Word to the Wise
Sunday, September 10, 2017 - 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time - A
[Ezek 33:7-9; Rom 13:8-10; Matt 18:15-20]Owe nothing to anyone, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. [Romans]
St. Paul's words might seem a little fuzzy if taken out of context. When he says later on in the second scripture for today, "Love does no evil to the neighbor..." does he mean that we avoid the difficult task of challenging distructive behavior? His other letters would say, "No." He often takes on that task. Ezekiel today is blunt. If we fail to warn someone of possible danger from their conduct and they wind up causing themselves and others great harm, we will be held accountable for our failure to warn them. Jesus' words in the gospel scripture today were a reminder to the community of the importance of reconciling destructive persons. The whole idea is not to condemn or punish, but to convert and reconcile. When needed, restitution must be made as part of the process.
Confrontation and challenge are difficult. I have been a religious superior a number of times in my life as a Dominican Friar. When one of my brothers showed signs of destructive behavior (overindulgence, overspending, etc.) I was my duty to challenge him. The problem, however, may have been known to others long before it came to my attention as superior, which means the other members of the community did not feel they owed that brother the "tough love" of challenge. What Ezekiel, Paul and Jesus are all telling us today is that none of us can avoid this duty. When, as a pastor, I would be asked by the members of a parish group to discipline one of their number, I would ask, "Why don't you speak to him or her yourself?" I frequently got the response, "Oh no, he or she would get mad at us!" Married couples, parents, roommates, co-workers, friends - all of these relationships will mean challenge and the risk of pain and anger, but those may be the only way to save someone. Anyone who has taken part in an "intervention" knows this
Love of neighbor has a prophetic side, as Ezekiel tells us. Jesus gives us a way of handling that duty. Paul reminds us of the debt of love. AMEN
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