Sin and Punishment
Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time Scripture Readings
Once again, we see Jesus’s teachings confronting and even contradicting commonly held beliefs and practices, even practices wrongly justified by Scripture. Although we’ve all heard the aphorism, “Spare the rod and spoil the child,” and we see it applied all across every spectrum of human behavior, few beliefs result in more counterproductive consequences than that one. In fact, for both children and adults, punishment produces the opposite effects from its stated intentions. Punishment may, for a time, result in forced compliance, but compliance does not equate to conversion. Punishment in itself does not and cannot bring about metanoia—the change of mind and heart that Jesus preached. Punishment is conformity purchased at the cost of resentment, vengeful aggression, loss of self-esteem, distrust, and in children, damage to hormone regulation and brain function. We’ve all experienced in ourselves or in others those times when punishment became a tool for unleashing frustration and anger. Like revenge, punishing isn’t a Christian approach to wrongdoing.
Now, let’s look at today’s gospel reading. It starts out with, “If your brother sins against you…” I don’t like the use of the word “sin” in this context. That isn’t because I don’t believe that people sin—on the contrary. However, “sin” is a loaded term, and using it here, I believe, only muddies the waters. I prefer the term “wrong”, as in “If your brother wrongs you…” Although scripture scholars disagree as to whether the wrong is personal or to society in general, I believe with most scholars that its primary reference is to someone wronging you. This makes an enormous difference when you consider whether this applies to wronging someone—that is, being unjust or uncharitable toward them—or when someone believes or does something wrong in general. If it means taking it upon yourself to correct another’s thinking or behavior when that doesn’t personally affect you, that is problematic.
Evidently, the context of today’s gospel passage is conflict or confrontation between members of the εκκλησια (ekklēsia), the Christian community. Confrontation is neither comfortable nor easy. Before we get into the nuts and bolts of how confrontation and correction should be done in a loving but effective way, we always have to ask, first and foremost, whether it should be done at all. That’s the first, and highest hurdle. What damage is the behavior in question doing to the person themselves, to you, and/or to the community? Is there real harm being done by the person’s unjust or unloving words or actions? Is it real harm, or is it just apparent? Is it actual, or just the violation of some rule or principle? Are there victims? Are there consequences? Is it deliberate or direct harm, or collateral damage that may have been caused by perfectly justified and loving behavior? Keep in mind that no action is without some negative consequences. Just because there may be consequences doesn’t mean that the person is doing wrong. So, is confrontation and correction necessary?
There is a serious secondary consideration: if confrontation and correction are necessary, are you the one to carry it out? The answer is clear when you are the one wronged. This is the most obvious focus in the gospel: “Go and tell him his fault between you and him alone.” It’s important to scrutinize our motives here. What’s our goal? Our long-term goal may be metanoia, conversion, and behavior change. Yet, it’s a difficult awakening to realize we can’t accomplish that. We can’t make anyone change anything. Metanoia is exclusively an “inside job.” And we have to ask: when we adopt as our goal changing another’s behavior, might it actually be just an excuse for inflicting pain on the other as punishment or vengeance for a wrong done to us?
Now, what if we haven’t been personally wronged? Under what circumstances is it up to us to approach another with confrontation and correction? Here’s where humility has to take center stage. Does it count as a good reason to confront and correct another that it’s “for their own good?” No. Unless we’re being personally affected, or we’re in a position of authority or responsibility over what is being affected, it’s none of our business. Confrontation and correction without personal involvement in the wrong that was done is nothing more than arrogant and entitled meddling.
What if, because of personal involvement or responsibilities, we find ourselves in a position to say something, and we don’t because, as I said, confrontation and correction are both uncomfortable and hard to do right. What if we were in a position to say something that would have prevented further damage to ourselves or others, and we don’t? How many times have we heard people make the excuse for not doing anything that “I was afraid to get involved? Look at today’s first reading. Ezekiel is being put on the spot. His responsibility to say something as a prophet is compared with the responsibility of watchmen. They’ve been given a charge to care for the safety and security of the community. If they neglect their duty to warn—or Ezekiel’s duty to prophesy—then not only are they guilty of dereliction of duty, but they also bear responsibility for the preventable damage their negligence allowed. That, dear friends, is a sobering thought.
The gospel continues… “If he does not listen…” That means that they either didn’t believe you or they dismissed what you have to say. So, the next step is to bring witnesses. That’s to try to bring home both your sincerity and the seriousness of your message. They’ll no longer be able to brush it off, saying you were exaggerating or outright making it up. It’s the level of confrontation that the Torah required before bringing a court case. It’s a higher level of seriousness, but again, not to shame or punish the other, but hoping to convince them of the seriousness of the consequences of their actions.
Finally, if there’s no adequate response, the gospel says to bring it to the Church. What for? Not for punishment. Not for excommunication or shunning, but for re-evangelization. Jesus and the Church both treated Gentiles and tax collectors as people to be sought after, people to be drawn into the fold with love like the shepherd who left the ninety-nine sheep to search for the one. That’s how Jesus expected his followers to behave toward wrongdoers—not with judgment but with compassion.
Now let’s talk for a moment about social media. The vitriol, rancor, prejudice, and hate we see there not only contradict Jesus’s teachings, but they’re also indications of the diabolical soul-sickness that afflicts our contemporary scene. Much of it is a punishing attitude all the way down to the level of social and emotional murder. If more people took Jesus’ words to heart and had the same mentality of Christ Jesus, social media would be a much quieter place. Listen to the words of today’s readings. Where necessary, correct with love. But ask yourself, does it need to be said? Does it need to be said by me? Does it need to be said by me now? The answers to those three questions will make clear whether our urge to confront and correct others is in Jesus’s Spirit of love and for their benefit, or out of a selfish desire for vengeance and retaliation.
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