Watchman Appointed by God

GOSPEL THOUGHTS

*Ordinary Season : Twenty Third Week:  Sunday*

*Gospel : Mt 18: 15-20*

*First Reading : Ezekiel 33: 7-9*

*Responsorial Psalm : 95: 1-9*

*Second Reading : Romans 13:8-10*

*Watchman Appointed by God*

*1) Who is a Watchman?*

In the ancient world, a watchman stood on the city wall. His eyes had to look farther than those inside the city.

If he saw an enemy approaching, he had one duty: to sound the warning.

He did not have the power to stop the enemy by himself.

He did not have to fight the enemy alone. His responsibility was simply: “See the danger. Recognize it. Warn the people.”

*2) Cain: The Anti-Watchman*

After Cain killed Abel, God asked him: “Where is your brother Abel?”

Cain replied: “I do not know; am I my brother's keeper?” (Gen 4:9)

This is almost the opposite of Ezekiel's vocation.

Cain says: “It is not my responsibility.”

Ezekiel hears God saying: “You are responsible.”

This gives us a profound question: “Am I my brother's keeper?”

The Christian answer is: YES!

I am my brother's keeper.

I am my sister's keeper.

Parents are watchmen for their children.

Children can be watchmen for their parents.

Friends can be watchmen for friends.

Teachers are watchmen for students.

Priests are watchmen for their communities.

Christians are watchmen for one another.

The tragedy of Cain was not merely that he killed Abel.

He first stopped caring about Abel.

When concern disappears, responsibility disappears. And when responsibility disappears, relationships begin to die.

*3) Ezekiel: “I Have Appointed You as a Watchman”*

God tells Ezekiel: “I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel.”

Notice the expression: “I have made you.”

Ezekiel did not appoint himself. God appointed him.

Therefore, being a watchman is not a position of superiority; it is a mission of responsibility.

A watchman stands on the wall and looks farther than others.

Others may be sleeping.

Others may be celebrating.

Others may not see the danger.

But the watchman must see.

The watchman sees what others don't see. And because he sees, he must speak.

*4) What is the Mission of a Watchman?*

The mission of the watchman can be summarized in five words: SEE – DISCERN – WARN – CORRECT – PROTECT

*A) SEE*

The watchman must have open eyes.

He notices:

someone moving away from God,

a family relationship breaking,

a young person entering a dangerous path,

resentment growing in someone's heart,

addiction destroying a life,

gossip damaging another person,

hatred replacing love.

A watchman cannot say: “I didn't notice.” He is appointed precisely to notice.

*B) DISCERN*

Not everything we see requires correction.

The watchman needs wisdom to ask:

“Is this really dangerous?”

“Is this the right time to speak?”

“Am I speaking because I love this person or because I dislike this person?”

This is where Matthew 18 becomes important.

Jesus does not say: “Go and expose your brother.” He says: “Go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone.”

There is tremendous wisdom here. Correction should begin privately, not publicly.

*C) WARN* 

A watchman must sound the alarm. Imagine a watchman seeing a fire approaching the village.

If he remains silent because he doesn't want to disturb people, his silence becomes dangerous.

Likewise, sometimes: Silence is not always kindness.

There are moments when silence becomes complicity.

If a person is walking toward destruction and I know it, love may require me to say: “Stop. This road is dangerous.”

That is the courage of the Christian watchman.

*D) CORRECT*

A watchman says: “Danger is ahead.”

He stands beside the sinner. He says:  “Brother, sister, I am worried about you. I don't want you to lose yourself.”

Christian Correction requires both compassion and courage.

*E) PROTECT* Primarily A Watchman is appointed to protect the person from danger 

*5) Jesus: The Perfect Watchman*

Ezekiel is a watchman for Israel. But Jesus becomes the perfect Watchman.

He watches over humanity. He sees the lost. He sees Zacchaeus. He sees the Samaritan woman. 

He sees Peter's failure. He sees the woman caught in sin. He sees the crowds “like sheep without a shepherd.”

And Jesus does not merely watch from a distance. The true Watchman enters the danger zone.

He comes among us. He searches for the lost. He warns sinners. He calls people to conversion.

And finally, He gives His own life for those whom He watches over.

This takes us from “watchman” to “Good Shepherd.”

The greatest Watchman does not merely warn the sheep about the wolf.

He is willing to stand between the wolf and the sheep. That is Christ.

