Question: So, in Matthew 18:20 when it says “For where two or three gather in my name, there I am in the midst of them.” I’ve always just accepted that and been encouraged by that. But, I was just pondering over it and thought- but wait- He is with me when I am by myself too. So what is the difference? Is this differentiating between persons of the trinity?
Answer: As you already pointed out, Matthew 18:20 says, “For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” But you raise a great point! This verse is often quoted in prayer meetings. In fact, I have been guilty of quoting this verse from time to time in those very situations. (Random side note: One time during a drive-in service I changed it to “where two or three cars are gathered in my name,” but it conveyed the same message). But, as you mention, if this is the case, then that seems to imply that he is NOT with us when we are alone.
To think that Jesus is not with us unless we have multiple people present is very false. Throughout the Old and New Testaments, God (in the Old) and Jesus (in the New) make it very clear that he is with us… period. For example, Jesus said in Matthew 28:20, “And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” He didn’t preface this by saying, “I am with you – as long as you have a group of likeminded believers with you.” No, he simply said, “I am with you!”
In the Old Testament, God says, “Fear not, for I am with you…” (Isaiah 41:10). Again, no additional qualifiers. He simply tells us that he will be with us.
If you have put your faith in Jesus Christ, then Jesus is with you. He is in you. He is among you.
If you have put your faith in Jesus Christ, then Jesus is with you. He is in you. He is among you.
If this is the case, then what does Matthew 18:20 mean? The answer lies in context! Verse 20 comes right at the end of his talk about dealing with people who have sinned (verses 15-20). If a brother sins against you, you are to go and tell him alone (v. 15). If he doesn’t listen, you are to gather one or two others and try talking with him again (v. 16). If he still doesn’t listen, you are to bring it to the church (v. 17). The idea here is that a group of gathered Christians will be able to more wisely discern the matter compared to one person alone.
Then Jesus goes right into the verses in question: “Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them” (vv. 19-20).
In context, we can see that Jesus is not talking generally about prayer. Instead, he is talking about church discipline. So when he says he will be among “two or more” gathered together, he is referring to the churches as they seek to wisely discern issues of people who are stuck in sin. And let me tell you, as pastor, I can wholeheartedly attest to the need for guidance and wisdom in these messy situations!
Now that you know how to correctly use the verse, I want to encourage you with one last thought… Even though the passage is not referring to prayer groups, it is still not wrong to say, “Jesus, thank you that you are here when two or more gather.” So don’t be too hard on those that say it (even your pastor!). But also remember, when you are praying alone, he is right there with you as well.