As to our worship reading on the eve of 9/11, (Matthew 18:15-20) Jesus orders us to use a method for resolving disputes if one member feels another member has sinned against them or God. The method hopes to keep the dispute from going out to the whole church and allow the one who may have sinned to hear from as few people as possible, making it easier for them to hear. Crowds yelling at us is not easy.
The last line of the text may seem disjointed from the rest, but I think not. As to two members in a dispute, I pray they are always still gathered in Jesus’ name, yes, even if they may not agree on what Jesus would do. If they are still gathered in the name of Jesus, then take assurance, Jesus is there also.
In the Methodist Book of Discipline from 1852 there is a prayer for all Methodist Conferences; “Let everyone here- speak all that is on their hearts and minds, knowing full well that Jesus sits among us”.
Jesus, assuring us that he is with us is, helps us temper our thoughts and speech even as we share all we need to share.
Anyone who has been to one of our Annual Conferences knows that when hot button issues come up, it is good to stop and remind each other, assure each other that Christ is present.
John Wesley built on this theme when he wrote the sermon he named; “Catholic Spirit,” where Catholic means universal.
Wesley argued that in all of our beliefs, we hold on to them because we believe them to be true, after all no one would hold a belief because they felt it was false.
At the same time Wesley argued that all people over the age of twelve can remember at least one time when they turned out to be wrong about something they strongly believed. So, Wesley advocated for each Methodist to not waiver on matters that are the essentials of our faith, but on all other issues to “think and let think” and in all things to “let love prevail”.
Going back to the last line of Jesus. Wherever two or three are gathered in my name; it occurs to me that the connection to the whole rest of this text is the name of Jesus. One important name of Jesus is “Prince of Peace,” not “prince of our winning at all costs,” not prince of “I am right and you are not,” not “prince of we have always done it this way”. No, Jesus is “Prince of Peace” and Jesus says peace among us is essential for us to survive, “for a house divided cannot long stand”.
Think and let think is not easy, it’s just right. The United Methodist Church has a long, strong history of not merely allowing a broad range of thought, it encourages a broad range of thought as part of the strength of the church.
There are denominations that pride themselves on a very narrow window of thought for anyone joining and belonging. We are not among them. We have no creed that you must attest to in order to belong to the body though we have creeds we believe in as a body.
The left hand and the right hand of the Body of Christ need not agree on all things, they do need to love each other and love Christ more than they love what they believe. The left hand and the right hand joined together can lift many things, and when we value the unity more than our self, then it is Christ lifting us.
Two brothers came to Jesus to have him solve their dispute, he declined, saying who made me a judge? We do not need Jesus as referee, we need Jesus Prince of Peace among us, and in us, until we need no referees.
Is there one we need to find and do what is possible for us to restore unity and to live in peace. Jesus said, “If a brother or sister has something against you go find them and settle it before you come to the altar to give your gift”.
The left hand and the right hand joined can lift many things, and when we value the unity more than our self, then it is Christ lifting us. Christ be with us, peace be in us.