Matthew 18

Matthew 18:1

In chapter 17, the disciples saw Jesus shine miraculously with kingdom light. Here in chapter 18, they will hear Him speak practically about kingdom life. According to Luk_9:46, the disciples here are actually arguing about who is the greatest in the kingdom of which they had just been given a sneak preview.

Matthew 18:2

This shows me something of the personality and character of Jesus. He called a little child to Him, and the child came readily. If you go to the mall and watch parents lining up their kids to sit on Santa’s lap, you will invariably see tears and terror on the faces of the children. Told to sit on the lap of a big man with a big beard and black boots, it’s no wonder they’re fearful! But there is never an indication that kids were afraid of Jesus. There was something pure, gentle, and lovely about Him that made children come to Him rather than run from Him.

Matthew 18:3

“You’re asking who is the greatest?” Jesus said. “Unless you become like a child, you will not enter into the kingdom.” How were the disciples to be childlike? First, they were to be childlike in sincerity. The word “sincere” literally means “without wax” and referred to the practice of merchants in Bible times who patched broken or chipped pieces of pottery with wax. If a vessel was not “sincere,” an unsuspecting buyer would take it home and put it on his front porch only to see the wax melt and the vessel break in the heat of the sun. Second, the disciples were to be childlike in sincerity. I remember once when Peter-John was about six, I was somewhat upset with him. Trying to control my feelings as best I could, I began to talk with him. “Daddy, you’re mad,” he said. “No, I’m not, Peter,” I argued. “Well, your eyebrows, they’re mad,” he said. Kids are sensitive indeed. They can read us like a book! Finally, the disciples were to be childlike in simplicity. I read about a kindergarten class on a field trip to the post office. As the postmaster pointed out the pictures of the Ten Most Wanted Men in America, one of the kids said, “Those are criminals?” “Yes,” answered the postmaster. “Bad guys?” “That’s right.” “Well, then, why didn’t you just keep them when you took their pictures?” Those childlike qualities of sincerity, sensitivity, and simplicity are key ingredients of kingdom life. David wrote in Psalms 131, “I will not look into things that are too great for me, but will behave myself quietly as a weaned child.” In other words, “I’m not going to get spun out or hung up on things that are too lofty or too great. Like a weaned child, I’ll just keep it simple.” A weaned child is neither an infant screaming for milk nor an adult checking out the refrigerator wondering who’s going to pay the bills. A weaned child neither cries nor analyzes. He simply trusts that his father and mother will take care of him. And that quality is what Jesus held up to the disciples as a model.

Matthew 18:4

We must guard against the tendencies of cynicism and sophistication and remain like children if we want to be great in the kingdom. A distinguished elderly gentleman walked into a toy store and saw a Lionel train going around the track. With a sparkle in his eye, he said to the salesgirl, “I’ll take one.” “Oh, your grandson will love it!” she replied. “You know, you’re absolutely right!” he said. “Make that two.” There is something good, Jesus is saying, about retaining a childlike mentality. At a testimony meeting, a multimillionaire said, “When I was eighteen years old, I heard a missionary speak about the need in Africa. Having recently given my heart to Jesus, I was touched deeply and reached into my pocket for the last five dollars I had to my name. That was the turning point in my walk with God, and He has blessed me ever since.” “Ooh” and “Aaah,” said the congregation, until one elderly sister stood up in the back row and said, “I dare you to do it again.” We might say, “Oh yes, there was a time when I was like a child. When I first heard the gospel, I approached Jesus simply and openly as I came forward at a meeting.” Do it again! That’s what Jesus is saying here. We need to be in the place where we’re continually excited about the Word and enjoying the gospel in its simplicity and beauty. Jesus said if you want to be great in the kingdom, humble yourself as a child once again.

Matthew 18:5

A number of years ago, a Scottish pastor stood before his congregation and resigned, saying, “In the past two years, I have seen only one conversion in this congregation: wee Bobby Moffatt. With such little fruit, I can no longer serve in this ministry.” And he walked away from the pulpit a broken man. Little did he know that wee Bobby Moffatt grew up to be Robert Moffatt, the missionary who opened the entire continent of Africa to the gospel of Jesus Christ. If you are teaching Sunday school right now, it’s very possible that you have a “wee Bobby Moffatt” in your class. If you work with kids, realize that Jesus places a very high value on children. He says if you receive them, you receive Him.

