The Son of Man has come to save that which was lost

 "Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven.  For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.  What do you think?  If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one who is straying?  And if he should find it, assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray.  Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.

"Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone.  If he hears you, you have gained your brother.  But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that 'by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.'  And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church.  But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.  Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.  Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven.  For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them."

- Matthew 18:10-20

Yesterday we read that that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Who then is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"  (This is just after the second prophesy Jesus has given them of His suffering, death and Resurrection.)  Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.  Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.  Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me.   But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea.  Woe to the world because of offenses!  For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes!  If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you.  It is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the everlasting fire.  And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you.  It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire."

 "Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven."  St. John Chrysostom teaches that not only the saints, but all people have guardian angels.  But, my study bible notes, the angels of humble people have greater boldness and greater honor before the face of God because of the humility of the person that they guard.  It is not the nature of God, but the weakness of human beings, that requires the service of the angels.

"For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.  What do you think?  If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one who is straying?  And if he should find it, assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray.  Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish."  Here is a display of the love of God.  Christ sees such value in one sheep that He will leave the others at risk to save it (unlike earthly shepherds, my study bible adds).  The ninety-nine sheep represent the righteous who remain faithful to God (Luke 15:7).  In accordance with some patristic writers, this is also an image of the Incarnation:  the ninety-nine represent the angels in heaven; Christ descended from heaven to pursue the one sheep -- humankind -- who had fallen into corruption on earth.

"Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone.  If he hears you, you have gained your brother.  But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that 'by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.'  And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church.  But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector."  Jesus gives us a model for Church discipline, which is based on mutual correction in three expanding stages.  Sin and correction, my study bible notes, remain private unless the offender refuses to repent (note that this mirrors Jesus' own behavior, as He corrects His disciples in private; see for example this reading).  All correction has to be done with great care and humility (see 7:3-5), with the highest concern being the salvation of the offender (see 1 Corinthians 5:5; Galatians 6:1).  However, correction is necessary so that sin does not spread to others as well.

"Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.  Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven.  For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them."   My study bible says that the authority to bind and loose sins is given to the apostles and transmitted to the bishops and presbyters they ordained.  This authority is given for the sake of the salvation of the sinner.  St. John Chrysostom writes that "seeing that he is not only cast out of the Church, but that the bond of his sin will remain in Heaven, [the sinner] may turn and become gentle."

Jesus presents the disciples with teachings about how His Church is to function after His death, Resurrection, and Ascension.  They don't know yet how events will unfold.  He's just given them two warnings about what is to come, telling them that He will be raised on the third day.  In yesterday's reading, their concerns came to light when they asked who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.  It's likely they expect the worldly eternal kingdom of the Messiah in accordance with popular understanding, and so they ask about their positions in this coming kingdom.  But Jesus prepares them for what is come, teaching first of all about humility ("whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven").  In today's reading He gives us a model for correction in the Church, but begins with the model of God's love, teaching about the effort to save all, and in particularly those who are straying.  He pictures God as one of us, rejoicing over finding what was lost more than all that had remained.  Indeed, He gives them the word that He Himself is sent into the world as human being in order to save that which was lost.   And here we get the true "flavor" of Christ' ministry and the Church.  The Church is here to save that which was lost, to call us back to where we belong.  We are all imperfect beings, but we are meant to grow in likeness to our Creator, and this is the purpose of the Church:  to teach us to find the way to do that, to show us the way.  It is, in that sense, a portal, a doorway to the Kingdom, in which Christ Himself is the door (see John 10:9-16).  In the same passage in John, Jesus also calls Himself the good shepherd.  He's the one who gives His life for the sheep.  In this is an illustration of God's love, and in particular for those whose angels always see the face of "My Father who is in heaven."  Let us consider what it is to be a stray, a lost sheep.  Perhaps many of us have had this experience.  To be astray is not to really know where we are going, wandering far and wide from the place where we really need to be and where we have belonging, and in particular, a deep love.  It is always God's deep love missing from lives that are astray, and it is that love that pulls us back.  He will wander far and wide, our Good Shepherd who comes to the ends of the earth to find His sheep.  That is the kind of love that does not abandon, even when everyone else has (Psalm 27:10-11).  It is the king of love that will lead us back when we have no guide.  He is present with us when we call on Him.  It is this kind of love the disciples are to learn, and we who seek to carry His light must remember our call as well.