Matthew 18:1
Outline:
I. \\#Matt 1:1-3:17\\ The Presentation of the King
II. \\#4:1-7:29\\ The Person of the King
III. \\#8:1-11:1\\ The Power of the King
IV. \\#Matthew 11:2-14:13\\ Decisions Concerning the King
V. \\#Matt 14:13-16:12\\ Training the Disciples
VI. \\#Matt 16:13-20\\ Decision by the Disciples
VII. \\#Matthew 16:21-20:28\\ Final Instructions of the King
A. \\#Matt 16:21-23\\ A New Emphasis
B. \\#Matt 16:24-28\\ A Higher Degree of Commitment
C. \\#Matt 17:1-13\\ A Preview of His Glory
D. \\#Matt 17:14-21\\ A Higher Degree of Service
E. \\#Matt 17:22-23\\ A Continual Reminder
F. \\#Matt 17:24-27\\ A New Relationship and An Abiding
Respect
G. \\#Matt 18:1-35\\ Instructions on Getting Along
1. \\#18:1-6\\ Be Humble
2. \\#18:7-9\\ Be Self-Controlled
3. \\#18:10-14\\ Be Active in the Work
4. \\#18:15-17\\ Be Ready to Heal Rifts
5. \\#18:18-20\\ Be Aware of His Power and Presence
6. \\#18:21-35\\ Be Ready to Forgive
I. \\#Matt 18:1-35\\ Instructions on Getting Along
A. \\#18:1-6\\ Be Humble
1. \\#1\\ "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"
a. The disciples’ conversation sparks this portion of
Jesus’ lesson.
b. How it must have grieved Jesus to hear His disciples
debating such a topic as He, the Lord of Glory,
walked toward the cross.
2. \\#2-6\\ "Jesus called a little child unto him" - Jesus
used the nature of a child to teach grown-ups how they
are to act.
a. \\#3\\ The Exclusion of Heaven - Not everyone goes to
heaven. Jesus gave two requirements for those who
would enter into the kingdom of heaven.
(1) "Except ye be converted" - "Converted" means
"turned or changed." This is a work of the new
birth. When accepted, it changes us so that we
are not what we once were.
(2) "become as little children" - Before one can be
converted, he must be of such a child-like
nature as to receive the new birth. As long
as sinners are proud, unrepentant, and
unrelenting in their ways, they will remain
lost.
b. \\#4\\ Christians need the nature of a child, humility.
(1) To become as little children is to "humble
himself as this little child."
(2) Jesus’ disciples were anticipating honor, glory,
and reward. Jesus’ lesson was that such
attitudes belong to those who are lost not to
those who are saved.
(3) "is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven" - The
disciples wanted the highest position in God’s
kingdom. Jesus told them that no position in
heaven will be higher than the position given
to the humble.
c. \\#5-6\\ God’s Oversight of the Child
(1) Jesus was using the child as a symbol for the
saved. That makes one wonder whether the
oversight Jesus promises is for children or the
saved.
(a) I believe it is for both although. Through
out this section, Jesus will speak of His
children, such as the sheep in the fold
\\#12-13\\ but he will also refer to
"little ones" \\#6, 10\\, which makes us
think of physical children.
(b) God watches over the child in his innocence
and in the child of God in his service.
(c) While God does not say He will STOP a
predator from hurting either of these, He
does promise a powerful reward based on how
they are treated (i.e. a harsh punishment
to anyone who harms them or a reward to
anyone who aids them.)
(2) \\#5\\ The reward - When one "receives" or helps
either a child or a child of God, it is the
equivalent of helping Jesus.
(3) \\#6\\ The punishment - But whoever "offends" or
hurts a child or a child of God, it would be
better for him to die a harsh death than to face
what he will have to receive from God.
B. \\#18:7-9\\ Be Self-Controlled
1. \\#7\\ "offences" - The Greek word means "the trigger of a
snare or trap, a stumbling block." It is a word that
means to hinder, trip, or trap.
2. First, Jesus spoke to the victim.
a. Jesus says that such offences must occur in this world,
no doubt due to the sin that has entered, corrupting
and defiling both it and it’s inhabitants, granting
to them an evil nature that takes pleasure in
doting out pain and misery.
b. However, to the person who instigates such things,
Jesus pronounced "woe to that man….." Woe is a
word used to speak of a holy and severe judgment.
c. Since Jesus had pulled a child unto Him, it is logical
to deduct that Jesus is warning those who would hurt,
harm, or hinder a child. Yet again, Jesus was using
that child to represent what it takes to be saved.
This same God watches over the wicked who would harm
His own as well.
d. Beware, ungodly predicator. God will deal with you and
your punishment is described in \\#9\\.
3. \\#8-10\\ Second, Jesus spoke to the predicator.
a. \\#8-9\\ Control yourself.
(1) Jesus places the responsibility for controlling
those who would harm others on the offender.
(2) Jesus says that if your "hand… foot… eye…"
or any other member of your body seeks to
"offend," sever it from your body. Doing so is
better than to keep it and perish in hell.
