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Chapter 18
The Least shall be Greatest
18.1. At that time the disciples came to Jesus saying, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"
At the same time that Jesus had been telling His disciples that He would be betrayed and be killed the disciples came to ask Him a question. Mark tell us that the disciples had been arguing about who would be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven (Mark 9:33). They came to Jesus to ask Him who would be.
18.2. He called a child, had him stand among them,
To their amazement He calls a little child to come to Him and stands him/her in the midst of them.
18.3. and said, "I tell you the truth, unless you turn around and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven!
He tells them of a truth that unless they are prepared to acknowledge that they need to change and become like a young child (infant). That is to have the simplicity and humbleness of a child, to think of themselves as being of no more importance than anyone else; they will never enter the kingdom of heaven (Romans 12:3,16, Galatians 6:3).
18.4. Whoever then humbles himself like this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
It is those who humbles themselves like a child who will be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
18.5. And whoever welcomes a child like this in my name welcomes me.
Whoever accepts and receives a child in the Lord's Name and for His sake, it is reckoned as having received Jesus Christ. But not only Him, but also His Father who sent Him into the world to save sinners (John 13:20).
18.6. "But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a huge millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the open sea.
Having made it clear to the disciples that it is those who are considered to be the least are the greater He gives a warning against anyone who should cause the least of His disciples to fall into sin. These people would be better off if they were thrown into the deepest sea with a huge millstone tied around there neck.
Causing Offence
18.7. Woe to the world because of stumbling blocks! It is necessary that stumbling blocks come, but woe to the person through whom they come.
Great sorry is in the world because of the offences of sin and the temptation to sin. Temptations are inevitable but pity the person who does the tempting!
18.8. If your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire.
We must point out here that Jesus is not advocating that a hand or foot should be cut off or an eye plucked out literally. The disciples must have clearly understood that it was not meant literally for they neither practised nor preached it.
What did Jesus mean then ? In the three examples of the anatomy given there are five things that are repeated in them all.
- "Offend" in the AKJ, sin in the NKJV this does not mean to upset or annoy but to be a stumbling block and to cause to sin.
- "Cut it off" this means to mortify or to account as being unable to perform a function because the part is considered dead. In Rom. 6: 6 Paul puts it this way "our old self was nailed to the cross with Him (Christ) in order that our body which is the instrument of sin , might be made ineffective, and inactive for evil, that we may no longer be the slaves of sin" (Amp. N.T.). How are we able to do this when there are so many temptations that we find very hard to resist ? Paul gives us the answer to this "Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh" (Gal. 5: 16). So we do not cut off parts of our body but when we are tempted to use them to sin we are to consider them as unable to do such things because they crucified with Christ.
"Life" Although it may appear that to take this action we lose out in life in fact we gain for we are able to live the life that Christ has given us the abundant, full, rich life in Him. "For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain" (Phil. 1: 21).
- "Hell" (Gehenna), death. There is only one alternative to eternal life and that is the second death where those who have not received Jesus Christ as their Saviour shall go by their own choice by choosing to live a life of sin rather than life in Christ.
- "Eternal torment" The first death nor the second death will mean annihilation but that the penalty for sin will go on forever (Rev. 14: 11).
"If your hand". With the hand we take, we hold onto, we do things. If we are tempted to steal, hold on to things we should not, or do things that we should not. "If your foot". With our feet we go places. If we are tempted to go to places that we should not (Psalm 1: 1) take action to stop doing these things or going to these places.
18.9. And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into fiery hell.
"If your eye". Jesus said "the light of the body is the eye" (Math. 6: 22) with the eye we see and obtain understanding. What we see enters our minds and our hearts more readily than by any other means. If we are tempted to read or look at things that are unwholesome then turn away from them (1 John 2: 16). It is better to go throughout life without these things that tempt us than be thrown into hell.
18.10. "See that you do not disdain one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.
Referring again to those "little ones" that is babes in Christ those who have a simple faith He says that they are not be looked down upon with disdain to esteem them of no worth. In heaven their angels always have access into the presence of God (Hebrews 1:14).
Lost and Found
18.11. For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.
The sole purpose in Jesus Christ coming from heaven to earth and taking upon himself a body of flesh was to come and save those who are lost in sin.
18.12. What do you think? If someone owns a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go look for the one that went astray?
A farmer owns a hundred sheep but one of them wanders off, what will he do? Will he turn his back upon it and leave it to pay the penalty for its folly? No, he leaves the ninety nine on the hills and goes looking for the one that is lost.
18.13. And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he will rejoice more over it than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray.
His efforts are rewarded for he finds his lost sheep and he brings it back home rejoicing more over it that the others who had not gone astray.
18.14. In the same way, your Father in heaven is not willing that one of these little ones be lost.
Just as the farmer with his sheep so God love is for all who have gone astray (Isaiah 53:6). He is not willing that any should perish but that all should repent and be saved (2 Peter 3:9). He has a love and concerned for every individually person and does everything that is possible to bring the sinner to Himself (John 3:16).
