Entry
Where two or three are gathered in my name / Intention over structure
What did Jesus mean
You don’t need structure, hierarchy, or a building. If any of his followers are together (even if two just means you and Jesus), he is there with you.
Where did Jesus say this
Matthew 18:20 — “Where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am with them.”
A history lesson
“Two or three gathered” was a direct reference to Jewish Law (Deuteronomy 19:15). The law states that there must be “two or three witnesses” to find someone guilty of a crime. There’s also another indirect reference to Judaism. A minyan insists that there must be no less than 10 Jewish adults present in order to conduct official prayer business and obligations.
What Jesus did not mean
You don’t need a large group or a specific structure or set of rules to access Jesus. As long as the intention is there, Jesus is there with you.
So yes… Jesus was almost certainly throwing shade at pre-existing laws and regulations surrounding religion. To him, all of the “performance” was (and still is) unnecessary.
But there’s a bit more to this.
He’s not just calling out structure; he’s calling out intention.
You can’t just chant a prayer with a group of friends or show up to church every Sunday and expect Jesus to be all ears. That’s not how it works.
He’s specifically looking at intention.
Are you praying with purpose or are you praying just to tell yourself you did?
Are you going to church to improve yourself inside-out or are you just going to church to tell others you did?
It’s quality over quantity. It’s intention over structure.
Where to start
Be genuine.
If you don’t feel the calling to go to church, then don’t. If you genuinely feel like you can maintain a close relationship with Jesus outside of church (which many can), then don’t go. You will naturally find others who feel the same way as you do (which is important).
Be intentional.
Don’t pray just to pray. Pray because you need help. Pray because you want guidance. Pray because you just want to tell Jesus about your day.
Jesus never meant for this to be a “club.” It’s a connection. It’s a way of life. It’s all love.
A quick sidenote
This verse is right after Matthew 18:15-17, where Jesus applies this to conflict resolution between two brothers — let’s call them Bob and Tom. Bob is acting poorly. Tom must step in, do the messy work, and help Bob see that what he’s doing is wrong. If Bob doesn’t listen, then Tom must persevere, get a little messier, and gather others to help Bob. Jesus is saying, “Don’t stop. Try yourself. Try with others. Keep going. It will be hard, and weird, and messy. But you must keep trying.” None of this requires structure. It requires intention.
Benefits
Once you understand that Jesus doesn’t require structure, you’ll understand just how easy it is to actually connect with him. After that, falling in line with his teachings is natural. Never forced. Never bottled up by authority. It just is. And that’s really beautiful.
Also said as: where two or three are gathered in my name · there am I in the midst of them