"Gotcha!"

by Bob Setzer, Jr.
Gotcha is the universal trademark of the trickster or tease. He or she fires off a prank or pun and waits for a reaction from the target. When realization dawns, the one so afflicted (or delighted!) turns to see the jokester watching in amused glee. The polished provocateur points, winks, and says, "Gotcha!"

There are a lot of gotchas in the Gospels.

One of those occurs in the 18th chapter of  Matthew. Jesus is offering some practical tips on managing the inevitable spats that occur within any family, especially the family of the church. And for once, Jesus' teaching sounds imminently doable. Matthew, notepad at the ready, is scribbling furiously. "This is good!" he muses. "I've got to get this in my book!"

"First thing," says Jesus. "If someone ticks you off, go and speak privately with him or her about this matter" (Mt 18:15). Matthew isn't entirely happy with this advice. Shouldn't the jerk who made this mess have to take the first step in fixing it? But Jesus is soft on jerks. Matthew knows this. So he swallows hard and writes down Step One.

"Secondly," says Jesus, "if you two can't talk out the problem by yourselves, get some help. Find a referee or coach, maybe an honest-to-God counselor” (Mt 18:16). Matthew has mental health benefits on his health plan so he can hire a professional for little or no out-of-pocket expense. He can live with this.

"Then," says Jesus, "if ya'll still can't work it out, take the matter to the church" (Mt 18:17). Yes!, thinks Matthew. This just gets better and better. I can't wait to expose this scoundrel to the church. Once folks know the whole story, surely they will side with me!

"Finally," says Jesus, "if the impasse remains," let this person be to you as a Gentile and tax collector" (Mt 18:18). That is insider language for people considered expendable. At long last, thinks Matthew, I can write  this low life off. Whew!

But thirty or forty years later, as Matthew is writing his Gospel, he sees that last phrase, still wet with ink on his papyrus, start to pulsate with a white hot glow as the Holy Spirit breathes upon the words. Suddenly, it dawns on Matthew how Jesus treated "Gentiles and tax collectors." He cared about them,  reached out to them, and beckoned them into the embrace of his own limitless forgiveness (70 x 7!, Mt 18:22) and love.

Matthew puts down his quill pen. He sighs and shakes his head. A smile begins to form at the corners of his mouth as from some place deep inside, he hears Jesus say yet again: "Gotcha!"