A, Post-Pentecost 15 Proper 18 - Matthew 18:15-20 "Binding and Loosing"

When someone sins against you, what do you do? 

Is it difficult being open about how someone’s actions have affected or are affecting you?  Even if they approach you, confess and apologise, it’s usually dismissed embarrassingly with, “Ah, that’s alright!”  When both of you know very well it’s not alright because you’ve been hurt and they’ve seen the need to say sorry!

If your brother, neighbour, spouse, or family wrongs you, sometimes there’s not enough peace within to go and confront them about the offence without it being relived in you.  So how does one even begin the task of putting right the wrong, and the relationship between you and your neighbour?

Besides, it seems naming being wronged as sin is inappropriate these days.  It’s as if everyone has the right to do as they please and say what they want, not being accountable or correctable despite the hurt it might cause.  Nevertheless, living as a community and caring for each other out of love for Christ require us to put aside our rights, silence our voices, and serve each other in submission with our ears and our hearts in the true servanthood mission of Jesus Christ, Who serves us by putting our wrongs right at the cross.

You see, when sin is kept hidden and is not named, it retains its stinging power.  Therefore, many of us don’t even get to first base with this text, going to fellow believers and lovingly telling them of their fault that has caused us pain, let alone working through the steps laid out to mediate a restoration of the relationship through Christ’s forgiveness of us all.

Rather, what happens when a person sins against someone these days?  The one sinned against allows themself to smoulder, to the extent that he or she cannot go to the other person and name the sin.  The sin cannot be buried, and rather than going and seeking others to help with the situation, sin is allowed to ripple out from the original offence, in extreme cases destroying congregational or family unity.  The recipient of sin now becomes the perpetrator in retaliation by bearing false witness, gossiping, and assassinating the character of the original perpetrator.  Thus, sin gives birth to sin.

Our society is overrun by “smiling assassins” who politely smile to one’s face but stab one in the back once the face is turned.  It seems we have got it completely back to front in our individualistic, so-called “politically correct” world today.  The result is that we are all pushed further and further apart, and this seemingly polite interaction is really devilish dishonesty, causing community living to become more and more dysfunctional and fractured.

There’s a way to stop this from happening, however!  Our relationships in the church and in our everyday lives with others are curable.  This way will restore peace and bring a real and true peace back to your relationships – with neighbours, family, your spouse, church members, and even your enemies.  

All believers are given a mighty weapon to combat the assassins “out there” in our relationships as well as the assassin within ourselves, so we might be able to approach others with the love of Christ to restore our relationships.

This weapon is the omnipotent, all-powerful name of Jesus Christ.  This weapon is prayer in Jesus’ name.  Its power is so rich and enormous, yet a small child can wield this weighty weapon.

Jesus tells us, “Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.  Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven.  For where two or three are gathered in My name, there am I among them.” (Matthew 18:18–20 ESV)

It seems we need to know what requires binding and what requires loosing.  In this mixed-up world we get bound up in sinful acts, yet these very sins are allowed to remain unbound and free to continue wreaking havoc, destroying relationships long after they’re committed. 

This is what happens when we do things in our name: praying to ourselves, muttering under our breath and talking to ourselves, as though we were holding a staff meeting within that serves and joins in with the unrepentant, unforgiving ways of the world, in reverence to our rights.  Putting ourselves first, relationships are hindered, and we further serve ourselves as lonely, love-starved individuals in this age of individualism and death.

On the other hand, when we rely on Jesus’ name and not our own, we are loosed; He unties us from our sin and the cross of eternal death and damnation.  Yet our sins are named, exposed, forgiven and bound to the cross!  We’re freed to live with the promise that we’re eternally bound and tied to Jesus’ death and resurrection for an eternity in heaven. 

Despite our constant inner struggle here on earth, between the sinful nature and our new being in Jesus Christ, you and I can be confident the right things are being eternally loosed, and the wrong things are already bound to the cross.

The all-powerful name of Jesus Christ runs contrary to our individualistic thinking, causing a congregation to gather, constantly recreating a community of love, freed to be people of God wielding the weapon of prayer!  Imparting forgiveness, peace, confidence, calmness, faith, hope, and love in a world which dearly needs these things.

