Two weeks ago, on the 21st Sunday of Ordinary time, in the 16th chapter of Matthew Jesus gave Peter the keys to the kingdom with the power to bind and loose. Two weeks and two chapters later, repeats the authorizing of binding and loosing, but this time to all the aapostles.
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."
~Mt 18:15-20
Why does Jesus repeat Himself? Dr. Brant Pitre explains.
That explains a lot! I did not realize the full ramifications of this passage until now.
Meditation: “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them."
I’ve always loved that verse.
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