Divine Arithmetic!

Wednesday, August 12, 2026

Ez 9: 1-7, 10: 18-22; Mt 18: 15-20

Today’s Gospel is a powerful manifestation of neighborly love. 

The opening sentence by Jesus already summarizes his teaching on reconciliation. When Jesus says, ‘If your brother sins against you,’ the reference is not necessarily to a biological sibling but to someone in the community. The use of and emphasis on the word ‘brother’ already implies reconciliation. Further, the personal, communitarian, and ecclesial measures that Jesus suggests only qualify the word ‘brother,’ as Jesus wants only reconciliation as the outcome. Here, Jesus’ intention is not to lose anyone. 

In Jesus’ preaching on reconciliation, one who is right is obligated to initiate it with an attitude of neighborly charity. One who is wrong is obliged to make amends with his/her neighbor through contrition of heart. Thus, the three recommendations of Jesus imply that his disciples and followers must exhaust every possibility for reconciliation. They are also intended to ensure that reconciliation will be the outcome at least in one of the levels if two others fail. For Jesus, resorting to legal measures does not reflect the spirit of the Christian community. Hence, the corrective process is ordained for reconciliation and fraternity.  

To top it all, Jesus highlights fraternal agreement and oneness as the yardstick for people united in prayer. In effect, Jesus is saying that if two or three are gathered in his name with no division, resentment, bias, or hatred, then that is the ideal form of prayer that will please the Heavenly Father. For Jesus, a prayer can have no meaning apart from such fraternal communion. Along these lines, we can also think that a prayer that is devoid of intentions on behalf of suffering humanity shrinks to being a selfish or individual exercise, even ousting God because the so-called spiritual motivation is not neighborly enough. 

Christianity is proclaimed best through fraternity. 

Let us pray that we may fulfill the Divine arithmetic through fraternal reconciliation.

Fr. Dhinakaran Savariyar