3_15_4-3 Matthew 18

Protecting the innocent

Jesus' guidance in Matthew 18

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A mid-tier famous chapter

It's no 1 Corinthians 13 ("Love is patient, love is kind..."), no John 3 ("For God so loved the world...") - but Matthew 18 does get a lot of attention. Unfortunately, a large percentage of that attention misses the point, because you have to follow the thread of the whole chapter to see what Jesus is playing at.

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Matthew 18:1-6

At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me. If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.

Before you move on:

• The rest of the chapter is a continuation of this teaching - these ideas are foundational to what is coming next.
• Some translations (i.e. NIV) but a heading that separates the final sentence from the rest of this section. That doesn't make sense. This section has laid the lowly/greatest idea as a foundation. The next section is going to talk about those things that distract us from the lowly/greatest idea.

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Matthew 18:7-9

Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come! If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. And if your eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.

Before you move on:

• Approval is passing. It really is. The idea that you have to do something to be worthy of God's approval is replaced by the message of the unconditional love of God in Christ. However, there is still danger and a need to protect the humble and innocent - protect, even, our own humility and innocence. Jesus is creating a framework by which his followers can identify those who present danger to his "little ones," whom he treasures (as we'll see in the next verses.)

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Matthew 18:10-14

See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven. What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. 14 In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.

Before you move on:

• Make sure you catch the drift of this section: "Do not despise little ones, value them!" Do whatever you can to value them, just like the Father does.

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Matthew 18:15-20

If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector. Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”

Before you move on:

• Critical thinking here: The two "truly I tell you" bits are about the same thing; they're making the same point. That point? The attitude of your faith is a very, very big deal. The how behind your actions impacts whether or not those actions are kingdom actions.
• Applying this to approval and how we determine who is safe and who is not, then, we are trying to determine an attitude. Jesus shows us an example of how we find that in the next section.

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Matthew 18:21-35

READ THE VERSES

• This parable was told because Peter asked a question: "How many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me?"
• Knowing what you may know about Jesus...
• How much sin is Jesus willing to forgive? (If Jesus is willing to forgive that much, this parable can't be about whether or not you should forgive people. You should always forgive people, just like Jesus does.)

• This parable, then, is about identifying people who aren't interested in forgiveness. People who don't understand it at all. How did the arrogant servant show that he didn't understand it?
• This arrogance, this self-righteousness, is the attitude of the ones from whom the little ones must be protected. Using the tools that Jesus gave in this chapter, we can do this - while still being people who are entirely forgiving. For “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”

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