I bet Matthew 18:19-20 will be a popular verse this year on Christmas Day. “Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”
As pastors look out upon their scant attendance they might be tempted to quote that verse as an encouragement that even though the numbers are down—thankfully because there are at least two or three, Jesus is there with them. Or when he goes to bow his head and pray for the congregation—that he is confident Jesus is listening because at least he isn’t all by himself on Sunday morning.
The folks who stay home might use this verse to justify having worship services at home. Since Ma, Pa, and junior are believers and they are gathering together to celebrate the birth of the Lord (that’s in Jesus’ name, right?) then they can rest assured that Jesus will also be in attendance at the family Christmas party.
I’d argue, though, that both are not accurately applying Matthew 18:19-20.
The Context
Matthew 18 is about what the community of the kingdom of heaven is like. It’s one where the weak ones in the world are welcomed, celebrated, and protected (1-9). It’s a kingdom where the King diligently pursues the ones who go astray (10-14). It is also a kingdom that is marked by repentance, forgiveness, and restoration (15-35). But those who live lives marked by unrepentance and unforgiveness mark themselves off from the kingdom—and the church must respond accordingly.
Matthew 18:15-18 outlines steps for church discipline. If a brother sins against you, then you are supposed to work to restore him—to bring about his repentance. It is also telling that such a thing is to be done responsibly and graciously—bringing two or more witnesses. It is the stubborn refusal to repent for actual sin that causes the steps of church discipline to ultimately come to “let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector”. This is a symbolic way of saying mark one off as not among the people of God.
The fact that verse 18 appears in our Bible tells me that the first century wasn’t much different than our world today. You can almost hear an objection after verse 17. “Who in the world gives the church the authority to say whether or not somebody is part of the people of God.” Verse 18 answers that question. Jesus basically says, “I do. I give the authority to make that call”.
Now working out the implications of that is where it is difficult. What does he mean by “church”? What about…? What if…? And all those other questions that you want to ask. But this is simply what Jesus is saying, the church has been given the keys of the kingdom.
Jesus reiterates that point in verse 19. Notice the word “Again”. That tells us this is going to be a restatement of verse 18. Keep in mind the context, it is judicial. Don’t forget his prior statement about two or three witnesses (16). This comes straight from Dt. 17:6-7. And I appreciate Craig Keener’s comment that, “”the two or three witnesses were to be the first to cast stones, here they are to be the first to pray” (Keener, 290). Verse 20 serves as the ground for verse 19. The presence of Jesus is with those who are gathered in his name in such a situation of discipline and restoration.
Conclusion
Simply put, Matthew 18:19-20 says nothing about what constitutes a church. Nor is it a promise of the presence of Jesus whenever we gather. It is simply saying that Jesus has given the keys to the church and he is present when the church renders judgments on matters of discipline.
What does this mean for your Christmas party? Well, you can always claim the omnipresence of Jesus and his love for your family. But, I don’t believe you can claim this verse and say your family gathering counts as your weekly gathering of other believers. Certainly, the Lord is pleased when you gather as a family in his name but it isn’t the church.
What does this mean for the pastor who uses this verse to encourage his flock that Jesus is still here? Well, he is correct, but he’d also be correct if 5,000 people were in attendance. Hopefully, you believe Jesus ‘shows up’ every single Sunday regardless of who is there—and you believe this not because of some super-spiritual feelings or because you get the willies. Hopefully, you believe this because you are proclaiming God’s Word and you know that Christ is present in His Word (both spoken and visibly presented). I’d say you don’t need to claim Matthew 18:19-20 as an encouragement to your flock. Feed what you’ve got and celebrate that.
And please let us all stop using Matthew 18:19-20 as a cop out for obedience to the Lord’s commands to gather with one another. You and your NFL Sunday ticket don’t constitute two or more gathered in the Lord’s name, and even if it did you can’t claim this verse. Instead let us take encouragement from this verse to do the gutsy thing of living in vital companionship and community with other believers. Jesus is with us, the whole messed up lot of us. And so we can be bold in doing life together. And that’s what this passage is about.
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PS I’m not here making any statement on whether you should or should not attend your local churches Sunday morning worship on December 25th.
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