JESUS’ APPROACH TO FRATERNAL CORRECTION: CATHOLIC SUNDAY SCRIPTURE REFLECTIONS: 23RD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, CYCLE A, 2023
Michael Onuh Ogwuche
Director of Formation, Spiritan Postulancy and Scholasticate in Mexico
JESUS’ APPROACH TO FRATERNAL CORRECTION
The Christian Church, community, family, and religious life are not devoid of conflictual living, hence Jesus’ way to fraternal correction is fundamental.?However, we must have an open mind to fraternal correction and sensitivity to others′ complaints. Community healing is through authentic reconciliation and listening to each other. In other words, a conscious, authentic and constructive dialogue is necessary for reconciliation.
NO ROOM FOR INDIVIDUALISM OR NARCISSISM IN CHRISTIAN LIVING
It is also a conscious effort, to be honest, and sincere with each other—a moral call to adjust our narcissistic lifestyle that affects others. There can and will be community healing through authentic reconciliation or lovely fraternal correction. But we must guide against plastic surgery or superficial reconciliation devoid of not listening to all sides.
There is no I or individualism in the Christian life. The I-alone does not exist in Christ Jesus, this is a mark of the Christian life and spirituality that many Christians do not get right because they are of a culture where I take precedence over us or the individual over the community. This is the tragedy of modern Christians.
OUR THEMES
The readings of this Sunday remind us of being watchmen or women to our brothers or sisters. Especially when they go wrong do evil or commit a sin. It is not for us to discuss them behind their back without telling them. There is a moral duty to call on errant members of our family or Christian community to order. Love is the keyword to fraternal living and correction that is what we owe each other.?Lastly, Jesus presents us with an authentic way to seek reconciliation and peace in the Christian community.
FIRST READING: EZEKIEL 33:7-9
Prophet Ezekiel puts it straight with all: There is no claim of better-than-thou attitude, indifference, or silence to evil or evildoers. We are responsible if evil dominates or has the upper hand in the world.??
The ancient cities of many imperial powers had solid walls and watchtowers. These towers are mounted by watchmen or sentry. Their job is that they should or must inform or alert the city of any impending danger. This was due to the instability of security. Foreign invaders could attack or raid the cities without prior warning. We all are watchmen or women warning our brothers and sisters to repent of their evil ways. We are all commissioned to be instruments of peace and reconciliation in the family, civil society and Christian community
This is the protectionist context God uses to call Prophet Ezekiel to a paternalistic role in the correction of Israel.?As a watchman, he is obliged to warn or speak against evil committed by anyone in the community. First, is a sense of duty to avoid being indifferent or accomplice to evil and its punishment. And secondly to warn the sinner or erring person to repentance and salvation.
In Psalm 94, the palmist on a personal note invites us to hear the voice of the Lord and harden not our hearts. Either to the Word of the Lord or fraternal correction.
SECOND READING: Romans 13:8-10
St. Paul summarises the commandments, the laws and the entire Christian life as love. That is the love of God and neighbours. It is all we owe each other. It is also what we ought to live by our interpersonal relationships.
Hence, St. Paul invites us to be lovely and responsible for each other, the only debt we owe each other is Christ Jesus. This is because all the commandments are summed up in love with your neighbour as yourself.?Love does no evil to the neighbour or love is the fulfilment of the law. In love evil and hate are conquered.
GOSPEL: MATTHEW 18:15-20
Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew 18:15-20 gave us a practical clue to overcome hate, resentment and evil and to live in a community amiable and amicable with each other. Thus, he stressed the force of unity, communion, fraternity and neighbourliness in Christianity to answer prayers, testimony and intervening presence of the Divine.
Jesus anticipates conflicts which are bound to happen in the Christian community. Systematically, Jesus lays out a blueprint of how to go about squabbles and misgivings in fraternal life. This could be in the family circle, the Christian communities, or society at large.
Hence, fraternal correction within the Christian family through Jesus′ model is the most authentic, pure and transparent way to reconciliation.
1.????If your brother or sister wrongs you. Do not be vengeful or trumpet his errors to all. It is more Christian to seek out a one-on-one reconciliation through dialogue.
If dialogue fails due to pride, arrogance, ignorance, insensitivity or lack of empathy relate or connect with your pains or concerns.
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2.????Then, it is time to bring in a witness. An impartial third party intervenes for peace. One who can sustain true reconciliation and promote peace. And not partially take a side or deepen the hurts or division instead of healing.
This second group of fraternal correction Jesus proposes is grounded in the Old Testament. In Deuteronomy 19:15, it has alluded that, “One witness is not enough to convict anyone accused of any crime or offence they may have committed. A matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.” This has a legal tone.
3.????However, if this failed too, then the Christian community or family should be involved.
SOME BASIC IMPLICATIONS
a.????First implication Christians do not wash their dirty linens out to the knowledge or view of all.
b.??????Time is to be taken through constructive and productive dialogue. That will yield a positive outcome.
c.?????Patience and understanding through authentic effort are to be engaged.
d.????The sense of seeking reconciliation could be both ways: the offended could also be the offender or vice versa.
e.?????The Christian communities should and must have mediators. Mature Christian minds who can liaise between parties. So as to bring about lasting peace and reconciliation.
4. if the communal strategy fails, the erring party should be treated like a Gentile and a tax collector.
Here, care must be taken not to misinterpret Jesus as advocating for limited forgiveness. No. He encourages our forgiveness to be until seventy times seven Mt. 18:22. That implies infinite times.
It means treating the person as He: Jesus would treat a Gentile and a tax collector. Through befriending them with empathy rather than condemnation. Evangelizing and teaching them the true way of living with God′s grace and mercy.
Reconciliation in Jesus’ mind is a peaceful agreement between fraction parties. In the name of God taking into account honest and sincere effort for peace to reign.
BE A GOOD PERSON NOT A NICE PERSON IN THE CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY
There is a saying that Jesus Christ was never a NICE MAN OR GUY, but a GOOD MAN , who never shunned to condemn or speak out against evil without fear or favour of anyone.?This is a change for us too, especially as we live in an era of endless gossip that destroys the harmony and beauty of community spirit and fraternal living.
While lacking the courage and love to reach out to our erring brothers and sisters through fraternal corrections. We should learn from Jesus to be firm and mature, but at the same time, to be gentle and loving in correcting one another in love, peace and mercy.
There is no individualistic lifestyle in Christianity but a co-responsible life where we cannot remain silent or indifferent to how Christian o people live their lives. Therefore, we are accountable for the wicked behaviour of our brothers and sisters.
The culture of silence or indifference is not an option in the Christian lifestyle. Hence, the multiplication of evil and wickedness around us is because of prudence to confront wrongdoing and wrongdoers.
OUR LESSONS
Arguably, the Christian life is not perfect. However, that is not an excuse not to fit brokenness in our interpersonal relationships. We must also bear in mind that Christian kindness and Christian forgiveness are a guarantee for one to act or do what he or she likes. In fact, to the contrary, we should do everything possible to attain fraternal corrections.
However, today in religious communities or Christian Churches it is difficult to sustain authentic reconciliation. It is because of the increasingly growing narcissistic tendencies among pastors and Christians. The sense of entitlement, grandiosity, superiority, the lack of empathy and the failure to follow Jesus′s proposed steps to authentic reconciliation. Our insincerity is to be transparent in communal healing processes.
OUR PRAYER
Lord Jesus Christ, today′s readings touch the core of our Christian relationship in the community. As well as the difficulties and uneasiness fraternal corrections provoke among us. Help us to follow your guidance to authentic personal or communal reconciliation with sincerity, honesty and truthfulness. Amen