I actually have many many things to write about; so much has been hoarded up in my mind and in my heart! But writing them takes up quite a bit of time, which I don't have much of, and a whole lot of effort, even though it brings me great happiness because when I write, I feel God's smile. Anyway, I shall note each thing down on a piece of paper, and write about them all in time.
Last Sunday (010210), I joined two others from the Youth (we call the Youth Service in our church The Tackle Box, stemming from us being called to become "fishers of men") prayer ministry in praying and interceding for the Youths. We usually gather to pray in the prayer room just outside the Worship Hall about 30 mins before TTB service begins, but without any formal stop time (sometimes, we pray a good half hour into the service!)
Though our numbers are not massively impressive, there are actually about seven or eight prayer warriors\intercessors from TTB for TTB, I feel the ministry is good because I know God is there with us, listening to us, I know Jesus is praying with us, seated at the right hand of the Father, I know the Holy Spirit is groaning and interceding through us, for us.
It was interesting, what was prayed for last Sunday morning. Interesting because all three of us, though there wasn't any prior agreement nor consensus to pray for a particular item or topic, we found ourselves crying out to God for pretty much one something that weighed and was pressed very heavily on our hearts:
sin
vices
temptations
falling away from God
And for some reason, as I listened to the others, fervent in prayer, as I too prayed, I heard God saying that what we were doing, our prayers, our psalms, our lamentations were beautiful. And so, while the subject of prayer was painful and potentially discouraging, it became wonderful, sacred and encouraging.
"Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them."
~ Matthew 18: 19-20
This is a very commonly cited passage that many use to implore us to pray with one another, to pray together. But exactly what meaning is packaged in these two verses? Does it mean that numbers in prayer count? Does it mean that if I pull a friend to pray with me about the same thing, even if God doesn't want to, He's got to do what we ask?
There are various differing views on this passage. What follows here is what I have gathered and tried to make sense of thus far.
Let's unpack the package.
Praying Together
There is something quite fascinating about Biblical ideas concerning Mathematics.
"Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven..."
It was written in the Old Testament that "one (could) chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight" (Deut 32: 30a). Strange ratio, no? It isn't a straight linear proportion that we find here: one to a thousand, and hence two to two thousand. No. Here, it is one to a thousand, and two to ten thousand!
So maybe there is some kind of power that comes with numbers, albeit not necessarily proportionately!
But here's the catch:
"Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven..."
While there are a number of Greek words that have been used in the Bible, they don't all imply the exact same thing, so it is useful, in fact, crucial to know which is used when.
Here, the word is συμφωνέω (sumphōneō), and it means to sound together; to be harmonious. The Amplified Bible refers to this "agreeing" as to "harmonize together, make a symphony together".
Ray Stedman uses the analogy of a piano:
The harmony is already there, it is simply brought out as you strike the right notes.
So this verse pictures two Christians coming together; (each) one says what is on his heart, what he believes God wants him to pray for,
and where they find they agree, where they harmonize, where they sound together,
those are the areas where they can fully expect God to work.
These are areas where God says,
"It shall be done."
In other words, he says that "where two or three of you sound the same note, not by comparing notes beforehand, but simply, voluntarily, spontaneously, sounding this out, it shall be done by (the) Father which is in heaven" because that is when the "mind of the Spirit" is "determined".
That is one view vocalised by one camp of thought.
Law & Instruction
On flipside, some people say that these verses must be read "in context", that is, with reference to the preceding verses (vv. 15-20).
Here, Jesus was giving instructions, how to go about restoring a wayward brother (or sister). And with the word for "thing" in "anything" to be the Greek πρᾶγμα (pragma), which stems from a primary verb which means to practise; to perform repeatedly or habitually, a certain deed; business; matter; thing; work, "anything" must therefore mean kinds of judicial decisions or corporate discipline.
In other words, this passage is spoken with reference to the authority and methods of the church specifically; it has little or even nothing to do with prayer!
I don't know which perspective is true and which is problematic, I'll admit.
But I have found a third lens, and to that, I subscribe:
Humility, Mercy & Love
Let's look at Matthew 18, the chapter in its entirety.
It begins with a question:
"Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"
Jesus' answer to that question was an unspoken one. His response made the disciples realise that the answer to their question did not matter. What mattered was whether or not they'd be in the Kingdom of Heaven.
Their question betrayed a desire for individual greatness over others, betrayed a proud heart that displeased God. Temptations, like wealth, power, fame, lust (Great4), all these keep us from understanding what was important, all these keep us from entering the Kingdom of Heaven, all these keep us from God.
And the remedy is humility
Jesus continues his answer with the parable of the lost sheep, instructions on how to address a wayward brother (within which our two verses are located), and the parable of the unforgiving and wicked servant.
Do you see a common thread in all three passages, a thread that in fact runs from the beginning of the chapter to its very last word?
Why would the man leave 99 to search for that 1 lost sheep?
And why, when found, did he rejoice over that 1 so greatly?
Why would Jesus instruct us to repeatedly attempt to gain over a wayward brother?
And why would He say that if all else fails, to treat the wayward as a Gentile and a tax collector?
Why would the master release and forgive the indebted servant?
And why was he so furious when the pardoned indebted refuse to pardon another like him?
Why would Jesus spend time to remedy his disciples' misconstructions?
Why did the chapter end with forgiveness?
The answer is Mercy & Love.
Mercy is at the very heart of God.
It is because of mercy that the man searches for that 1 lost sheep.
It is because of mercy that we are instructed to repeatedly advise a wayward brother.
It is because of mercy that the master would release and forgive the indebted servant.
Love is who God is.
It is because of love that the man rejoices so awesomely.
It is because of love that we treat a stubborn wayward as a non-believer.
It is because of love that Jesus spoke all He spoke.
Because our Father is merciful,
because He loves us so very much,
He sent Jesus to die on that splintered cross for our sins and transgressions
that we may be reconciled with Him again,
as it should always have been.
The greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven is the one who truly understands the heart of God, a do-er of the word,
one who fears the Lord
one who shows mercy to others (which was the reason for all the explicit instruction)
one who shows love to others through forgiveness (just as we too were forgiven).
I think Jesus summarized it in Matthew 22: 37-39 quite succintly, saying:
"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets."
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