Still, there are many in God’s church who don’t have a whole lot of faith in prayer.  Perhaps you struggle to pray because you find it difficult, or you just think it’s a waste of time.  Yet we hear in Scripture of Jesus being alone in prayer for much of His ministry on earth while being prepared for the cross.  One might ponder why He needed to pray, since He is “God the Son”!

Consider this: Jesus gave up His godliness, His divinity, and became nothing, relying completely on the Father in all He was called to do.  Jesus displayed the same helplessness as we do.  But rather than fall into sin as we do, He remained sinless, yet bore our sin, helpless on the cross. So now our help is in the name of the Lord, and our helplessness is overcome by God’s powerful hand working when we ask Him to in prayer.

Therefore, the first rule of prayer is having this same “blessed attitude” of helplessness as did Jesus.  In knowing our helplessness, we might see the common helplessness of ourselves and others and freely name sin with the desire to forgive it and receive forgiveness for it. 

Knowing our helplessness also leads us to draw on God’s mercy in restoring the relationship with those who have wronged us and those whom we have wronged.  We can call on Him in our need to open our ears and hearts to each other, so compassion flows again, words are not misheard, and new sins are not committed.

The second rule of prayer is to pray in Jesus’ name or for Jesus’ sake.  As mentioned above, when we do this, we are tapping into an all-powerful source of existence.  Jesus continues His work of praying for us after the resurrection before the Father in heaven, and by allowing the Holy Spirit to connect us to the prayerful work of Jesus in heaven, peace and power will flow through our prayers in Jesus’ name and for Jesus’ sake!

The third rule of prayer is to name our need or the needs of others without believing that we need to help Him answer the prayer.  God doesn’t need us to tell Him how to fix the problem; He just needs us to ask Him for help.  He knows how to fix every problem even before we ask Him.

The fourth and final rule of prayer is that we don’t need to make use of prayer as a means of commanding God to move according to our will and timeframe.  When we do this, we just set ourselves up for a fall.  God knows what we need before we ask for it, whether for ourselves or on behalf of someone else.  We need to leave “the when” and “the how” up to God!  We must remember that we are asking Him because of our helplessness.  How quickly we pray, leave it up to God, but yank it back through unbelief! 

God answers all prayers prayed in Jesus’ name or for Jesus’ sake.  Unfortunately, unbelief causes us to miss seeing them answered. 

Perhaps a starting point for all who struggle with prayer is to ask God in prayer to help us in our unbelief: “I believe, Lord; save me from my unbelief!”  Then we allow God to bind the sin and the unbelieving sinful nature within and to free us so that the Holy Spirit can lead us to pray with deeper and deeper trust in a faithful Saviour with Whom we join when we pray in faith.  It pleases God our Father that our prayers give Him the glory and freedom so He can act as God in our lives, rather than our prayers failing because we seek to stand without the help He wants to provide.

We who pray for others would also do well to pray for our own perseverance and patience, that God might give us enduring peace and confidence in His omnipotence and the power of prayer in Jesus’ name.  In allowing this to occur within, we’re loosed and set free from binding ourselves and committing spiritual suicide.

And rather than assassinating the character of those who have sinned against us, we faithfully ask God to send the Holy Spirit into our hearts to counsel us in Christ, saving both of us from ourselves, assassinating and binding our sin so we can loose each other and our relationships.

When someone sins against you, what do you do?  We can be secret agents wielding a weapon of great power.  We can be assassins binding sin and forgivers loosing sinners.  This is true prayer in Jesus’ name and its use binds us together as one for Jesus’ sake. Amen!

Sermon Summary
When sin wounds a relationship, hiding the offence or retaliating through gossip allows sin to spread and fracture the community. Jesus offers another way: name sin truthfully, seek reconciliation, forgive as we have been forgiven, and pray in His powerful name. Through Christ’s death and resurrection, sin is bound to the cross and sinners are loosed from guilt, condemnation and the desire for revenge. Prayer begins with an honest recognition of our helplessness, trusts Jesus’ intercession, names the need without telling God how to answer, and leaves the timing and outcome in His hands. As the Holy Spirit strengthens faith, God forms His people into a community of forgiveness, peace, patience and restored relationships.

