The Holy Eucharist - September, 06 2026 - 10am

The pews testify to a deep dependence on God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God fills His people with earthly and heavenly gifts, with His Word, His Sacrament, and most of all, His love. The pews also show that unique, unrepeatable, irreplaceable image bearers become one family, one church, one body of Christ in Him.

The empty pews point toward people who do not yet know where to go to be cared for and filled up by Jesus. The empty pews also may hold the places of people who have wounded, betrayed, abandoned, or sinned against others. Matthew 18 confronts the hard reality that some sins have never been named, some brothers and sisters have never been held accountable, and some relationships have never been brought toward forgiveness.

The wound of another person often makes anger, sadness, and resentment feel like the last things under control. The desire for control then turns into gossip, narrative-making, and unhealthy ways of managing pain. Matthew 18 puts control outside human hands, and vulnerability becomes the great obstacle. Vulnerability lets another person see the warts, wounds, scars, and all, so exploitation of that vulnerability makes trust feel frightening.

Jesus promises that loneliness never means being alone. Jesus travels in the heart of the person who goes to confront a brother or sister, in the friends who come alongside, and in the midst of the church seeking to gain someone back. Jesus, the Prince of Peace, sometimes makes peace between wounded people, and sometimes makes peace within a wounded heart when the other person refuses to make things right. Christ teaches His people not to argue with a liar, just as He did not argue with Judas, but to trust that He will sort it all out.

Matthew 18 does not require unsafe contact or rushed reconciliation. Prayer can begin the process when the wound is too fresh, the pain too deep, or the other person remains dangerous. The prayer, “Jesus, forgive them because right now, I can’t,” honestly entrusts both the offender and the wounded heart to Christ’s healing. Matthew 18 seeks neither shame nor revenge, because retribution belongs to the Lord. Matthew 18 seeks to gain a brother or sister back, so that empty pews may again be filled by people cared for and filled up by Jesus.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Empty pews can name broken relationships The empty place may represent more than someone absent from church. The image can expose relationships left unresolved through fear, pain, or resentment. Matthew 18 calls wounded people to see reconciliation not as a private inconvenience, but as part of Christ’s care for His body. [19:13]
• 2. Control often hides beneath resentment Anger can feel safer than vulnerability because it seems manageable. Gossip and coping mechanisms can become attempts to control a story and numb a wound, even when they fail to heal either one. Matthew 18 releases the demand for control into Christ’s hands. [21:14]
• 3. Jesus accompanies vulnerable obedience Christ does not send wounded people into hard conversations alone. His presence goes with the one who speaks, with the trusted friends who support, and with the church that seeks peace. His companionship does not guarantee the other person’s response, but it makes faithfulness possible. [23:33]
• 4. Prayer can begin healing safely Some wounds are too fresh, and some people are not safe to approach. Prayer does not deny the damage or excuse the offender, but places both justice and healing before Jesus. “Forgive them because right now, I can’t” can become the first honest step toward a softened heart. [25:47]
• 5. Reconciliation seeks a sibling, not victory Matthew 18 refuses revenge, humiliation, and the desire to get one over on somebody. Christ calls His people to name real harm in the hope of gaining a brother or sister back. Even where reconciliation remains incomplete, Jesus preserves the call to love without surrendering truth.
  
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Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [17:12] - The Meaning of Sitting Together
• [18:53] - Empty Pews and Wounded Relationships
• [20:19] - Control, Resentment, and Vulnerability
• [22:48] - Jesus Goes With the Wounded
• [25:16] - When Direct Confrontation Is Not Safe
• [27:25] - Speaking Truth to Gain a Brother
• [28:53] - Filling Empty Pews Through Reconciliation

Bible Reading

Matthew 18:15–20
“If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” [20:19]

Job 1:21
“And he said, ‘Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.’” [22:08]

Romans 12:19
“Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’” [28:43]

Observation questions

1. In Matthew 18:15–20, what steps does Jesus give when a brother or sister sins, and what is the hoped-for outcome of those steps?
2. What kinds of wounds and responses can leave a “pew” empty in the life of a church—both literally and relationally? [19:42]
3. According to the passage, what is the role of one or two trusted people when a private conversation does not lead to listening?
4. What are some ways anger, resentment, gossip, and unhealthy coping can become attempts to control a painful situation? [21:21]

Interpretation questions

1. Jesus says, “If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.” How does this goal change the tone and purpose of confronting someone who has caused harm? [28:56]
2. Matthew 18 begins with a private conversation but later involves others and the church. How might these steps protect both the wounded person and the person being confronted?
3. Romans 12:19 places vengeance in God’s hands. What does leaving revenge to the Lord look like when a person has committed real and serious harm?
4. Jesus promises His presence where two or three are gathered in His name. How does Christ’s presence speak to the fear and vulnerability involved in seeking peace? [23:45]

Application questions

1. Is there a broken relationship that comes to mind when thinking about an empty pew? What makes that relationship difficult to address: fear, grief, anger, shame, lack of safety, or something else? [19:47]
2. When hurt feels out of control, what forms can “controlling the narrative” take in daily life—such as replaying conversations, venting, gossiping, withdrawing, or trying to make others take sides? Which temptation is most familiar? [21:14]
3. Is there someone with whom a direct conversation would be unsafe or unwise right now? What would it look like to honor wise boundaries while still entrusting that person and the situation to Jesus? [25:14]
4. The prayer, “Jesus, forgive them, because right now I can’t,” is honest about both sin and weakness. Is there a person for whom that prayer could be a first faithful step this week? [26:02]
5. Who are one or two mature, trustworthy believers who could pray, listen, and help bring clarity without spreading the story further? [26:31]
6. If a conversation is appropriate and safe, how could someone speak truth without shaming the other person? What words might communicate, “You hurt me, but I desire what is whole and right”? [27:31]
7. Where is Jesus inviting greater trust in His justice rather than a personal need to get even? What might it mean to release that desire for revenge to the Lord? [28:39]