09/02/2026
The readings from our lectionary this week offer a challenging vision of what it means to live together as God’s people. Ezekiel reminds us that we are called to watch out for one another and Psalm 119 asks God to teach us the way of wisdom. In our Romans passage Paul reminds us that love is the fulfillment of the law. And, in Matthew 18, Jesus gives his disciples (that's us too) a path toward reconciliation when relationships become strained.
None of our readings suggest that community is easy. From the dawn of time living in community has presented challenges to creation. The truth is we will hurt one another, we will misunderstand one another, we will disagree with one another, and, despite all our best intentions, we will fail one another. And even in the midst of our shortcomings and imperfection, Jesus calls us to live in community and offers us a way to do so: "Go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone.”
While these instructions are deceptively simple, reconciliation begins, not with public accusation, gossip, or choosing sides, but with the courage to speak honestly and directly to an another — with love. Engaging in honest dialogue requires humility to listen and grace to make room for another person's perspective.
Paul gets to the heart of it: “Owe no one anything, except to love one another.” This kind of love does not mean avoiding hard conversations. In fact, love means entering these conversations because the relationship matters. This kind of love means seeking restoration rather than victory. It means remembering that the person with whom we disagree is still our neighbor, still beloved by God, and we are still called to genuinely love them.
However, Jesus doesn't leave us to do this on our own. He promises, "Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.” Jesus is reminds us that reconciliation is never something we accomplish alone. Rather, Christ's presence in the difficult conversation, in the uncomfortable silence, in the willingness to apologize, and in the decision to try again, is where we find hope.