Reflection Questions

1. When someone sins against you, what is your usual response: silence, retaliation, avoidance, honest conversation, or prayer?
2. Is there a hurt you have kept hidden that now needs to be named truthfully and lovingly?
3. How might gossip, resentment or self-protection be allowing sin to spread beyond the original offence?
4. What does it mean for you that Jesus has bound your sin to the cross and loosed you from guilt and condemnation?
5. Which of the sermon’s four principles of prayer do you find most difficult: admitting helplessness, praying in Jesus’ name, naming the need without prescribing the answer, or trusting God’s timing?
6. Where are you tempted to take a prayer back into your own hands rather than leave “the when” and “the how” with God?
7. How could the Holy Spirit help you listen with greater compassion to someone who has hurt you?
8. Is there someone from whom you need to seek forgiveness or to whom you need to offer forgiveness?
9. What practical step can you take this week towards reconciliation, peace or patient prayer?
10. How can your congregation become a community where sin is named with love, confesses with faithfulness, and forgiveness is freely given for Jesus’ sake?

C, The Baptism of our Lord, Epiphany 1 - Luke 3:18-22 "The Heavens were Opened"

Luke 3:18–22 (ESV) So with many other exhortations he (John the Baptist) preached good news to the people.  But Herod the tetrarch, who had been reproved by him for Herodias, his brother’s wife, and for all the evil things that Herod had done,  added this to them all, that he locked up John in prison.  Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heavens were opened,  and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”

It seems strange that Luke would set out his account of Jesus’ baptism in this way.

We know from the other Gospel writers; Jesus was baptised by John in the Jordan.  But here in Luke’s account of the Gospel, when the people suspect him of being the Christ, he says, “I baptise you with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.  He will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” (Luke 3:16 ESV)

After this, Luke has John detained by Herod the tetrarch before Jesus was baptised.  Why does he do this when we know John baptised him?

After this, twice only is John the Baptist, mentioned in Luke’s Gospel account.  In chapter seven Jesus speaks about him and quotes Malachi 3:1 as one being sent as a herald for the Messiah’s coming.

He says, “This is he of whom it is written,  ‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you.’  I tell you, among those born of women none is greater than John.  Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.” (Luke 7:27–28 ESV)

In chapter nine Luke reports Herod as being perplexed by the rumours that Jesus was John the Baptist, Elijah, or one of the other prophets raised from the dead.  Luke has not even reported John’s death but uses Herod’s words to declare his death, how he died, and his interest in seeing Jesus, saying,  “‘John I beheaded, but who is this about whom I hear such things?’ And he sought to see him. ” (Luke 9:9 ESV)

It appears Luke is deliberately setting out his account to make it extremely clear that John the Baptist and what he represents is closed.  His calling of those being baptised to repent is finished.  He was the last prophet of God and therefore the last herald of the Messiah.

With John finished we hear of Jesus having been baptised and while praying the heavens were opened.  In this opening the hearer of the Gospel is given a revelation of Jesus, the Holy Spirit descending in a bodily form, like a dove, and the voice of God the Father declaring this Jesus of Nazareth as his beloved Son.

Heaven is open and the full Triune Godhead is made known at Jesus’ baptism.  Not only is John finished, but Jesus is the first born of a new way of salvation.  One that is pleasing to God, through his beloved Son.

With the baptism of Jesus begins a transitional period.  Apart from Jesus’ disciples reported baptising at the beginning of John chapter four, the only mention of baptism is of Jesus being baptised with the baptism of the cross. 

Jesus says, “I have a baptism to be baptised with, and how great is my distress until it is accomplished!” (Luke 12:50 ESV)

And again, Jesus says to his disciples in Mark 10, “Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptised with the baptism with which I am baptised?”  And they said to him, “We are able.” And Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptised, you will be baptised.” (Mark 10:38–39 ESV)

It's not until Jesus’ baptism of fire at the cross, his descent into hell, and resurrection from the dead that the transitional period is complete. 

