By the Rev. Bernard W. Poppe, Rector
Community plays an important role in faith traditions. This is certainly true of Jews and Christians. The community of believers is interwoven as a family that grew from its origins back in Genesis. Israel is always spoken of as a chosen "people", not a chosen person. The only one who might lay claim to being called a chosen "person" is Abraham. But he's the only one. After him it was a family faith and it grew into a community faith. The laws that emerged dealt with how the community would treat each other and settle differences. The underpinning of all the laws was the love of God and the justice God inspired as a show of love between God and neighbor. The teachings of Jesus continue this foundation of faith. Whenever a problem arises in the scriptures, it's because an individual or group has put itself ahead of the good of the community.
The Book of Leviticus has over 600 laws governing the people of Israel in every aspect of the communal life. Jesus narrowed the focus of these laws when he said they all amounted to two basic laws, love God and love your neighbor. Love implies justice, generosity and forgiveness.
I think any lawyer will tell you that laws exist because there was a conflict that required it to be written. Paul often tried to convince the early Christians that they didn't need any laws since once they started following Jesus they would be so full of love as to not need them. The law of love would be written on their hearts. It was a nice sentiment, but it didn't really play out as he intended. Laws still come into being whether they are in the form of ten on tablets of stone, or two from the mouth of Jesus, or 600 from Leviticus or the tomes that govern our nation or anyone else's. Laws come into being because living in community is hard work and often conflicted.
Jesus' teaching on conflict resolution comes in the context of parables like the lost sheep -- the one that leaves the ninety-nine and is found by the shepherd. It's a real example of how to go to great lengths to resolve conflict and more importantly restore the community to wholeness. The society of Jesus' time was known for blood feuds and vengeance killings or attacks. What he proposes may sound logical to us, even though difficult. But in his day this was very radical. Remember these are the people that would "smite" each other for small offenses!
Even still, as radical as the conflict resolution is, Jesus realizes that some conflicts can't be resolved. Sometimes a break occurs. He says that if you go to the lengths of meeting with the person alone, then with a couple witnesses, and then the whole community and it's still not resolved -- then let them be to you as a Gentile or tax collector.
This is the part that I find ironic, because Jesus' community extended in love even to Gentiles and tax collectors. There's still a circle to it. And it circles back to love and completion, and the constant call back into community.
The statements following this are tantalizing. "What you bind on earth will be bound in heaven and what you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." The different Gospels have similar words to these in different contexts without a clear or final interpretation.
These statements were once interpreted in relation to the power or granting absolution during confessions. Taken out of context, it might suggest that the priest has the power to bind or release with far reaching implications. That interpretation is still alive in the world today, but it's a dangerous one and ultimately erroneous in my view.
I'd like to suggest an interpretation just based on life experience -- mine and some I've seen in others. It's about holding onto anger or grudges, or perhaps even frightening or hurtful memories. People can be so bound by their own inability to let go of the past that if hobbles their attempts to move forward. Resentments and anger fester and become bigger if not resolved. Fears become neurotic or obsessive if addressed. I think the phrase about binding on earth may have to do with this. Anger and fear that is held onto will stay with us and contaminate our spiritual growth. What we bind on earth will be bound in heaven.
On the other hand what we loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. What we can resolve and let go of, will no hinder us in our spiritual development or growth.
You're certainly free to choose your own interpretation, but I will never claim having the power to bind anyone or release anyone in this life or the next. That is between God and each individual!
The first lesson from Exodus shed an interesting angle to look at the Gospel. The story of the Passover seems a bit out of place here, but then again, perhaps not. The story of the Passover is about the events leading up to the freeing of the Israelite slaves out of Egypt. The last plague was about to be unleashed before Pharaoh would let them go. It's quite a detailed story -- recipes and dress codes included. But for our purposes it illustrates the lengths people will go to gain freedom.
Conflict with another person or people, society or nation is a form of bondage. Anger can lead to prejudice and injustice, murder or war. Spiritual and emotional battle takes place before physical battle does, and it's at that moment when the real spiritual bondage occurs. That which is bound can get bound very tight.
The freedom from that bondage, similar to the freedom of the Israelites, is found through the working of God's spirit and a different form of passing over from the slavery of resentment to the freedom of forgiveness. It's not easy but it is possible. What we loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.
When it comes to conflict we might be right or wrong, we might be the righteous ones or the ones shunned like Gentiles or Tax Collectors, but mostly there's a murky in between where both parties played a role. Jesus' solution is a sound as any advice given. Try to resolve it privately. If that doesn't work call in others to do this important work. The goal is bringing the community back into wholeness and for the individual to be healed from the pain of conflict. When we do as much as we can, we can let it go, regardless of how the other person receives it. They may choose to remain bound, but we can always choose the freedom of loosening those bonds within ourselves.
I take a lot of comfort in knowing that even if we cannot close the gap in conflict and may have to let someone go, God won't. Jesus' followers may have shunned the Gentiles and Tax Collectors, but he didn't. He kept at them and, I believe, still does. Amen.
© 2011 St. George's Episcopal Church, Maplewood, NJ
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