Parable on the Lost Sheep.

(Mat. 18:10-20 and Luke 15:3-7).

This sermon paints a picture of the boundless love and mercy toward the fallen human. “Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones” — do not despise, almost the same as “don’t tempt” i.e. don’t regard them as being so insignificant as to find it unimportant to even tempt them; “little ones” i.e. those that have, for Heavenly Kingdom’s sake belittled themselves, — genuine Christians. Each one of them has a Guardian Angel from God; that’s why if God Himself is concerned about them, have people the right scorn them? “For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost” — this new encouragement is to not despise these little ones, because the Lord Himself came down to earth for their salvation. In order to show more evidently as to how dear the salvation of mankind is in the eyes of God, the Lord compares Himself to a shepherd. Leaving the whole flock i.e. countless mass of Angels, He went searching for one lost sheep — the fallen Man.

As Blessed Theophylactus explains, the meaning of this sermon is “that God is concerned about converting the sinner, and rejoices over them more than over those confirmed in righteousness.” The following Lord’s directives on how to reform a loved one, are tightly bound to the prohibition of tempting him. If enticing your loved one into sin runs contrary to love, then it is no less contrary for love to allow him to remain in sin and not worry about his reformation when he sins. But this has to be done carefully, with brotherly love: initially, censure him privately, and if he acknowledges his sin and condemns himself, then “you have gained your brother,” acquired that person anew — who had fallen by the wayside through sin and ceased to be a member of Christ’s Kingdom. Should he not listen to your brotherly censure and admonishment and persist with his sin, then it is necessary to take one or two more people that will act as witnesses to your brother’s stubborn behavior, and at the same time influence and encourage him to repent (the Law of Moses demanded that in all court matters, there must be two or three witnesses present — Deut. 19:15). If he doesn’t listen even to them, “tell it to the Church.”

Here, the term “Church,” naturally doesn’t mean the whole community of believers but those placed in charge of Her — the presiding clergy, her pastors to whom authority has been given to tie or to release. “But if he refuses even to hear the Church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector,” i.e. if he is so set in his sin that he doesn’t care about the authority of the Church pastors, then let him be excommunicated from communion with Her, just as all heathens and tax-collectors are excluded from communion with Jews, because they were regarded as extremely defiled people. The meaning of the statement is: a person that doesn’t recognize the authority of the Church should not be regarded as your brother, terminate your association with him so as not to become infected with his sickness. These obdurate sinners that reject the authority of the Church hierarchy are totally expunged from the Church, as shown by Apostle Paul’s example in 1Cor. 5^th. Chapter. These words from Christ provide the foundation (from Apostolic times) on which the Church practices excommunication — called “anathema” — which is in full accord with Corinthians 16:22.

“Anathema” doesn’t mean “curse” as many contemporary people think, condemning the Church for ostensibly permitting an act that is contrary to Christian love. “Anathema” (exclusion) is an extreme enlightening measure for stubborn sinners that are unwilling to reform, and also to warn others from following them. This right was given to the Church hierarchy by the Lord Himself: “Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in Heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in Heaven.” What was previously promised to Peter (16:19), is now promised to all the Apostles. The Apostles passed this authority to bind or discharge sins to their successors — the pastors of the Church that have been placed to continue their work on earth. But in every other situation, when Christ’s Apostles come together for a united prayer in relation to whatever existing need, the Lord promises to fulfill their desires, “For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”