Matthew 18:6

I believe this verse should be written on every schoolteacher’s desk. The word “offend” means “to throw off course.” In other words, Jesus says, “If you cause one of these little ones to question Me or to be thrown off course in their walk with Me, it would be better for you to drown.” This would have made a definite impact on Jesus’ audience because the Jewish people of that time had a genuine fear of the open ocean. Yes, they were fishermen, but only on the Sea of Galilee. The Jews have never been a seafaring people. In fact, unlike other coastal countries of their day, they refused to use drowning as capital punishment because of their fear of the sea. Thus, Jesus was giving a very vivid and very real description of terror. “If you cause these little guys to stumble,” He said, “you’re in grave danger.”

Matthew 18:7

The first “woe” is a lamentation. The second one is a condemnation. In other words, Jesus said, “Problems in this world are inevitable. But if people are being derailed in their faith because of your cynicism and unbelief, woe unto you.”

Matthew 18:8

“Take heed,” Jesus said. “If something you are doing causes offense, deal violently with it. Get it away from you no matter what the price or how painful it may be.”

Matthew 18:10

Here is where we get the understanding that each child has a guardian angel. Paul points out that when we get to heaven, we will actually judge angels (1Co_6:3). I wonder if part of that might include asking the angel who was “assigned” to you, “Where were you when that baseball hit me in the head?!”

Matthew 18:11

Children are lost so easily and disoriented so quickly. Continuing on that theme, Jesus begins to talk about His concern for those who are truly lostnot those who pretend to know where they’re going and what they’re doing, but those who humbly acknowledge that they’re lost and hurting.

Matthew 18:12

This analogy provides some interesting insights into our Lord. First, it tells me that His love is absolutely unconditional. Notice that although the lost sheep was one who had strayed, the shepherd didn’t say, “That dumb sheep was off wandering where he shouldn’t be. Why wasn’t he with the rest of the flock? Well, maybe he’ll learn a lesson out there.” No, his love was independent of the obedience of the sheep. So, too, whether you are staying or straying, God’s love for you is absolutely unconditional. Then why not stray? Because there are problems out there: wolves, poisonous weeds, and all kinds of dangers that could bruise and break us. Slowly but surely, we’re learning that it’s safest to stay close to the Shepherd. Second, His love is individual. He loves each of us as if there were only one of us. I tend to think, “Lord, You have millions and millions of sheep. Billy’s always talking to You and working on the next crusade. Mother Teresa, while alive, was up at four o’clock in the morning talking with You daily. And then there’s methe dumb sheep who’s strayed.” But I’m beginning to understand that the Lord sees people individually. He would have sent His prophets and apostles and recorded the Scriptures just for me. He would have sent His Son just for me. He would have died just for me. Finally, His love is emotional. When He finds the wandering, straying sheep, what does He do? Does He rebuke him? Lecture him? Shake him? Skin him? No, the Word says He rejoices. When we wander away, and the Lord comes after us and finds us, there follows an emotional outburst not of anger but of joy. He gathers the straying sheep in His arms and rejoices greatly because He loves him deeply. Keep in mind that this illustration is all in answer to the question: Who is the greatest? Jesus said, “Check out this little child.” That’s the key. You’ll not only enter the kingdom, but you’ll be elevated within the kingdom as you continue to humble yourself. Humility confuses a lot of us because we mistakenly think it means thinking less of ourselves. It doesn’t. Humility is not a matter of thinking less of yourself. It’s a matter of not thinking of yourself at all. There’s a big difference. My saying, “I can’t sing. I can’t play guitar. I can’t fix my car. I can’t do anything,” is not humility. It’s pride because it’s egocentric. I’m talking and thinking about me, me, me. When the Lord called him, Moses said, “No one will listen to me because I stutter.” “Who made your mouth, Moses?” asked the Lord. “I will be with you. Quit stuttering about yourself and look to Me” (see Exo_4:10-12).

Matthew 18:15

The first aspect of kingdom life is humility. The second is honesty. If I say I love you, but don’t talk with you in honesty when you trespass against me because I’m afraid you won’t like me, my love is not real. That would be like a doctor who notices a lump on your body but doesn’t want to hurt your feelings by telling you that you need surgery. Love without truth is hypocrisy. But truth without love is brutality. If I speak the truth without love, I leave folks bruised, bloodied, and beaten. The key is to speak the truth in love (Eph_4:15). If there’s a trespass, a problem, or a difficulty between us, love requires me to lovingly speak to you about it personally. If you won’t listen to what I say about the sin or the trespass, I am to come to you again, bringing one or two witnesses with me. If you won’t hear them, I am to go to the church. And if you won’t listen to the church, you are to be treated as an outcast. Why?

