At a previous parish assignment, an unusual trend came to my attention. The parish Senior High School Youth Group attracted the participation of quite a number of teenagers whose families were members of a local Pentecostal congregation.  When I asked the parish youth minister about this, I was told that the Pentecostal youth were classmates with teens from the parish.  The Pentecostal teens preferred the Catholic youth ministry because they considered the Pentecostal youth group to be coercive. 

Apparently, the local Pentecostal congregation practiced public confession of sin.  When a congregation member transgressed, it was that member’s obligation to confess publicly their sin during Sunday worship services.  If the transgressor did not confess their sins publicly, any member of the congregation who was aware of the sin was obliged to accuse the transgressor publicly during church services.  The teens in that congregation preferred to attend youth ministry activities where they felt safe from such pressure. 

It should be noted that Jesus’ instruction in today’s Gospel reading about confronting sinners is not justification for public accusation of injustice.  Rather, Jesus’ teaching is based on the premise that the goal of such confrontation is reconciliation and restoration. 

In the Gospel reading, Jesus described the steps to follow when one feels offended.  First, one is obliged to address the matter privately so as not to bring public shame on the one perceived as the offender.  If a private conversation does not resolve the issue, then it is permissible to involve one or two other people familiar with the situation.  If those familiar with the transgression are not sufficient to inspire repentance in the sinner, the matter is to be brought to the whole congregation.  Finally, if the appeal by the congregation bears no fruit, the sinful congregation member is to be avoided. 

This measured approach seems very reasonable and practical.  It should be noted, however, that this teaching does not stand alone among Jesus’ teaching.  Presumed, but not stated, is the preparation one must make before addressing a perceived offence. 

This process for addressing grievances follows immediately after Jesus’ parable of the lost sheep.  The parable ends with the explanation, “it is not the will of your heavenly Father than even one of these little ones be lost.” (Mt 18:14)  The immediate context of Jesus’ teaching on confronting sin is God’s will for all to be saved. 

Furthermore, all the foregoing takes place in the wider context of the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew’s Gospel.  One of Jesus’ injunctions to his hearers was that they should “Do to others whatever you would have them do to you.” (Mt 7:12)  If one is to confront another person about their sins, one is obliged to do so in the way one would want to be confronted with such a serious matter.  This obligation delegitimizes anger, shaming, threats, or coercion when dealing with someone perceived to be responsible for injustice.  Proper preparation before confronting a sinner, then, is to commit consciously to fairness, humility, and the ultimate goal of reconciliation. 

This instruction from Jesus about confronting sinners, and its context in the Gospel, present an excellent opportunity for all believers to reflect on their reactions to being offended as well as to being accused of offence.  How would you like to be spoken to by someone who considered you to have offended them?  Take sufficient time to give serious consideration to this hypothetical situation.  Imagine what it would be like to have harmed someone, then imagine how you would like to be confronted by your accuser.   

If your behavior when you feel offended does not match what you would hope to receive from others, you have the opportunity to address this privately, without the shame of public accusation.  Jesus’ instruction to his disciples says that both sinners and those sinned against are obliged to aim for reconciliation and restoration because anything less than the restoration of relationships is yet another sin.