THE BOOK OF MATTHEW – Chapter 18, Kingdom Rank, Stumbling Blocks, 99 Plus One, Discipline and Prayer, Forgiveness.

 

THE BOOK OF MATTHEW – Chapter 18

Kingdom Rank, Stumbling Blocks, 99 Plus One, Discipline and Prayer, Forgiveness.

The topic of Jesus’ teaching, in this chapter, shifts to become very personal, but the seriousness of His tone is unchanged. Jesus emphasizes humility as being key to entering the kingdom of heaven. This is an element largely missing in many Christian’s lives today, and particularly in many if not most pastors and preachers who are occupying America’s pulpits to the detriment and weakening of the Body of Christ.

Rank in the Kingdom

Matthew 18:1, At that time the disciples came to Jesus and said, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” Verse 2. And He called a child to Himself and set him among them, verse 3, and said, “Truly I say to you, unless you change and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Verse 4. So whoever will humble himself like this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Verse 5. And whoever receives one such child in My name, receives Me; verse 6, but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it is better for him that a heavy millstone be hung around his neck, and that he be drowned in the depths of the sea.

(Commentary Break): Oddly, one of Jesus disciples is concerning himself with the question of greatness, not unlike many Christians who occupy our churches today. But in His usual form, Jesus goes to the heart of the matter, which is ego and pride.

Understanding, that in the presence of God, willfully putting oneself under the authority of the Lord by putting oneself last, is the only proper and effective response. Jesus warns that deliberate humility is key to entering the kingdom.

Additionally, Jesus, as He always teaches, warns of the harsh penalty for obstructing people from direct access to God; in this case, obstructing the children. (This could also apply to a mature person who has become a child in his or her ‘new birth in Christ’).

These are the most profound attitudes:  “humble yourself”, “become like children”, “whoever will humble himself like this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven”, “whoever receives one such child in My name, receives Me”.

 There is absolutely nothing more appealing than humility. Imagine the effects it can have in a community of believers as they reach out to the people trapped in a lost, confused and chaotic world, which is being manipulated and crushed by elitists operating on the idea their ultimate power is in ego-driven status, position and wealth.

Take heed pastors. Humble yourselves and protect the children!

Take heed parents. Humble yourselves and protect your children!

Take heed teachers. Humble yourselves and protect the children!

Take heed all you who are in positions of leadership or authority. Humble yourselves and protect the children!

This is not a Sunday school lesson. It is not a suggestion just for ‘church people’.

Anything less than what Jesus is teaching, warrants that a heavy millstone be hung around the offender’s neck, and that he or she be drowned in the depths of the sea! (End Commentary Break).

Stumbling Blocks

Verse 7. “Woe to the world because of its stumbling blocks! For it is inevitable that stumbling blocks come; but woe to the person through whom the stumbling block comes!

Verse 8. “And if your hand or your foot is causing you to sin, cut it off and throw it away from you; it is better for you to enter life maimed or without a foot, than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into the eternal fire. Verse 9. And if your eye is causing you to sin, tear it out and throw it away from you. It is better for you to enter life with one eye, than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fiery hell.

Verse 10. “See that you do not look down on one of these little ones; for I say to you that their angels in heaven continually see the face of My Father who is in heaven.

(Commentary Break): Once again, Jesus is teaching the Way. This time it is the inevitable stumbling blocks you will encounter in life. But keeping in context, Jesus is talking about the lack of humility, one of the most devious, onerous and difficult stumbling blocks we face.

The warning is dire: “If your hand or your foot is causing you to sin, cut it off and throw it away from you; it is better for you to enter life maimed or without a foot, than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into the eternal fire. And if your eye is causing you to sin, tear it out and throw it away from you. It is better for you to enter life with one eye, than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fiery hell.” Whether you take this warning and remedy as literal (which I recommend against) or as a metaphor advising you to remove the stumbling blocks of sin from your life at any cost, the end results are the same. It is better to remove the stumbling blocks of sin, than to end up in an eternal fiery hell, and this part, you can take literally!

Jesus finishes these verses advising that you never look down on or take the children for granted, because these children are constantly and carefully watched by angels and God the Father in heaven and offenders will be held accountable.

A SPECIAL NOTE: An acquaintance and friend admitted to me that he is struggling with his faith because of all the injustices and harm inflicted, particularly children, the most vulnerable and innocent among us, due to neglect, abuse, wars, poverty and crime. He asks, “how could a sovereign and loving God permit such things? Is God unable or unwilling to stop these atrocities, or is He really God at all?”

As hard as it may be to accept, and even harder to imagine, God has given us free will. We are free to live as we choose, either good or evil. Of course there are natural consequences for evil behavior, and there are eternal consequences as well, but the Bible is clear that God has allowed both good and evil to be present among us. The Bible says that God makes the sun to rise on the evil and the good, and God sends rain on the just and the unjust.

It is up you and me, the individual to take these matters into account and in the proper sequence, using the proper procedures, to take them into our own hands.

