“For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." This is what Jesus told his disciples in this Sunday’s Gospel (Matthew 18:15-20). He assured his disciples that he would be with them whenever they gathered together in prayer.

 

But a writer, whose name I forgot, made a change to that quotation that I have not forgotten. He wrote, “For where two or three are gathered together, there is a good chance for trouble.”

 

Jesus obviously would agree with that. Otherwise, he would not have spoken the words we find in this Sunday’s Gospel about dealing with problems between disciples.

 

Jesus knew that when people were together, there was always a possibility for tension, arguments, misunderstandings, hostility, and jealousy. This was possible even among his disciples.

 

In Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus gives us detailed instructions on how we are to deal with a fellow disciple, a fellow Christian, whom we believe has done us wrong or injured us in some way.

 

Jesus says, "If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone.” This is the first step in a three-step process proposed by Jesus to deal with tensions within the Christian community. In contemporary terms, this means not posting anything on social media or texting your grievances. It means approaching the person you feel has injured you.

 

This first meeting is not to be one of confrontation and accusation but rather a private meeting with the person that we believe has injured us. As members of the Church, each of us is called to remember our obligation to be at peace with one another, to love one another.

 

If this meeting fails to resolve the situation, Jesus says we should then ask one or two people to join us for a future conversation. Ideally, these additional people are not only to act as witnesses to the hurt that has occurred, but to also show their love and concern for us and for the other person.

 

If this second approach fails, then the third step involves bringing the matter to the church. Obviously, this does not mean announcing the situation before the entire Christian community, but it may mean asking the leaders of the parish for their advice, prayers, and possible quiet intervention.

 

Finally, if nothing works, Jesus tells us, “If he refuses to listen even to the church, then treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax collector.” While this could mean separating ourselves from the person or removing the person from the community, we need to remember that during his ministry, Jesus freely associated with tax collectors, sinners, and Gentiles and showed them mercy and love.

 

Jesus wants all his disciples to be united in their love for him and for one another, even when it is a challenge. For as he reminds us, “all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35).

 

© 2026 Rev. Thomas Iwanowski