In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

     Did you see the article in last Saturday's Gazette, under the headline, "Humans on Exhibit at London Zoo"? The piece reports, "Cages and barely clothed within a rocky enclosure, eight British men and women monkeyed around Friday for an amused, bemused crowd behind a sign reading, 'Warning: Humans in their Natural Environment." The article continues, "The captives in the Human Zoo exhibit sunned themselves on a rock ledge, clad in bathing suits and pinned-on fig leaves. Some played with Hula- Hoops, and some waved. A sign informed visitors about the species' diet, habitat, worldwide distribution and threats to their existence."

     When I first saw that article, I had a couple of thoughts. Might sound a little like Susan and me this summer-sunning ourselves clad in bathing suits and pinned-on leaves-well, sort of. I also thought of the times when my mom and dad would take us three kids to the zoo, any zoo, and dad would invariably say something like, "hold my hand when we walk through the monkey house-we don't want them to think you escaped!" But then, my thoughts turned a little more serious, as I wondered, "what would people think if they looked at us Christians from the outside-watching our behavior, trying to understand what we're doing, and why we're doing it?" Would they see Christian behavior as unique, different in any way from, say other animals-or for that matter, other humans? Or would observers see the Church and conclude, "nope, they're no different, they act just like all the other animals in the world-it's survival of the fittest; do unto your enemies before they do unto you; you have to be tough, or you get eaten alive."

     One of the books I've appreciated studying this summer is one I purchased by pastor and professor David Scaer, whom I've heard lecture several times-most recently at the symposium on ministry at Concordia Theolgical Seminary in Fort Wayne last year. My initial reaction to Dr. Scaer, I have to say, is that he's eccentric, to say the least-but as is often the case, he's a brilliant eccentric! His book is titled, Discourses in Matthew: Jesus Teaches the Church, and he discusses the purpose of Matthew's gospel from a perspective I've not considered before. Pastor Scaer understands Matthew to have written his gospel specifically as what we call, "catechesis"-instruction in the Christian faith for those preparing for Baptism. We also now use forms of that word for "catechism", the instruction of those preparing for confirmation-as well as for the catechumenate-which can include not just preparation of adult candidates for baptism and confirmation, but also the instruction of adults who are joining a church, and instruction of those re-affirming their baptismal vows. And rightly so, for catechesis means simply, "teaching"-and Matthew's gospel, according to Dr. Scaer, is all about compiling Jesus' teachings into a form that serves to help new Christians understand, first, Jesus' teachings, and then, how Jesus saw these teachings shaping life within in the community of his followers. In other words, Matthew's gospel describes for us, "new" and "old" believers alike, in Jesus' own words, what people outside the Church, should see in the community of Christ, when they observe us. The gospel of Matthew, then, has as its first major section of instruction, Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, in Matthew chapters 5-7, which is then followed by four other "discourses"-or sections of Jesus' teaching, that unfold and expand upon his Sermon on the Mount. Sometime, take a look at Matthew from this perspective, asking, "if I were one preparing for Baptism, what would Jesus be saying to me about discipleship and the community of believers?" For now, it's enough to look at our gospel reading for today from that perspective, as our lesson comes from the Fourth Discourse of Matthew, where Jesus lays out for us how we are to live life within the community of disciples-and specifically, how we are to put the Sermon on the Mount into action in the life of the Church and flowing from that, into action in our own lives.

     The section that is appointed as our gospel text for today, is variously described as having to do with "church discipline", "procedures for removing erring members", and "the process for excommunication." In fact, in the approved constitution for ELCA congregations, the process for disciplining members comes right from Matthew 18. And this is not an inappropriate use of Matthew 18-it's just that our use of Matthew 18 is often misdirected and misunderstood...because far from teaching us how to get rid of troublesome members in the Body of Christ, what Jesus is teaching us here, is how to regain troublesome members in the Body of Christ. Before reading our assigned gospel text for today, it's good for us to return to the Sermon on the Mount, to hear what Jesus says about troublesome members, and how we are to deal with those we might view as "sinners" and maybe even "enemies". In his sermon, Jesus says, "when you are offering a gift at the altar and remember that your brother or sister has something against you, first, be reconciled to them, then come and offer your gift." In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says, "love your enemy and pray for those who persecute you", and he teaches us to pray, "Father, forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us". Jesus says, "Do not judge so that you may not be judged", and "first take the log out of your own eye and then you can remove the speck from your neighbor's eye". And then Jesus also says in the Sermon on the Mount, "in everything, do unto others as you would have them do unto you."