Putting things Right
18.15. "Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother.
If a brother or sister in the Lord wrongs you or offends you then do not let neglect to do anything about it in case it causes a bitterness to grow in you heart. To not spread it abroad but go to him or her on your own and seek to put the matter right. If he or she puts it right with you then you have won that person back.
18.16. But if he does not listen, take one or two others with you, so that at the testimony of two or three witnesses every matter may be established.
If however he or she refuses to listen to you then take one or two brothers in Christ with and try again. This is in accordance with the Word of God for by the testimony of two witnesses shall a matter be proved (Deuteronomy 19:15).
18.17. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. If he refuses to listen to the church, treat him like a Gentile or a tax collector.
If he or she still refuses to listen to them then the matter must be brought before the church. If he or she will not take heed to the church then he or she are to be treated like a pagan, and unbeliever a sinner.
Unity
18.18. "I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven, and whatever you release on earth will have been released in heaven.
Jesus here repeats what He had said in Matthew 16:19 that all who are Christ's can bind things on earth and it shall happen because they have been bound in heaven and whatever is loosed on earth will be done because it has been loosed in heaven.
18.19. Again, I tell you the truth, if two of you on earth agree about whatever you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you.
He further adds to this that if two of His followers agree to come together as one to ask something of the Father in Heaven then it will be done.
18.20. For where two or three are assembled in my name, I am there among them."
Jesus gave this certain promise that wherever two or three come together in His Name that He would be their with them.
Always Forgive
18.21. Then Peter came to him and said, "Lord, how many times must I forgive my brother who sins against me? As many as seven times?"
Peter having listen to all the Lord had said about offending and doing wrong against brother or sister asks the Lord how many times then should be prepared to forgive someone who has sinned against him. Is there a limit to this say seven times?
18.22. Jesus said to him, "Not seven times, I tell you, but seventy-seven times!
I wonder if Peter was surprised by the answer that Jesus gave him. Perhaps he thought to himself "well I could forgive seven times but that's as far as I'm prepared to go". In fact Jesus tells him and us that there is no limit to the number of times that we should forgave, although He says 490 times. Let us not be like the little boy who was determined to write down in a notebook every time his older brother did something that was not nice to him. He would forgive him the 490 times but then he could look out after that.
18.23. "For this reason, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his slaves.
Jesus then proceeds to liken the kingdom of heaven to a king who wanted to bring his accounts up to date to know who owed money.
18.24. As he began settling his accounts, a man who owed ten thousand talents was brought to him.
At the commencing of doing this a man was brought before him who owed an exceeding large amount of money.
18.25. Because he was not able to repay it, the lord ordered him to be sold, along with his wife, children, and whatever he possessed, and repayment to be made.
We are not told what he had done with all this money but the point is that he owed it and could not pay it back. In order to regain his losses the king ordered him, his wife and children to be sold and all of his possessions.
18.26. Then the slave threw himself to the ground before him, saying, 'Be patient with me, and I will repay you everything.'
This man threw himself on the ground and begged the king to be patient with him and he would repay everything he owed.
18.27. The lord had compassion on that slave and released him, and forgave him the debt.
His master had compassion on his servant and gave him back his freedom and canceled the debt that he owed. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23) and the soul that sins shall die (Ezekiel 18:4) therefore we owe a debt to God that we cannot repay but Jesus Christ paid that debt for us upon the cross (1 Peter 1:18). Jesus Christ has set us free (John 8:36)
18.28. After he went out, that same slave found one of his fellow slaves who owed him one hundred silver coins. So he grabbed him by the throat and started to choke him, saying, 'Pay back what you owe me!'
However this man did not go out and do as his master had done for him. He went to a fellow servant who owed him a comparatively small amount and demanded by force that he should repay straight away.
18.29 - 30. Then his fellow slave threw himself down and begged him, 'Be patient with me, and I will repay you.' But he refused. Instead, he went out and threw him in prison until he repaid the debt.
In the same way that this man had thrown himself on the mercy of the king so his fellow servant did before him begging for time to repay but he refused to do so and threw him into prison.
18. 31. When his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were very upset and went and told their lord everything that had taken place.
When some of the other servants saw this they were very grieved and went to the king and told him about it.
18.32. Then his lord called the first slave and said to him, 'Evil slave! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me!
The king summoned the man to be brought before him and justly called him a wicked servant for he had been set free and his debt cancelled when he had beseech the king to spare him.
18.33. Should you not have shown mercy to your fellow slave, just as I showed it to you?'
He should have therefore followed the example and in turn shown mercy upon his fellow servant who was in exactly the same position has he had been (Matthew 10:8,).
18.34. And in anger his lord turned him over to the prison guards to torture him until he repaid all he owed.
The king was so angry that he handed the man over to the jailers to tortured him until he had repaid all that he owed.
18.35. So also my heavenly Father will do to you, if each of you does not forgive your brother from your heart."
That is how God the Father will do to anyone who will not forgave brothers and sisters from the heart (Matthew 6: 14 - 15).
