Continuing a study of the gospels:
(Matthew 18:1) At the same time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"
At the end of the last chapter and post, temple tax collectors had asked Peter if his Master paid temple tax, and Jesus had instructed Peter to cast a hook and take a fish out of the sea which had money to pay the voluntary tax. It was at this same time that the rest of the disciples joined Jesus and Peter, and came to ask Jesus who the greatest was in the kingdom of heaven. By the kingdom of heaven, they meant the one being set up on earth. They imagined Jesus was about to set up a temporal kingdom on earth of great splendor, and they wanted to know who would have the most principal office.
(2) And Jesus called a little child to Him, and set him in the midst of them.
At that question, Jesus called a little child to Him, and placed the child in the midst of He and His disciples.
(3) And said, "Verily, I say to you, except you be converted and become as little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven."
Jesus told them that the first step toward entering into His kingdom of grace was to become as a little child, lowly in heart, knowing oneself to be ignorant and helpless, totally dependent on God for all needs. Unless one was converted and became as a little child in that manner, he could not even enter into the kingdom of heaven, much less rule it.
(4) "Whoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven."
Jesus said that whoever humbled himself, behaving in a modest manner and preferring others over himself, not treating others with scorn or contempt, not practicing dominion over others, but placing himself among the most lowly, that person would be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. When Jesus said to humble oneself as "this little child," He, of course, meant like any child of that age and innocence; He did not mean that there was anything particular about that particular child.
(5) "And whoever shall receive one such little child in My name receives Me."
Jesus furthermore added that whoever received a person with such humility and lowliness of opinion and ambition as that of a little child, meaning a true Christian of a meek, humble, and unambitious opinion of himself, was in fact, receiving Jesus Himself because that one was a true follower of Him.
(6) "But whoever will offend one of these little ones who believe in Me, it would be better for him if a millstone was hung around his neck and that he was drowned in the depth of the sea."
By "little ones," Jesus obviously meant those who were as little children and believed in Him; He wasn't referring to all little children, although I am sure they were all quite precious to Him. However, in this case, He was referring to those who had humbled themselves and followed Jesus. Anyone offending those Christians, probably especially new or baby Christians, who might be discouraged by such offenses and quit their service to Christ, was guilty of a punishment equal to having a millstone hung around his neck and being thrown into the sea to drown. After all, having such an opinion of true child-like Christians is having that opinion of Christ Himself, according to what Jesus implied Himself in verse 5.
(7) "Woe to the world because of offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes."
Jesus proclaimed sorrow and misery to the world because of such offenses. Those offenses must come because of the sin nature and depravity of man, but woe to the one who caused such offenses against Christ and Christianity. The one who leads others to sin is more guilty than the sinners themselves. Not only has he given into sin, but he has defiled purity and sought to destroy the souls of others. I can't help but think about the sad state of some of our leaders who push abortion and homosexual marriage all over the world! I couldn't help but think also of the offenses that must come to Christ in order that He should become the perfect sacrifice for our sins. They had to come in order to pave the way of salvation, but terrible sorrow and misery awaited those who caused it to happen. Just because it was God's plan all along for our salvation, in no way means certain people were pre-destined to sin against Christ. God has always known the future and the hearts of man, and used those things to work together for good to those who love God and are the called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).
(8) "Therefore if your hand or your foot offends you, cut them off and cast them from you; it is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire."
Jesus repeated what He had already said in a teaching back in Matthew 5:29-30. If there is something in one's life that is causing him to sin, he must cut it off. No sense of loss of that thing is greater than the joy of eternal life with Christ! As the Apostle Paul would later write in Romans 8:18, "For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." Jesus wasn't actually suggesting that one start cutting limbs off to keep himself from sinning, but then again, if one is missing limbs or has a disability, could it not be a blessing in disguise that keeps him humble and dependent on Christ?
(9) "And if your eye offends you, pluck it out and cast it from you; it is better for you to enter life with one eye rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire."
Likewise, Jesus said if one's eye caused him to sin, it was better to pluck it out and be saved rather than die an eternal death with two good eyes. The sense is the same--pluck out whatever is causing one to sin. The loss of that thing is not worthy to be compared with eternal life with Jesus.
(10) "Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always behold the face of My Father who is in heaven."
Jesus told His disciples to take care not to think of one of the little ones in Christ as beneath them; they were to be careful to receive and not offend the very weakest believer in Christ. There has been so much damage from those who call themselves Christians to weak believers who see only pride and hypocrisy and want nothing to do with it. We Christians should reflect Christ as He truly is. Thankfully, weak believers don't have to rely solely on us. Jesus said they have heavenly angels who have continual free access to their Father in heaven.
(11) "For the Son of man has come to save that which was lost."
Another and most important reason not to despise the little ones in Christ is because Jesus Himself had come to save the lost souls. Weak believers in Christ are being drawn by Him, and are a work in progress and very special to Him. Just as all Christians are, we are all a work in progress never reaching perfection, and at one time in a very lowly place, and most grateful to a loving Christ who saved us anyway.
