Loose On Earth

Jesus said to his disciples: “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have won over your brother. If he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, so that every fact may be established on the testimony of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell the Church. If he refuses to listen even to the Church, then treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax collector.

Amen, 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, amen, I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything for which they are to pray, it shall be granted to them by my heavenly Father. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” (Matthew 18:15-20)

“A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush” is a popular expression.  It pertains to a sure thing.  You have it.  The two birds might fly away before you can catch them.  Nevertheless, “two is better than one” is necessary for any relationship even if it becomes unfriendly.  If it does, then as Jesus said, according to Matthew, both parties must talk to one another with one having to take the lead to explain the hurt caused by the neighbor’s sin, such as harmful social media gossip.  Forgiveness is then required.

Jesus makes that clear when he says: “whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”  In other words, forgive instead of binding.  Forgiving loosens on earth the cuffs binding the neighbor to his/her sin of insults and giving harm.

Deacon David Pierce