Don Friesen
Our language is populated with numbers, particularly our proverbs and aphorisms. A stitch in time saves nine, we counsel. Two heads are better than one. One bird in the hand is worth two in the bush, but you can kill two birds with one stone. Two wrongs don't make a right, but it takes two to make a quarrel. It also takes two to tango. And if two is company, three is a crowd – tea for two, just me and you – although we also speak and sing about the power of one.
Sometimes it's difficult to choose between proverbs; it's six of one, and a half dozen the other, although in this case we're not talking about a baker's dozen. Even double-digit and triple-digit numbers have made it into our language: A picture is worth a thousand words, we say, and a journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step.
Arithmetic truisms and proverbs are as old as the Holy Scriptures. The Old Testament tells us that "four things on earth are small, yet they are exceedingly wise...." (Proverbs 30:24) If you want to know what those four things are, you will have to read Proverbs 30. And while you've got the Bible cracked open, check out Proverbs 6, where it tells us that there are "six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him...." (Proverbs 6:16)
The New Testament tells us that "No one can serve two masters (Matthew 6:24), and only the biblically illiterate would fail to recognize the burden of incompleteness implicit in the biblical expression, "ninety and nine". (Matthew 18:12, KJV)
The "Two or Three" of Matthew 18
Our Gospel reading made famous the expression, "two or three". "Where two or three are gathered in my name," said Jesus, "I am there among them." (Matthew 18:20) In and of itself, Jesus' statement is a comfort to us. The promise of his presence is reassuring, and that his presence does not depend on large numbers is of particular comfort to the Mennonite Church, which, as a whole, grows very little! In fact, one of the first Mennonite churches I attended as a boy is down to fourteen members! Much better, however, than the first church I remember, which shut its doors because of conflict when I was only four!
Someone has said, "Wherever even two or three join to worship the living Christ, there the church exists in miniature...." (Allen C. McSween, Jr.) I think that statement was intended as an elaboration of Jesus' statement, but Jesus' statement needs no qualifiers. Where two or three are gathered in his name, there exists the Church! Period. Presidential hopefuls may prefer to meet in mega-churches ("Obama, McCain go to church," Canwest News Service, August 16, 2008), but whether a congregation's weekly attendance exceeds 22,000 (Saddleback), or fourteen, no matter! Jesus is going to be there!
The "two or three" mentioned in Matthew 18, however, are about more than the promise of Jesus' presence. It has considerable more teeth to it. When two or three gather, even in Jesus' name, conflicts are inevitable, and Matthew 18 is Jesus' response, and it's a fairly straightforward response. Jesus feels no need to over-complicate or over-engineer the matter. The gist of his instructions is this: don't let these untoward experiences poison the life of the Christian community. If something comes between any two of us that needs attention, step #1, says Jesus, is to go talk about the problem one-on-one with that person. If that doesn't resolve things, then proceed to step #2. In step #2 you take a few other people with you and you talk some more. If that doesn't work, there's always step #3, which is to bring the matter before the whole congregation.
It is fair to say that the "two or three" of Matthew 18 is not as casual an expression as it may seem. Old Testament jurisprudence, if you will, stipulates the witness of "two or three witnesses" to sustain any charge. (Deuteronomy 17:6; 19:15) The New Testament confirms this approach (2 Corinthians 13:1; Hebrews 10:28), cautioning, for example, not to "accept any accusation against an elder except on the evidence of two or three witnesses" (1 Timothy 5:19), and Jesus advises a Christian disciple, if you are "not listened to, (to) take one or two others ...with you, so that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses". (Matthew 18:16)
In other words, Matthew 18 is not simply about a casual gathering of Christian believers, hoping like crazy that if they gather in some semblance of church a holy presence will show up! There are questions of authority and process and power implicit in this biblical text. "Truly I tell you," said Jesus, "whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven." (Matthew 18:18-19) In that day the power to bind and to loose was a rabbinic role, and included the authority to speak to what is good and what is evil and to carry through on the implications of such discernment. Jesus passes this role, and power, to the community of faith – the Church – wanting us all to assume responsibility and leadership in discernment, and in reconciliation.
When Two or Three Gather East of Eden ...
Matthew 18 has been a very important passage for the Mennonite community, perhaps because we saw in it an opportunity to lord it over each other – and there is much evidence of that – but also because we took the New Testament mandate to be a community of faith seriously. Unfortunately, we have left in our wake a plethora of church disciplines gone wrong! We've been quick to draw lines in the sand and just as quick to step over them if we disagreed with the person who drew the line! The power bestowed by Jesus in Matthew 18 is a little like democracy, which, as someone pointed out, is a good idea, only it has fallen into the wrong hands!