It’s not for punishment, but for reconciliation. It’s not punitive, but restorative. In chapter 5 of Paul’s first Epistle to the Corinthians, he gives the account of a man who, although he was living with his stepmother in immorality, refused to take correction. Paul told the church at Corinth to turn him over to Satan that his flesh might be destroyed but his spirit saved. In other words, “Let him live in the world for a while until he gets so sick of it that his flesh will be destroyed. Then, hopefully he’ll come around again and be saved.” And that’s exactly what happened.

He did indeed turn from his sin and return to the Church (2Co_7:11-12). Why? Because the church took a strong stand and said, “This can’t go on.”

Matthew 18:18

Jesus is saying, “Church, it’s your job to bind sin. Sin is bound in heaven. Therefore you have authority to bind it on earth. Righteousness and holiness, mercy and forgiveness are released in heaven. Therefore you have been given authority to release them on earth.” Binding and loosing speak of the authority the Church has in dealing with matters where sin is flagrantly, consistently, and obnoxiously practiced. As seen in 1 Corinthians 5, the church has the right to bind sin and then to release forgiveness and restoration following repentance.

Matthew 18:19

Private prayer is wonderful but I also believe that we need consistent times of prayer with others. Why? First of all, praying with others is motivating. You will pray more if you’re involved in a prayer group than you would otherwise. It’s like working out. If you work out by yourself, it’s real easy to miss week after week. But if three or four guys are working out with you, they provide motivation for you to continue. The same is true of prayer. Second, praying with others is purifying. When I’m praying in a group, I don’t pray selfishly as I can do in my private prayer. In a group, I can’t pray, “Lord, smash that guy. Teach that jerk a lesson.” That kind of thing just doesn’t flow when I’m praying in a circle. Third, praying with others is confirming. As I pray in a group, if my petition is correct, those around me will say, “Amen, Lord! That’s right. Yes, Lord.” But if my request is out to lunch, I’ll know by their silence that maybe I should reconsider my petition.

Matthew 18:20

Keep these words of Jesus in the context of dealing honestly with church matters, relationships, and kingdom life. The church should pulsate with power when it comes to dealing with sin and releasing God’s mercy with authority. Too often, however, the church is impotent because she fails to recognize Jesus in her midst. Where the church is moving in the power of prayer and in the authority of binding and loosing, she will make an impact.

Matthew 18:21

In kingdom life, there is humility, honesty, and finally, forgiveness. The rabbis taught that one who had been wronged was to forgive the perpetrator two or perhaps three times at the most. So Peter felt noble and generous in asking, “Should I forgive him seven times?”

Matthew 18:22

Jesus said, “Peter, you are to forgive four hundred and ninety times.” Peter must have thought, Four hundred and ninety? How am I supposed to keep track? And that was the point. We are to just keep forgiving and forgiving and forgiving and forgiving. Where there is binding and loosing, there must also be a free, unending flow of forgiveness.

Matthew 18:23

We all know people who are in torment and imprisoned because they will not forgive someone who’s wronged them. They’re small people in the sense that they’re no longer embracive and free. Instead, they’re restricted, tormented, uptight, tense, angry, bitter, and harsh. You see, the Lord tells us to forgive not for the sake of the offender, but for the sake of the one who has been offended. Regarding confronting problems, dealing with issues, binding and loosing, Jesus says, “Remember that you are to be a people known for forgiving over and over and over and over and over.” Maybe you see yourself in this story. Maybe you’ve been hurt so badly that you just can’t forgive. Maybe you’re imprisoned, robbed of joy and peace, but you don’t know how to get out. The answer lies in this passage. The king commanded that the servant remain in prison until he paid his debt. But how could the servant earn money to pay his debt if he was in prison? The only way he could get out of prison was to go to his master and ask for forgiveness. If Jesus says we are to be people who forgive over and over again, how much more will our Father forgive us when we go to Him and say, “Forgive me for not forgiving, Lord. Change my heart.” And the great thing is that He’ll not only forgive, but He’ll also forget (Jer_31:34). Humility: Getting our eyes off ourselves. Honesty: Dealing with problems in a Biblical manner. Forgiveness: Forgiving and forgiving until we lose count. Lord, help us. Be merciful to us in an even greater measure by causing us to live in humility, not as cynics or sophisticates, but as children. I pray that there might be honesty in our lives, that we would care about others in such a way that we might speak the truth in love. Help us, Lord, to be forgiving, even as You are. We confess our bankruptcy and our inability to forgive apart from Your work in our hearts. May the characteristics You spoke of in Galilee become real in our lives.