I, like you, would prefer that good prevail at all times for all people. But that is not the case and it is not God’s design.

The Apostle Peter rightly reminds us that, “Blessed and gratefully praised and adored be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant and boundless mercy has caused us to be born again, that is, to be reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, and set apart for His purpose, to an ever-living hope and confident assurance through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, born anew into an inheritance which is imperishable, beyond the reach of change and undefiled and unfading, reserved in heaven for you, who are being protected and shielded by the power of God through your faith for salvation that is ready to be revealed for you] in the last time. In this you rejoice greatly, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith, which is much more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested and purified by fire, may be found to result in your praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ in your life.  Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and though you do not even see Him now, you believe and trust in Him and you greatly rejoice and delight with inexpressible and glorious joy, receiving as the result, the outcome, the consummation of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” (see 1 Peter 3-9). (End Commentary Break).

Ninety-nine Plus One

Verse 12. “What do you think? If any man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains, and go and search for the one that is lost? Verse 13. And if it turns out that he finds it, truly I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that have not gone astray. Verse 14. So it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven for one of these little ones to perish.

(Commentary Break): This metaphor puts God’s exclamation point on His teaching and passionate love for His children (no matter their chronological age). It is not the will of your Father who is in heaven for one of these little ones to perish. Everyone has the power of choice or free will. But no one has the right to choose for another nor to cause another person to fall into condemnation. (End Commentary Break).

Discipline and Prayer

Verse 15. “Now if your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have gained your brother. Verse 16. But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that ON THE TESTIMONY OF TWO OR THREE WITNESSES EVERY MATTER MAY BE CONFIRMED. Verse 17. And if he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, he is to be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. Verse 18. Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.

Verse 19. “Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven. Verse 20. For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.”  

(Commentary Break): Verses sixteen through seventeen are usually referenced when dealing in church discipline, and rightly so. The process and procedure which are spelled out is for the purpose of protecting the church, restoring the sinner to a right walk with God, and renewing fellowship among the church members. When used, it is to be applied justly, in love but firmly, always remembering, “There but for the grace of God, go I’.

Verse 18 reminds us of the permanency and the gravity of making these kinds of determinations and decisions. ‘Binding’ is the process of declaring something to be prohibited or unlawful and once it is bound on earth it is eternally bound in heaven; the process of ‘loosing’ on earth is permitting our unleashing in heaven, which is the place all things originate and manifest on the earth, and become permanent.

Verses 19 and 20 repeat and emphasize that these things will be done for you by God, your Father which is in heaven, and about their permanence.

The idea of ‘whenever two or more of three agree’ is that this is done in concert with other Christians and that their decision is guided when Jesus is in their midst. (End Commentary Break).

Forgiveness

Verse 21. Then Peter came up and said to Him, “Lord, how many times shall my brother sin against me and I still forgive him? Up to seven times?” Verse 22. Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy-seven times.

Verse 23. “For this reason the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his slaves. Verse 24. And when he had begun to settle them, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. Verse 25. But since he did not have the means to repay, his master commanded that he be sold, along with his wife and children and all that he had, and repayment be made. Verse 26. So the slave fell to the ground and prostrated himself before him, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you everything.’ Verse 27. And the master of that slave felt compassion, and he released him and forgave him the debt.

Verse 28. But that slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and he seized him and began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay back what you owe!’ Verse 29. So his fellow slave fell to the ground and began to plead with him, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you.’ Verse 30. But he was unwilling, and went and threw him in prison until he would pay back what was owed. Verse 31. So when his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were deeply grieved and came and reported to their master all that had happened. Verse 32. Then summoning him, his master said to him, ‘You wicked slave, I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. Verse 33. Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, in the same way that I had mercy on you?’ Verse 34. And his master, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he would repay all that was owed him. Verse 35. My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart.”

(Commentary Break): This teaching and metaphor should explain itself. Although the significance of the talent and a monetary standard is not the point, it does help illustrate the absurdity of the attitude of the first slave in contrast to what was owed him. He was forgiven his a debt of  10,000 talents of silver, which in today’s dollars, is about $345,427,600 . But he would not forgive another slave for a relatively insignificant sum by comparison. He is willing to receive forgiveness, but unwilling to give it in return. So, he choked his fellow slave and had him thrown into prison, over one hundred denarii which is worth about three hundred ninety-eight dollars in today’s dollars.

Although the values of the debt is significant in making this point, this teaching is actually about forgiving others of their transgressions toward us, which in comparison to the debt the God has forgiven us, is also insignificant.

The reaction of the Master toward this unforgiving servant, is reflective of the verses in Matthew 6:12-15 which says, “And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For if you forgive other people for their offenses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive other people, then your Father will not forgive your offenses.” (End Commentary Break).

Eliminating the stumbling blocks of sin in a believer’s life, correcting the way of the sinner’s walk and purging sin from the Body of the Church are serious matters to God, and should be taken seriously by all of us.

Please believe with me that these words are the pneuma or the Breath of God, and they are instructional, creative, causative and prophetic. They are the way which leads to life.

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

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