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About Jesus - Steve (Stephen) Sweetman
Where
Two Or Three Are Gathered Matthew 18:20 reads: "For where two
or three
gather in my name, there am I with them." Matthew 18:20 is a
popular but often misunderstood verse in the evangelical church.
We quote it to support those attending poorly attended meetings,
but was Jesus talking about small gatherings of believers?
Our secular culture's
influence on us has cultivated the notion that bigger is better.
Four people gathered together are better than three, one hundred
better than fifty, a mega church better than a tiny country church.
Based on the context of Matthew 18:20, the Greek text, and the
language Jesus spoke, I believe this verse has little to nothing to do
with church meetings. The context of Matthew
18:20 begins in verse 15 where Jesus addressed the issue of restoring
broken relationships among His people.
He continued by saying this, as seen in verse 18. "Truly I tell you,
whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you
loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." Contextually speaking,
the word "bind" in verse 18 is in reference to binding or
restoring broken relationships. If
a broken relationship is bound together on earth, according to Jesus,
there is a corresponding response in heaven.
Relational harmony among God's people on earth, then, relates to heaven
being able to accomplish God's will among us.
Relational discord inhibits heaven from effectively working among us.
Verse 19 goes on to say
this: "Again, truly I
tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for,
it will be done for them by my Father in heaven." In context, the word
"agree" in verse 19 is in reference to two people successfully
mending their broken relationship. More
basic to two people agreeing on a prayer request is their relational
agreement. Further to this,
we derive our English word "symphony" from the Greek word
"symphoneo" that is translated as "agree" in this
verse. Symphoneo consists of
two Greek words meaning "to sound" and "together."
The agreement Jesus had in mind was a relational sounding
together of lives, as musical instruments harmoniously blend together in
an orchestral symphony. When
relational harmony exists in church, requests asked in accordance to
Jesus' plans will be granted. If
there is relational discord but agreement on prayer requests, our Father
is not obligated to grant our requests, and thus one reason for our
unanswered prayers. In Matthew 18:20 the
Hebrew word "synago" was inserted into the Greek text and then
translated as "gathered together" in our English text.
Synago was understood by the Jews to mean a community of people
existing in right relationship with God and with each other.
Such people did meet together but their meetings were to be
birthed from harmoniously relating to God and each other.
This is what Matthew 18:20 is all about.
It has little to do with church meetings.
Matthew 18:20 has everything to do with as little as two or three believers
maintaining harmonious relationships so Jesus can effectively minister
among them and through them.
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