Tom Mullen, a Quaker pastor and retired professor at the Earlham School of Religion, wrote a book entitled, Where Two or Three Are Gathered: Someone Spills the Milk (1973; 1986) speaking particularly to a family context, which in most cases is a gathering of two or three or more. I can think of many incidents in my family in which even two was a crowd! I used to approach each Advent season with great anticipation, especially the decorating of the family Christmas tree. I pictured this tradition as a great family occasion. Inevitably, however, the kids got in my way, hung decorations only on the lower branches, fussed about it, fussed with each other, and more than once toppled the tree doing damage, not only to the tree but to any sacramental mood I may have anticipated!
Where two or three are gathered, someone spills milk! I spill milk, you spill milk, all God's children spill milk. Now, perhaps if two or three gathered in the idyllic Garden of Eden, there would be no need for Matthew 18! We live considerably east of Eden (Genesis 4:16), however, and as John Steinbeck's classic novel by that name reminds us (East of Eden, 1952), east of Eden we have to contend with exile and deceit and rejection and depravity and guilt, and the capacity for self-destruction and other nasty stuff. East of Eden we have to live with Gentiles and tax collectors and other nasty characters.
Redemption Is Possible even East of Eden
Redemption is possible, however, even east of Eden. One of the words and concepts Steinbeck (1902-68) wrestles with in the novel is the Hebrew word, "timshel," meaning "Thou mayest," and which assumes a choice. It is used in the biblical story of Cain and Abel. (Genesis 4:7) Sin crouches at the door, lying in wait for us, "but you must master it," says God. In other words, sin and conflict may be inevitable, but their rule over us is not! We have a choice.
The Hebrew word, "timshel," figures prominently in Steinbeck's novel, and I remember being impressed when I read it many years ago when in the novel a group of Chinese scholars, already in their nineties, begin to study Hebrew for the sole purpose of determining the meaning of this Hebrew word. The power of this idea becomes real in a poignant moment at the conclusion of the novel when the family's Chinese servant begs the dying father to give his son his blessing. "Don't leave him alone with his guilt… Let him be free." And with great effort the father manages to lift his hand and whisper the word, "Timshel". Free at last!
The community of faith, like everyone else, lives east of Eden, among Gentiles and tax collectors, both of whom were off-limits, if not reprehensible in Jesus' conventional community of faith. Indeed, in Matthew 18 Jesus tells us that if the final step of seeking harmony in the community of faith fails, then "let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector." (Matthew 18:17) Sounds harsh, doesn't it? But look where Matthew 18 is situated – right between the parable of the lost sheep (Matthew 18:10-145) and the parable of the unforgiving servant (18:21-35), which begins with Jesus instructing Peter to forgive seventy-times-seven – an infinite number of times, in other words. And in his own ministry Jesus ate with tax collectors! And he praised the "great faith" of a Canaanite woman – a Gentile! (15:28)
Jesus' counsel in Matthew 18 is this: Rather than abandon those who have wronged us, considering them hopeless and irreclaimable, continue to offer them God's forgiving love. Continue reaching out with the power of love – the power of Christ's reconciling love – the love that "bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, (and) endures all things." (1 Corinthians 13:7) Touch that person with the love powerful enough to move even the hardest heart.
We Gather in Jesus' Name ...
"Where two or three are gathered in my name," said Jesus, "I am there among them." (Matthew 18:20) In other words, Matthew is clear that the meeting of those two or three is not just a casual encounter; they have gathered, and they have gathered in Jesus' name!
I talked to someone this week who recently moved to a new town, and he told me that that he affiliated himself with a particular church in that town. So far, so good, I thought. Then he told me of three other churches in that town that failed to make the grade with him. No doubt our preferences come into play when choosing a community of faith, and no doubt there are a lot of churches lacking in many things; perhaps the singing is lacklustre, the preaching boring, the choir struggling; the volunteers resistant; the ushers inattentive – and whatever! We all have preferences, but the attitude in this man irked me. The gathering of two or three or a hundred or more is not about us; it's about Jesus! It's about gathering in Jesus' name! "Where two or three are gathered in my name," said Jesus, "I am there among them." (Matthew 18:20) That should be enough! A good choir is a bonus! A great choir is a blessing! Singing on pitch is good. Singing in harmony is wonderful! Add to that eager volunteers, attentive ushers, and so on, and you are very fortunate, but the fact that Jesus is present where two or three gather in his name is quite enough.
If numbers higher than two or three matter to us, then by all means we should make sure we have dynamic preaching, fabulous music, exciting small groups, large meeting rooms, a quality kitchen, round-the-clock child care, ample parking, and clean washrooms! But the Church is not a roadside service centre designed for our comfort and relief!