(12) "What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go into the mountains and seek the one that has gone astray?"
Jesus illustrated with this analogy how important the lost sheep, and likewise the lost soul was. The good shepherd would leave his ninety-nine obedient sheep and seek out his one lost sheep. Likewise, we should see just how important the lost soul is to Christ. He gives it more attention than His souls who are safely His, so we should never despise the lost soul, nor be jealous of attention we might otherwise think not deserving. None of us are deserving of Christ's gift of salvation!
(13) "And if he should find it, verily, I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than the ninety-nine that did not go astray."
Jesus went on to say that if the lost sheep was found, the shepherd rejoiced more over that one sheep than over the ninety-nine obedient sheep that did not go astray. This is like the parable of the prodigal son, which in this account in Luke, Jesus went on to tell. The brother of the prodigal son was jealous of his father's celebration over his prodigal brother. The father explained that he, his obedient son, had been with him always, and enjoyed all that he had; but it was a time for celebration in that his brother had been dead, and was now alive again, was lost and now found. We must be mindful of that. Followers of Christ have had Him leading them for as long as they have been followers. We should never despise or be jealous of those who have seemingly been rewarded for their worldly sinful pursuits. A true follower of Christ should remember what it was like to be lost, and be ever grateful that we were able to live in peace and joy in Christ, despite any circumstances; and furthermore, be glad that one lost so many more years has finally been found!
(14) "Even so, it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish."
Jesus said that like the shepherd who left all his other sheep to find the one gone astray, and rejoiced when he found it, so did the heavenly Father feel about His lost sheep; it was His will that none should perish. From that, we can extrapolate that we should do all we can to encourage and love and celebrate the little ones in Christ.
(15) "Moreover, if your bother trespasses against you, go and tell him his fault against you and him alone; if he hears you, you have gained your brother."
We are to do all we can to love and encourage and lift up our brothers in Christ, but what about when our brother sins against us, bringing some sort of injury against us? Jesus gave us the formula here. First, we are to go and discuss the matter with the brother who sinned against us, just him alone. If he hears and understands his trespass, then we have saved a brother.
(16) "But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established."
If the trespasser will not listen and refuses to see his sin, then one is to take one or two more people with him, people that the trespasser would esteem. By doing this, a thing is established as fact, when two or three agree that it is sure and certain.
(17) "And if he is unwilling to hear them, tell it to the church; but if he refuses to hear the church, let him be to you as a heathen man and a publican."
This brother was obviously a Christian brother because the matter was taken to the church if that brother refused to listen to the two or three. He who condemns the judgment of the church condemns God; therefore if he refused to listen to the church, he was to be thought of as a heathen and a publican, that is profane and void of religion.
(18) "Verily I say to you, whatever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."
Back in Matthew 16 when Jesus told Peter He would build His church, He told him the same thing He now told all His disciples. In this context, it meant whatever the church as a whole, or the two or three in Christ's name, said should be binding on earth would be supported by God in heaven, and whatever they said should be loosened, would be approved by God. This, of course, cannot be said of every so-called Christian church because many churches err. This was the church of the apostles who got their doctrine straight from Jesus Christ.
(19) "Again I say to you that if two of you shall agree on earth concerning anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven."
Jesus reiterated that if just two of the disciples agreed on earth concerning anything they asked for, it would be done by Father God. Once again, this must be understood as only relating to the disciples who had been given the power by Jesus Christ. However, the principle of two or three in agreement does appear throughout scripture. I do believe united prayers are heard. However, with us now, we don't always know the best outcome for a situation, and often pray for more immediate desires; but the Holy Spirit knows how to pray for the situation:
Likewise the Spirit also helps our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And He who searches the hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that all things work together for good to them who love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. - Romans 8:26-28
(20) "For where two or three are gathered together in My name, there I am in the midst of them."
What a beautiful promise! Christ is with us when we join together in prayer. Once again, I have to reiterate that it must be the real Christ's name; no mere teacher or prophet or whatever some religions believe Jesus to be. He is God incarnate, so when we are gathered in His name, His Holy Spirit helps us to pray for the best outcome according to God's will. Remember that God is all-good, all-just, all-loving; He can't do anything bad; it's not His nature. Therefore, we can always trust Him! It may not look like we have received the answer we want, but His answer is always the best!
(21) Then Peter came to Him and said, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Till seven times?"
Having heard the rules Jesus gave regarding offences and brotherly reproofs, Peter asked Christ how often he should forgive his brother who might continually sin against him. That seems a legitimate question, for if a person continually sins, might we assume that he is not sincere about repentance? Peter asked if seven times was the limit. Again, a reasonable guess, because the number seven usually represented fullness or completion.
(22) Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you until seven times, but until seventy times seven."
