A Paraphrase of Matthew 18:15-20 for September 6, 2020

Watch the whole worship service here. 

In lieu of a sermon at Gethsemane today, I simply shared my translation-paraphrase of the text from Matthew. 

I hope you find it useful!

The hot coals quote is actually attributed to the Buddha (FYI), and the translation of "injury" took inspiration from Tolstoy's The Gospels on Brief. 

Enjoy.

Peace. 

-Tom

A Translation/Paraphrase of Matthew 18:15-20

Jesus said to them:

"If your sibling fractures your relationship, injures you, transgresses your boundaries, or offends you in some real way, as one shows a parent their scraped knee, go and show your sibling the injury that they caused. 

Be certain that they are aware. 

It is difficult to make amends when one is oblivious of the injury done. 

And, so often, we are all oblivious. 

Just as I have taught you to pray in private, 

for both of your sakes, go to your sibling to present your injury, first, when the two of you are alone. 

Conviction and reconciliation are not a show put on for the entertainment or applause of others. 

If that sibling receives your words in private, then you may both celebrate as one celebrates at the birth of a child--for you have both received a family member anew. 

If that sibling is unable to receive your truth, leave them there, and get help.

Return only if you have a couple of other siblings with you, (again, not for show), but so that it may be made clear by having a few viewpoints, that this is a real attempt to be conciliatory. 

Also, if that sibling is unable to receive your truth, there may be a deeper issue with them, so it might be safer that you not go alone. 

If the sibling who brought injury to you is still not able to receive your words this time, don’t give up. Get some more help. Bring your concerns to your shared community.  

At last, if your sibling still is unable to receive your truth, even as it is lifted up collectively by the community, don’t hold onto it. As a wise person once said, “Holding onto anger is like holding onto hot coals--the only one who’ll get blisters will be you.” 

The word for-give means both to re-concile and to let-go, give-away, or give-up (like how we give-things-up to God). Sometimes the best way to for-give is to have a clean break. You have done what you could, so let this sibling now be to you as any other person on the street. 

Or think of them as a tax-collector. Let your imagination go wild.

In other words, do not invest your emotion in trying to reconcile with someone bent on being hostile or abusive or unreceptive toward you. This will neither help them, nor you, nor your community. 

Let them go so that you might all be free. 

But please always remember not to take your actions lightly. Indeed, your binding together and your cutting-loose will have reverberations in the Reign of God--as it resides in your heart and in the hearts of all who hope for the Banquet of Love. Be careful not to disrupt that prophetic vision of the last becoming first and the hungry feasting over a small quarrel. What you decide as a community affects your whole community--and especially your young ones who are watching. Your decisions now may have eternal repercussions in their lives. 

Where two or three of you are gathered in my name, I am there among you.