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The Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)

The authors of the Gospels frequently used a particular literary device called allusion. Allusion is when a writer implicitly refers to something well known to his audience, thus allowing his readers to catch the hidden, implicit meaning of the words.

Throughout his Gospel, St. Matthew uses literary allusion to convey Gospel truth. In today’s Gospel reading, Matthew records Jesus giving advice to those dealing with an unrepentant sinner.

“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” (Matthew 18:15-16).

When interpreting the Bible, the Catechism urges us to “be especially attentive to the content and unity of the whole Scripture” (CCC 112).

In Mt. 18:15-16, Jesus alludes to the Torah or Law of Israel, specifically in Deuteronomy 19:15, which says: “One witness alone shall not take the stand against a man in regard to any crime or any offense of which he may be guilty; a judicial fact shall be established only on the testimony of two or three witnesses.”

Then, Jesus says to his twelve disciples: “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, Jesus alludes to Isaiah 22:22 (this was last Sunday’s first reading). This language signifies the conference of authority to make binding, juridical decisions in kingdom administration.

It is within the context of this that we hear the often heard Bible passage: “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 18:19-20).

Is Jesus speaking about his omnipresence among just any two believers that gather together? This is a very popular interpretation. However, if this is what Jesus means, then he has just taken a very wide tangent from the topic at hand. It does not fit the context.

Much more likely is that Jesus is speaking about his personal affirmation of his appointed disciples’ decision to exclude Christians from her bosom should they remain recalcitrant (i.e., unrepentant). This passage is affirming the that the apostles (and their successors in office) have the real authority – derived from Jesus himself – to confer the penalty of excommunication upon those who refuse to repent. Jesus is present authoritatively through those he has ordained.