1) ... because we want his presence among us
We gather regularly in Jesus' name because we want his presence among us. We want his comfort, his compassion, his guidance, his teaching, his challenging word. We gather in his name because he stirs us up. He challenges us to make peace in places of disharmony. He moves us to reach out in compassion to those who are hurting. He inspires us to envision hitherto unimaginable possibilities. He instills in us hope when all seems hopeless.
We gather to acknowledge and enjoy the presence of Jesus. We also gather in Jesus' name to keep the memory of Jesus alive. Again, it's not primarily about us. No other group is dedicated to keeping Jesus' memory alive. We gather in groups of two or three or a hundred or more because we consider his memory worth keeping alive.
2) ... to unleash his power to do good works
We also gather in Jesus' name to unleash the power of Jesus' presence. We sing about the power of one, but there is no greater power than a group of Christians – whatever their size – caring for and loving each other, and lifting up each other in prayer and support. There is power when two or three believers pray together. There is power when two or three or more gather despite the downside of community – or perhaps because of it – and they confess their shortcomings and their attitudes, and strive to do better. We do not have to give in to the dark side of life together; we have a choice, and Jesus' presence continually reminds us of that choice, and so we do not give up or give in to the powers that divide community and isolate us from one another.
In Christ's presence we have the power to do good works, good works pleasant and acceptable to God. As the Apostle Paul wrote, "We are what (God) has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life." (Ephesians 2:10) Or as Paul advised his assistant, Titus, regarding congregational life: "Insist on these things, so that those who have come to believe in God may ...devote themselves to good works; these things are excellent and profitable to everyone." (Titus 3:8)
Through our bond with one another in Christ, there is power in our community, enabling us to make this a better world, unleashing the power of God's Holy Spirit to transform us – the same Spirit that came upon Jesus and empowered him to go about "doing good". (Acts 10:38)
3) ... because we need each other
Finally, we gather in Jesus' name because we need each other. We need each other for each other's benefit as well as to do the good works the New Testament encourages. I recently came across a story of a couple who flew from New York to Orlando, Florida. The woman, Theresa, was seven months pregnant and doing well, but thirty minutes into the flight she doubled over in pain. When the flight attendant announced that she needed a doctor, an internist from Long Island stepped forward. The birth went as well as could be expected.
Theresa gave birth to a baby boy, but the baby was in trouble. The umbilical cord was wrapped around his neck, he wasn't breathing, and his face was blue! Two paramedics stepped forward to help, one of which happened to be a specialist in infant respiratory procedures. He asked if anyone had a straw, so that he could suction fluid from the baby's lungs. The aeroplane did not stock straws, but one of the passengers had brought a juice box on board, and had put the straw from it in her purse. The internist administered CPR as the paramedic skilfully inserted the straw into the infant's lungs. The internist then asked for something with which he could tie the umbilical cord. Another passenger offered his shoelace. Four minutes of fear and uncertainty eventually passed, and soon the little baby whimpered sounds of life and hope. The crew announced the successful birth of Theresa's baby and all of the people in the plane erupted in cheers and applause! ("Working Together," by Barry Buzza, canadianchristianity.com, August 21, 2008)
The Church is like that, a group of two or three or more, each contributing something to the whole, the sum of our individual parts greater than the mere numeric sum of the parts. Two becomes more than two, and three becomes more than three, and two and three and fifty make a million! We each contribute our part, honoured to be a part of Christ's life-giving presence and healing in the world. When two or three or more of us meet in small groups – in Bible study, in the study of literature, in wrestling with an issue – Jesus is among us, challenging us to become more Christlike in knowledge and stature. Where two or three or more of us meet to provide employment for people whom our global economic system has sidelined, Jesus is present among us, ever reminding us to share with those in need, knowing that our heavenly treasure (Matthew 19:21) is far more valuable than our paltry earthly possessions. Where two or three or more of us meet to pass the faith on to our children, Jesus is among us, urging us not to do anything to hinder their attraction to Jesus. (18:6)
We gather in Jesus' name because, drawn to Christ, we are drawn to each other. We are drawn to each other by the One who draws all people to himself. We are gifts to each other, not to be presumed upon, not to be held onto, but to be treasured so that God can use us – earthen vessels – to bring life to others. I pray that in the year ahead of us each one of you will feel drawn to gather in Christian fellowship, and having gathered will leave each gathering feeling uplifted, strengthened, and blessed by God. AMEN
Quotations of Scripture are from the New Revised Standard Version, unless otherwise noted.