Treat Him Like a Gentile

Reflection for September 6, 2026 – Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells his disciples how to minister to those who sin, and declares that whatever they shall bind on earth shall be bound in Heaven. Find today’s readings here.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus gives instructions for ministering to those persisting in error. Here’s the CliffsNotes version: If all else fails, “treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax collector.”

In other words? Don’t give up. Tell him the truth. Wash, rinse and repeat.

Technically speaking, I’m a Gentile. I’ve done those mail-in DNA tests, and none of my ancestors were Jewish. So whoever told my family about the God of Abraham, it wasn’t Moses, and it probably wasn’t Jesus himself, unless he spent some time in northwestern Europe that the Gospels fail to mention.

Nope, my ancestors were big old Gentiles living in a big old Gentile world. Lucky for me, someone evangelized them. At first, my ancestors probably didn’t listen. But the evangelist, whoever he or she was, didn’t give up.

I say “lucky for me” because this all means that I was born and raised Catholic. It makes it easier, I think — but it doesn’t make it easy. I’m not an automaton, and I still have to accept the truth of the faith I choose to live. So do you. So do we all.

Inevitably, we falter. What then?

Who are the tax collectors? Zaccheus was one. Matthew was another. Maybe you recognize his name — he’s the guy who wrote this Gospel. And who are the Gentiles? Me. You, maybe. Everyone the disciples decided not to give up on. Everyone the Church is called not to forget about, not to dismiss, and not to take for granted.

So treat them all like Gentiles, and remember that God sees the future, not just the past. 

©LPi