First Sunday in Lent (Year 1, NL)

The only place in the Gospels where Jesus says anything about the church is Matthew 18—and not insignificantly, he brings it up in terms of conflict management.

On World Communion Day, I sat in the balcony. The view was stunning.

Christ’s love binds up our broken hearts and broken ways.

The failure to forgive disrupts, distorts, and degrades community.

At a #decolonizeLutheranism forum, I thought of Matthew 18.

New communities spring up at coffeehouses, on Habitat for Humanity worksites, or at 5k races. What makes any of them a church?

Church folks will not always agree—nor should we.

Yoder defined violence in terms of violating someone's dignity. This sounds ready made as a description of his own abusive behavior.

We are instructed to love our enemies—not necessarily to forgive them.

If the watchman doesn't "sound the trumpet" and dissuade the wicked from their ways, the Lord promises to hold the watchman accountable.

Four hundred ninety times? Do we really have to do this?

These six verses of Matthew do not mean that if two or three people agree on something, then they can ignore others and do whatever they want.

"A man had two sons . . .” was a common way to begin a parable, especially one comparing good and bad sons. Matthew uses it to contrast one son, who promises to work in the vineyard but never shows up, with another, who at first adamantly refuses to go to the vineyard but later repents and goes (21:28-32). Which one did the will of his father, asks Jesus? Not the one who talked a good game, but the one who actually followed through with obedient actions.

Matthew's story is terrible news. It is also the truth that will make us free.

Jesus knew forgiveness would always need special emphasis.