*6) From Ezekiel's Watchman to Jesus' Community*

Matthew 18 takes the watchman mission and places it inside Christian community.

Jesus says: “If your brother sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone.”

Notice the word: BROTHER.

Jesus does not say: “Go and confront your enemy.”

He says: “Your brother.”

That means correction is not about defeating someone.

The goal is not to win an argument.

The goal is to win your brother.

This is a beautiful way of understanding Christian correction. We correct because we want restoration, not humiliation.

*7) Three Different Watchmen*

*A) The Sleeping Watchman* : He sees the danger but does nothing. He says: “It's none of my business.” “Let them do whatever they want.” “Why should I get involved?” This is the mentality of Cain: “Am I my brother's keeper?”

*B) The Noisy Watchman* : He sees everything and immediately tells everyone. He corrects people publicly. He spreads their mistakes. He turns someone's weakness into gossip. This is not the watchman Jesus wants. A gossip is not a watchman. A gossip exposes a person's weakness. A watchman protects the person from the danger.

*C) The Loving Watchman* : He sees. He prays. He discerns. He approaches privately. He speaks with love. He listens. He accompanies. He continues to care. This is the watchman of Ezekiel and Matthew 18.

*8) The Watchman Does Not Sleep Because Others Sleep* 

A watchman on the city wall has a strange responsibility.

When everyone sleeps, he stays awake.

When everyone relaxes, he remains alert.

When everyone is unaware, he watches.

This becomes a beautiful spiritual image.

Prayer makes us watchmen. A person who prays becomes more sensitive to what is happening around him. He begins to notice: “Something is wrong with my child.” “My friend is becoming distant from God.” “There is bitterness growing in our family.” “Someone in our community is silently suffering.” Prayer opens our eyes.

*9) The Watchman Has Two Eyes*

A Christian watchman needs two eyes: One eye looks toward God. The other eye looks toward people.

If I look only toward God, I may become spiritual but insensitive.

If I look only toward people, I may become socially concerned but lose the spiritual dimension.

The Christian watchman stands between God and humanity.

He asks: “Lord, what do You want me to see?” And then: “Lord, what do You want me to do about what I see?”

*10) A Watchman Sometimes Has to Say Difficult Things*

One of the hardest Christian responsibilities is to tell someone: “You are wrong.”

It is much easier to say: “Do whatever you want.” Why?

Because correction can cost us friendship.

It can create misunderstanding. It can make us unpopular.

But Ezekiel's mission reminds us: The watchman cannot choose silence simply because truth is uncomfortable.

Sometimes love has to become courageous.

A mother may have to correct her child.

A friend may have to warn a friend.

A priest may have to challenge his parishioners.

A Christian may have to speak against injustice.

True love does not always say what people want to hear; it says what they need to hear.

*11) Warning for the Watchman*

Ezekiel also teaches something frightening: If the watchman sees danger and does not warn the people, he becomes accountable for his silence.

Therefore: God does not only ask, “What did you do?”

Sometimes God asks: “What did you fail to do?”

Whom did I fail to warn?

Whom did I fail to encourage?

Whom did I fail to protect?

Whom did I fail to correct?

Whom did I fail to notice?

Whom did I abandon?

This makes the watchman vocation very personal.

*12) The Most Important Watchman Is Sometimes the Person Beside Us*

We often think: “Who will save the world?”

But God may be asking: “Who is the person I have placed next to you?”

Your family may be your first watchtower.

Your community may be your watchtower.

Your workplace may be your watchtower.

Your parish may be your watchtower.

Your friendship may be your watchtower.

God may have placed someone in your life because He wants you to be their watchman.

*13) “Am I My Brother's Keeper?” — The Question of Cain*

Cain asks: “Am I my brother's keeper?”

Ezekiel answers: “Yes. You are a watchman.”

Jesus takes it further: “If your brother sins, go and speak to him.”

Therefore the Christian journey is: 

Cain: “Not my responsibility.” 

Ezekiel: “You are responsible.”

Jesus: “Go to your brother.”

Church: “Carry one another.”

This is a movement from indifference → responsibility → relationship → communion.

 

The mission of the Christian watchman : SEE the danger. DISCERN with wisdom. SPEAK with courage. CORRECT with love. FORGIVE with mercy. PROTECT with sacrifice. LEAD people back to Christ. 

*Think about it*

*God bless you and your family. Praying for you and your dear ones*

*Fr Maxim DSouza*

*Jeppu Seminary*

*Mangalore*