Jesus answered Peter that it was not merely seven times, but seventy times seven times he must forgive his brother. Elsewhere Jesus explained in more detail that if his brother asked for forgiveness and repented, one must be willing to forgive his brother seventy times seven times (Luke 17:3-4). Seventy times seven is not meant to be an exact number. What person would count offenses up to 490, and then refuse to forgive at the 491st offense? Seven being the number of perfection or completeness, seventy times seven is like saying seventy times completeness, which would mean an infinite number. We should be willing to forgive a brother as many times as he asks for it, and repents. While we might think there should be a limit to how many times you can believe a person is sorry and deserving of forgiveness, aren't we glad that Jesus does not number our offenses, and stop forgiving at the 491st offense?
(23) "Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened to a certain king who would take account of his servants."
Jesus began an illustrative parable likening the kingdom of heaven to a king who would scrutinize the accounts of those serving him likely as his revenue collectors, as it will become clear these cannot be seen as ordinary servants.
(24) "And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents."
The king began scrutinizing his accounts, and found that one revenue collector owed him ten thousand talents. This represented an astronomical amount of money! Most of the old commentators I study calculated this in the terms of British money, and as Adam Clarke wrote in his Commentary on the Bible, it was, "An immense sum, which, if the silver talent be designed, amounts to 4,500,000 sterling; but if the gold talent be meant which is by far the most likely, then the amount is 67,500,000 sterling, a sum equal to the annual revenue of the British empire!" A quick Google search of what it would be in today's standards found it to be millions or even billions of dollars, again just meant to represent an astronomical amount.
(25) "But as he was not able to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made."
The man could not pay this astronomical amount, so the king ordered that he be sold, along with his wife and children and everything he owned, as was the custom in ancient times to pay debts. This, of course, represents sinful man, who could never repay his astronomical debt to his Lord God. His debt would require his life and everything in it.
(26) "The servant therefore fell down and worshipped him, "Lord, have patience with me, and I will repay you all."
The man fell face down to the ground, worshipping his king, and begged him to have mercy and patience, and he vowed to pay all he owed.
(27) "Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and released him and forgave him the debt."
The lord or king of that servant was moved with compassion toward his servant who begged for mercy, and he released him and even forgave him his debt. This represents our Father in heaven who had mercy on us sinners and gave us His son and forgave all our debts.
(28) "But the same servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred pence; and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, 'Pay me what you owe!'"
That same servant who had been forgiven all then went out and found one of his fellow servants, a brother much like himself, who happened to owe him a hundred pence, which would be about $16 in today's American money. He violently grabbed the fellow servant by the throat, threatening him and demanding that he pay him what he owed him. Imagine this as the man who has been forgiven so much by his heavenly Father, and he now refused to forgive someone who owed him so little.
(29) "And his fellow servant fell down at his feet, and beseeched him, saying, 'Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.'"
The original servant who was forgiven all was begged by his fellow servant to have mercy and patience, and he vowed to pay all he owed him. This could represent the brother in Peter's question who asked for forgiveness.
(30) "But he would not, and went and cast him into prison until he could pay the debt."
The servant who was owed $16 by his fellow servant would not have patience and had his debtor thrown into prison until he paid him. So what about the brother who had been forgiven so much by his heavenly Father, and refused to forgive his brother so little? Christ continued:
(31) "So when his fellow servants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told their lord all that was done."
Fellow servants, or brothers, to both these servants were very much grieved by what they saw the one servant do to the other, so they went and told their lord what had been done. It seems even his fellow servants could see he did wrong by not forgiving.
(32) "Then his lord, after he had called him, said to him, 'O you wicked servant, I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. (33) Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, even as I had pity on you?'"
Indeed his lord king called the servant to him, and called him wicked because he, the king, had forgiven him so much when he had pleaded with him, yet the servant refused to have compassion on his fellow servant. Of course, this represents Father God forgiving us so much, and us not forgiving others, who owe us far, far less, in context.
(34) "And his lord was angry, and delivered him to the tormentors until he should pay all that was due to him."
The lord king was very angry with his servant who refused to forgive his fellow servant, and he threw him in prison with torturers until he should pay all he owed him. This is symbolic of God condemning sinners to hell, those who refuse to accept His deliverance and salvation by demonstrating love and forgiveness for their brothers. Of course, we could never pay all that is owed our Father God, so hell will be eternal.
(35) "So likewise shall My heavenly Father do also to you, if you from your hearts do not forgive every one of your brothers their trespasses."
Indeed, Jesus finished His parable in answer to Peter, that Father God would not forgive us our sins if we refused to forgive others truly in our hearts, and that means an infinite number of times, as God infinitely and eternally forgives us our debts. As Jesus said when He taught His disciples how they should pray in the sixth chapter of Matthew, "And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors" (Matthew 6:12); and, "For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; but if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses" (Matthew 6:14-15). Just as our heavenly Father forgives us eternally, we must be willing to forgive infinitely.
I believe the highlights of this chapter are Jesus's teaching on humility, His love for the lost sheep, and the necessity for forgiveness. We must come to Jesus as little children; the most humble is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Jesus has great love for the lost sheep; they are the ones He came to save. Christians are safe and secure in Jesus Christ; they have angels in heaven appointed as their guardians. We must show love for the little ones in Christ, and never look down upon them, for there but for the grace of God were we. We must be willing to endlessly forgive, as God has infinitely forgiven us.
