The Courage to Love Enough to Correct

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Today’s Gospel comes from what is often called Jesus’ “Community Discourse”. At this point in Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus is preparing His disciples for life together after His Resurrection. He knows that every family and every community will eventually face misunderstandings, hurt feelings, and even sin. So, before sending them into the world, Jesus teaches them how Christians should deal with conflict – not by ignoring it, gossiping about it, or walking away, but by choosing the difficult path of love. That is why He says, “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone.” Notice that Jesus does not begin with punishment. He begins with relationship. His goal is not to win an argument but to win back a brother or sister.

That sounds simple, but it is probably one of the hardest teachings in the Gospel. Most of us have two natural reactions when someone hurts us. We either avoid the person completely, pretending everything is fine, or we tell everyone else except the person who actually needs to hear it. We gather allies instead of seeking reconciliation. But Jesus proposes something far more courageous. He asks us to have the uncomfortable conversation. Why? Because real love does not remain silent when someone is walking away from what is good and true. Think of a parent who warns a child about danger or a doctor who tells a patient about a serious illness. Neither does it to hurt; they do it because they care. Love sometimes speaks hard truths, not to condemn, but to heal.

There is another challenge hidden in this Gospel. Jesus assumes that we will be willing not only to correct others but also to be corrected ourselves. That may be even harder. None of us enjoys hearing that we were wrong. Pride says, “Defend yourself. Explain yourself. Blame someone else.” But humility asks, “What is God trying to teach me through this?” Sometimes the person correcting us may not say everything perfectly, yet God can still use that moment to shape our hearts. A disciple is not someone who is always right; a disciple is someone who is willing to keep being transformed by Christ.

Jesus ends with a promise that is easy to overlook: “Where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” We often hear this verse at prayer meetings, but in its original context, it is about reconciliation and the life of the Christian community. Jesus is saying that when we choose forgiveness over resentment, truth over gossip, and reconciliation over division, He is present. Every difficult conversation held with charity becomes a place where Christ Himself stands among us. Imagine how different our families, friendships, and parishes would be if we loved each other enough to speak the truth gently and humble enough to receive it.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, teach me to speak the truth with kindness and to receive correction with humility. Remove from my heart the fear of difficult conversations and the pride that keeps me from reconciliation. May every relationship in my life become a place where Your presence is seen and Your love is known. Amen.

– Homily by Rev Fr Patrick Agbeko