After this we hear the great baptismal proclamation of heaven remaining permanently open, where Jesus says, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”  (Matthew 28:19 ESV)

And from the end of Mark’s Gospel Jesus says, “Whoever believes and is baptised will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.” (Mark 16:16 ESV)

This transitional period was the opening of heaven through the baptismal opening afforded to us by Jesus being the Messiah.  What does this mean?

Jesus being the Messiah, or the Christ, is, the Son of God,  the Son of Man, being anointed to bear all the things confessed by those who received John’s baptism of repentance.  To bear all the infirmities of those he healed, to bear all from those he cleansed of evil spirits, to bear all the sins of those who heard him and believed, as well as bearing those who came to belief after he was raised and ascended into heaven. 

Jesus opened the gate of heaven by fulfilling all the requirements of God to be holy.  Jesus was not just good!  His goodness was second to none, so much so he was as perfect as his Father in heaven is holy.  But on the cross, he became all your sin and evil, and mine too!  He perfectly pleased the Father and opened the way closed to Adam and Eve because of sin.

The heavens were opened for the forgiveness of sins.  Now we no longer repent in fear as those did before John the Baptist, but we repent knowing that our sins have been forgiven, our sin is being forgiven, and our sin will be forgiven.

How is this possible?  How are we able to come to God now that he has become all sin for us?  Even though Jesus has done all this for us, if left to our own means we would flee straight back into the darkness and deny his forgiveness is “for me, for you”.

We need to go back to the Jesus’ baptism to hear once again what John the Baptist said and what happened at his baptism.

John said of baptism,  “I baptise you with water…  He (Jesus) will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” (Luke 3:16 ESV)

Now, we know when Jesus was baptised with water, the Holy Spirit came down on him in bodily form, as that of a dove.  And he underwent a baptism of fire on the cross.  We also know, he did not baptise anyone.  But John says, “he will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and fire”.  Is this a mistake, a contradiction?

What we need to realise is the Holy Spirit was revealed when Jesus was revealed as the Son of God.  The Holy Spirit and Jesus Christ are inseparable as far as the forgiveness of sins, our faith, and our willingness to repent are concerned.

In the Old Testament the Holy Spirit is named only three times.  Once in Psalm 51 and twice in Isaiah 63.  Incidentally, these two passages speak of David’s and Israel’s sin and God’s mercy.

Turn to the New Testament and the Holy Spirit is mentioned numerous times.  In fact, by the time Luke reports the Holy Spirit coming down on Jesus in bodily form as a dove, just after his baptism, he has already mentioned the Holy Spirit seven times.  And after Jesus was baptised, Luke tells us he was led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness where he was tempted by Satan.

Luke also gives us the book of Acts.  Commonly it is called the Acts of the Apostles, but in reality, it is the Acts of the Holy Spirit, beginning with the bestowal of the Holy Spirit at the festival of Pentecost just ten days after Jesus’ Ascension into heaven.

The heavens were opened, and they remain open.  The Holy Spirit keeps it open in our ears, and in our mouths.  He enables us to pray to our Father in heaven, he empowers us to believe we join in with Jesus, praying the ceaseless petitions of our great high priest and Saviour.  The Holy Spirit wills us to return to the Law to see our sin, so we can confess our sin, and remain in the holiness of God, where we’re kept in the true faith.

Because the heavens are open, we live in the open reality of the Triune God.  The Holy Spirit is not just present by himself, but is present with the Father and the Son, with us, in the realm of heavenly forgiveness.  Here again, the Holy Spirit works to open our hearts and minds to this reality.  He does this through God’s Word and the Sacraments, continually reminding us of, and bringing us to, Jesus Christ.  He does this so we might receive the forgiveness of sins.

Now that heaven is open, let the light of God shine on you.  Are you reading this sermon,  watching it  online, or falling into habits disconnecting you from the light of God shining on you?

In the office of Christ, I encourage you to pray and let the Holy Spirit return you to the light of God’s forgiveness and receive your Baptismal booster, face to face with the Triune God in church!

The heavens were opened at Jesus’ baptism, and the narrow door remains open through the forgiveness of sins.  Amen.

The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.” (Revelation 22:17 ESV) Amen.