Gospel focuses on church discipline

September 7, 2008 -- 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

By Fr. Mike Stubbs

	Fr. Mike Stubbs

Initially, the early Christians regarded themselves as a movement, rather than an institution. Consequently, they saw no need for complicated structures or well-defined methods of procedures.

But as time wore on, it became apparent that they might have to wait longer than expected for the Second Coming of Christ. Christians started to acquire land and build places of worship, even though they were officially outlawed under government persecution. They began to organize for the long haul. Their writings also reflect this change in approach. We see a good example in Sunday's Gospel reading. Since Matthew's Gospel was written later, approximately 85-90 A.D., well after Mark's Gospel, it shows a heightened interest in the organization and discipline of the community.

Sunday's Gospel reading focuses upon church discipline. It outlines a procedure for dealing with disputes within the community, involving three stages. The final stage can result in excommunication, expulsion from the community.

Whatever the community may decide, the risen Christ will be acting through them. He assures them, in the words of the Gospel, "where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." The earthly Jesus in his physical form might not be present to resolve their dispute. Christ may not yet have returned in glory to judge the living and the dead, and to render a decision for them in that particular case. But the risen Christ would act through the church.

Significantly, Sunday's Gospel reading uses the word "church." It occurs in the verses: "If he refuses to listen to them, tell the church. If he refuses to listen even to the church, then treat him as you would a Gentile or tax collector." We heard Matthew previously mention the word "church" a couple of Sundays ago, in the Gospel reading Matthew 16:13-20, "You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church." These are the only times that Matthew uses the word "church." It occurs no where else in the four Gospels. Once again, Matthew's use of the word reflects his interest in the institutional dimension of the community. "Church" means more than a loose collection of followers. It suggests an organized group.

We might note that in Sunday's reading, the word "church" indicates the local community, something comparable to the parish or diocesan level. It may be fairly restricted in numbers: "Where two or three are gathered in my name." On the other hand, the word "church" takes on a global dimension in the passage a couple of weeks ago, "On this rock I will build my church." The same word can mean either the single body throughout the world, or the local community which makes it present. Either way, it is the church. We approach the matter in a similar way as modern-day Catholics. On one hand, we belong to a parish. At the same time, we are members of the Catholic Church throughout the world.

But it is one and the same church.

(Fr. Stubbs, a priest of the Archdiocese of Kansas City, Kan., has a master's degree in theology from Harvard.)