September 6, 2026

Matthew 18:15-20

Jesus said to his disciples:
"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.'
If he refuses to listen to them, tell the church. 
If he refuses to listen even to the church,
then treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax collector.
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, amen, I say to you,
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."

the scribble

“If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone.”

The underlying message is that love doesn’t simply stand by when someone is moving away from God. 

This reminds me of a story I heard years ago that really struck me, and one I think of often when I feel inspired to share about my faith but am searching for the courage to do so. I have shared the story with my kids and I’d love to share it with you.

The story is a remarkable one about Penn Jillette, the famous magician and outspoken atheist from Penn & Teller.  After one of their performances, a Christian man had the courage to approach Penn and give him a Bible. Penn later spoke about the encounter, and what he said is the part that has really stayed with me. He essentially said, if Christians really believe what they say they believe, about Heaven, Hell and eternal life, then keeping silent about it would be profoundly unloving. 

This man cared enough about Penn that he risked being uncomfortable to let him know about the Truth. To me, that sounds incredibly courageous. 

This week's Gospel teaching reminds me of this story because when we see someone we love moving in the wrong direction, love does not simply shrug its shoulders and say, “That’s none of my business.” No, Jesus says, “Go to him.”

Genuine love sometimes requires the courage to offer correction rather than the comfort of remaining silent. 

Sometimes the hardest part of loving another person is having the courage to say, “I care about you too much to remain silent.” And sometimes the hardest part is receiving those words with humility, recognizing that the correction is coming from a place of love. 

I don’t believe Penn was converted to Christianity after this encounter, but I do believe he understood that this man cared about his soul. And that is the message I hear in this Gospel. Jesus wants us to care about our brother's soul. He doesn’t want us to be indifferent, or to remain silent simply because things feel uncomfortable. He wants us to love people enough to want Heaven for them. 

This is where those last few lines of this Gospel really jump out to me:

“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.”

So don’t let this Gospel end as a thought-let it become a prayer. Today, ask the Holy Spirit to place one person on your heart: your husband, your wife, your child, your friend, your brother, or your sister.  Then reach out to them. Invite them to pray with you, and if you cannot pray together yet, pray for them by name. 

Ask God for the courage to speak with love, the humility to listen without judgment, and the faith to trust that even a small act of love can open a door to grace.  

Because silence may feel safe, but love is willing to step forward.

Today, choose one person. Pray for them. And when the moment comes, let them know: "I care about you too much to remain silent.  I want Heaven for you.”