer in front of crowds, Pharisees, Scribes, and Sadducees. “At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked…” This start to the chapter tells us that the focus is no longer to a wider teaching, but it is to the disciples specifically. So, we as the church, should lean in closely because this is for us to know how to move and act.
This section becomes an instructional piece from Matthew on guiding the church on how to act. How do we act with one another and how do we reconcile when harm is done, and feelings are hurt? This may seem like a throwaway section, but it becomes all the more important when we realize that this is pushing up against the entry into Jerusalem in chapter 21. Jesus gets only a few more times when he is speaking only to the disciples without anyone else listening or confronting him. So, this is Jesus quickly imparting important wisdom and teaching to those who will become the leaders of this movement in a very short time.
It’s a shame that we break up this week and next week’s text which follow right on top of each other with Peter asking how often to forgive and then a parable. But, with these specific verses in mind, there are a few things that I want to focus on.
Context
There are lots of commentaries and church discipline resources that lift up this Matthew text as a guide for reconciliation and discipline. So, I don’t want to go too much into the practical model of this. There is practical application and I do think this was an instruction guide for Matthew’s community.
However, a note that I want to add is a similar note that I said about the sermon on the mount. These instructions are not new but are deeply rooted in Jewish tradition.
Ulrich Luz notes, “the expanded church rule of vv. 15-17 probably originated in a Jewish Christian community that still regarded itself as a part of Israel.”[1] And Culpepper expands, “The duty to confront and reprove a ‘brother’ was deeply rooted in Judaism. Leviticus 19:17, the verse before the command to ‘love your neighbor as yourself’ (cf. Matthew 22:39), requires one to ‘reprove your neighbor, or you incur guilt yourself.’ The duty to reprove, moreover, must be an act of love. If one allows sin to remain in the community by refusing to confront one’s kin (or doing so out of hate), ‘you shall incur guilt yourself.’”[2]
This becomes important for a theological and cultural claim that Matthew is wrestling with.
Jesus again utters the phrase, “18Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” This is the same phrase that he used after giving Peter the keys to the kingdom. But this time Jesus is talking about forgiveness.
In just mere chapters, things are going to begin ramping up quite uncomfortably. Jesus will engage in harsh debate with religious leaders over and over again who are trying to test him and put him on his guard. Chapters 23-25 are sometimes referred to as the Judgment Discourse. And then we turn into the Passion.
Things are going to get heated and all the while the disciples are mostly just going to be standing by and watching. They are going to watch it all unfold before their eyes as their teacher, Lord, and friend, is ushered away to be crucified by all those who have greater authority than them.
This is why I wish next week’s Gospel was paired with this because it is Peter (the one with the keys) who immediately asks the most important question, “How many times should we forgive?”
Jesus is beginning to prep this teaching/understanding of grand forgiveness even before the disciples see the arrest and crucifixion.
This is not like the Gospel of John, after the resurrection when Jesus says, “20:23If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” This is happening before. Jesus needs Peter and the disciples to start thinking about how they are going to live with people (the religious authorities, the Romans, the crowd) after all of this takes place. But not just live with them but forgive them. Not seven times. But seventy times seven.
In chapter 16, ‘whatever you bind and whatever you loose’ was about beginning to see the wider community outside of Israel. Here in chapter 18, it is about forgiving those who are already inside the community (see next section for a pitfall to this).
There are countless nuances that we could talk about in this section. ‘Have they repented? Have they recognized their offense? Are they willing to make amends?’
All of these are good distinctions, but at the end of the day, Jesus is introducing this idea because forgiveness needs to be at the forefront of the church’s mind (this is intensified by the parable next week).
Are we, the Church, going in with forgiveness at the tip of our tongue. Or are we going in wanting to be convinced that the person has truly changed? Are we going in and withholding forgiveness until we see real repentance and the appropriate amount of groveling?
The Pitfall and Need for Extreme Care
So, just as Matthew is building justification for a mission to the Gentiles, Matthew is also trying to maintain a heart and a welcome for the people of Israel. Matthew does not want his community to lose sight of welcoming those who did not join the Jesus movement yet but still might, “the lost sheep of the house of Israel. (15:24)” This was a part of the conversation that Matthew (and all the gospel writers) are having at this time.
This is not a part of our conversation now. That can’t be how we land in our sermons or teaching in terms of what it means to forgive those in our own community. And additionally, Matthew is not talking about a widespread corporate or universal forgiveness. Matthew, in this text, is talking about conflict between individuals, and conflict between one individual and the church.
This opens us up to talk about Saul (who becomes Paul). Or it opens us up to talk about Matthew the tax collector. Or it opens us up to talk about the possibility of Nicodemus and what his story could have been. Individuals who have done significant wrong toward the community of Christ but who are now seeking forgiveness.
We have to be wary of diving into this area and perpetuating supercessionism and antisemitic tropes.
Preaching Possibilities
The Point is Seeking Reconciliation
Someone has wronged you. And it has been significant. Enough that it has harmed the relationship and it is impacting the friend group or the community around you.
We’ve all been in a situation like this before. It’s intense and usually incredibly uncomfortable. Now, if you’ve ever been the forgiver and you’re earnestly going in seeking reconciliation, you know that sometimes it can be a deeply profound and beautiful experience. It’s a vulnerable experience. You both hear what happened in the moment of hurt. You explain how your feelings were impacted. You hear how they messed up and how sorry they were for their actions. You hear how they hope to make things right. While the relationship is tender for some time, it usually comes out even stronger because of this experience.
Now, have you ever been the one at fault?
You have done wrong. You have been made aware of this wrong and now you are going in because you want to make things right and be reconciled to the one you’ve harmed and/or the community you’re a part of. It’s vulnerable. You’re opening yourself up to be confronted with pain you’ve caused. You’re opening yourself up to hear just how much you’ve messed up.
Now, there is a profound difference in feeling when someone is going in seeking reconciliation verses someone who is going in wanting you to feel just how much harm you’ve done.
To be clear, there may be a need for the second. Maybe in court trials and in documentation for a repeat offender who just does not seem to get what they’ve done. Maybe for someone who is making amends in the 12-step process and needs to hear the brutal truth before a reconciled relationship can be possible.
But for the interaction that Jesus is suggesting, the second part is not part of the equation. The point is that we are going in seeking reconciliation, especially as the forgiver. This means that we are going in not wanting to make the person feel awful, but so that there is a true reconciled relationship. And once the forgiveness has been offered, it has been forgiven. Not to be brought up time and time again and held over the head of the other person. But truly forgiven so that the relationship can progress forward.
Yes, there may be times when a person just isn’t getting it and they may need to be cut loose from your life or from the community. But that is not the overall goal of Jesus’ words in this text. Jesus insists that we, as the Church, go in seeking reconciliation first.
It is vulnerable. It gives up a little of the power dynamic. But if the relationship can be reconciled, the whole community will be better for it. Whatever we bind. Whatever we loose.
I am going to try and write next week’s post this week and post it to the website in case you want to see where I’m heading as this conversation continues.
[1] Ulrich Luz, Matthew vol 2., Hermeneia, 449
[2] R. Alan Culpepper, Matthew, 345.
Micah Krey 
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