     The truth is, our passage from Matthew 18 that is often cited for church discipline, is more rightly aimed at church reconciliation-more rightly aimed at winning the brother or sister back, rather than excluding them or punishing them, or getting rid of them. And Jesus says as much in this chapter. Just before this, in Matthew 18:10-14, Jesus talks about finding the lost sheep, even leaving the ninety and nine, to find the one who has gone astray, affirming, "So it is not the will of your Father in heaven that one of the these little ones should be lost." And immediately, Jesus teaches, "if another member of the church sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to, or hears you, or acknowledges his fault, you have regained that one. If you are not listened to, take one or two others along, so that every word may be confirmed...if the member refuses to listen to them, finally, as a last resort, tell it to the church, and if the offender refused to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector." The point, Jesus says, is to regain the member! The point is to love the member into repentance, and forgiveness, so that this little one may not be lost, but restored to the flock. And everything Jesus teaches, he teaches should be done humbly, without arrogance, without the desire for revenge or punishment, but out of a loving hope for repentance and reconciliation and restoration. And to this, Jesus adds a caution-Jesus teaches that these actions of the church on earth, have eternal consequences-so we are to take these responsibilities seriously, ultimately seriously, because with regard to repentance and forgiveness and restoration-when one is truly forgiven and reconciled on earth, in the Body of Christ, this forgiveness will be respected in the heavenly courts. And when there is no repentance and reconciliation, when one is cast out of the church for actions harmful to the body of Christ and the bringing of new believers to Christ-then, that will be respected in heaven, as well. So Jesus cautions, here are some things to remember: remove the log from your own eye before trying to deal with the speck in your neighbor's eye; do not hate your enemy, but love your enemy and pray for him; seek, not revenge, but reconciliation and restoration; and finally, do nothing, unless at least two or three, gathered and acting in my name, (in the name of Jesus Christ) are agreed-for where two or three are gathered in His name, He is here among us-and when two or more of us agree on earth about anything we ask in His name, it will be done for us-but we are to agree, we are to be of one mind, then, with each other, and necessarily, with Christ Jesus-that what we ask for, and what we do, will be in accord with his presence and his purpose for all his lost and strayed sheep. And only then, Jesus says, only then, if the member still will not listen, then, let him, or her be to you as a Gentile, and a tax collector.

     And what does that mean? Well, for the Jewish converts to whom Matthew was writing, the Gentiles were those to whom the Gospel was being preached, that there might be conversion and hence, salvation. The goal is still, repentance and reconciliation. And then, we think, Jesus and St. Matthew add a humble, personal comment on how we are treat unrepentant members-as Jesus says, "let such a one be to you as a tax collector". Because, if you remember, Matthew was a tax collector. Matthew, himself, was once considered one of the most derided, disrespected, disreputable persons in all of Jewish society-yet here he is, now chosen not only to be one of the apostles, but also, he is an evangelist-writing a gospel to teach Gentiles and tax collectors, sinners and outcasts, about the love of God in Jesus Christ and how it is that they, too, may be welcomed into the community of the followers of Jesus, through Baptism.

     And, if we Christians were on exhibit, with folks outside the Church watching us to see whether, in our church buildings, at our parish meetings, in our workplaces, in our homes and families-whether this is how we behave as members of the Body of Christ, is this what they would see? Love, forgiveness, humility, reconciliation, restoration, reaching out to the one who is lost, at all cost? Jesus said at the Last Supper, "by this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." The world is watching, and observing and deciding-as are those considering Baptism and considering whether they want to become disciples-as are those children and youth, who are still learning what it means to be followers of Jesus-still deciding if that's the life they will choose. This week, think of yourself, as "on display-on exhibit"-and consider, will others know that I am a disciple, by my words, my behavior, my love for others?

     In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.