(a) Those who offend children and Christians are
demonstrating their spiritual condition
and perhaps even dooming themselves to hell
by their actions.
i. Would God damn someone to hell because
of a particular sin they have
committed?
ii. In most cases, no; however, at some
point, the heart gets so hard that
the Spirit of God ceases to deal with
them any longer.
iii. When one afflicts a child, he most
certainly is demonstrating a hard
heart.
(b) Is Jesus advocating mutilation of the body?
i. Probably not. Cutting off a hand or
plucking out an eye will not stop the
predicator from hurting another. He
will simply find another way to do it.
ii. The problem is in the heart and nature
of the man who would hurt another.
There must be an internal change which
can only be done by the work of
regeneration.
iii. Why does Jesus then tell the offender
to do such things? Most likely, it is
God demonstrating the importance and
urgency of learning self-control.
iv. For example, it is more urgent for a
person to control himself than to keep
his hand from being cut off, or his
foot from being lost, or his eye from
being plucked out.
b. \\#10\\ Be forewarned.
(1) "Take heed" - Jesus gives warning to those who
would offend. The following is a solemn warning
that all would be wise to heed.
(2) Do not even "despise…."
(a) One does not have to hurt one to despise
them. Simply having a hateful or mean-
spirited heart towards them is enough.
(b) "…one of these little ones" - The fact
that Jesus’ warning is for those who are
"little" does indicate that the bulk of
Jesus’ warning is directed to those who
would harm children.
(3) "for… their angels do always behold the face of
my Father"
(a) There is no better interpretation than the
traditional view for these verses; that is,
God has appointed angels to watch over
children. These angels are continuously
before the Father so nothing done to a
child ever escapes the heavenly Father’s
attention.
(b) I believe this is true of both the physical
child and God’s spiritual children.
C. \\#18:11-14\\ Be Active in the Work
1. \\#11\\ "the Son of man is come to save… the lost"
a. Yet, there is redemption!
b. Are these words directed to the victim or the
offender?
c. Again, probably to both.
(1) The victim, if a child, is still lost and in
need of a Savior.
(2) The offender, although under the penalty of
damnation for as long as he lives, may and
must be rescued.
2. \\#12-13\\ A parable to describe God’s effort and joy
in rescuing the lost.
a. \\#12\\ "if a man have an hundred sheep"
(1) Typically, sheep represent those who are God’s
and, in this parable, Jesus indicates the
ninety-nine sheep are His and are safe.
(2) This may be further indication that through all
of this section, the child Jesus drew to Himself
represents both physical children and the
children of God.
(3) But the nature of this parable is to describe
redemption and God’s labor in it, not to
emphasize who is being rescued.
b. "doeth leave the ninety and nine"
(1) Does God love the nine-nine? Yes! Does God
neglect His own for the lost? Never! In the
parable, the shepherd is but a finite man who
can only give his attention to one cause at a
time, but our heavenly God is not so. He is
able to give His infinite attention to both
the saved and the lost at the same time.
(2) Yet, the parable emphasizes how much God is
willing to give to save the lost.
(a) The shepherd left his home, going out into
the rough terrain.
(b) The shepherd left his own to seek and to
save that which was lost.
c. \\#13\\ "he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than the
ninety-nine" - And the shepherd rejoiced greatly when
the lost is found!
3. \\#14\\ "the will of your Father"
a. This is the desire of God.
b. He wants the "little ones" saved. Here the
"little ones" must be the lost, physical child.
c. But God also wants the offender to be saved. It
is not God’s will that any should perish but
that all would come to repentance \\#2Pe 3:9\\.
D. \\#18:15-17\\ Be Ready to Heal Rifts
1. These are some of the most important words for believers
to obey if the church is going to stay right with itself!
2. \\#15\\ "if thy brother shall trespass against thee"
a. Jesus is speaking of any situation in which we get our
feelings hurt by another Christian.
b. In \\#Matt 5:23-24\\, Jesus addresses in situation in
which we know someone else has their feelings hurt
over something we have done.
c. In either case, the command is the same. Go to them
and make it right.
(1) Jesus’ commands to us to deal with offenses are
not suggestions but commands.
(2) Any and every offense, no matter whether we are
the ones who are hurt or may have hurt another,
must be dealt with quickly and Scripturally,
lest it fester and split the body of Christ.
3. \\#15-17\\ The procedure for dealing with rifts:
a. \\#15\\ "tell his fault between him and thee alone"
Do not tell another either in gossip, for prayer, of
for any other reason. If you have a problem with
another, go talk to that person about it. Many times,
what we perceive as an offense is just a
misunderstanding than can be resolved among Christian
friends.
b. \\#16\\ "if he will not hear thee, then take with thee
one or two more" - If the problem is not resolved
after going alone, then seek the WISE and GODLY
to with you and try a second time. These counselors
can serve as a mediators to give both parties in the
conflict better understanding and help to work out
compromises if necessary.
c. \\#17\\ "if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it
unto the church" - If at this point there is no
resolution, most probably either one party or both
have developed a bitter or sinful attitude. It now
becomes an issue for the church body to judge.
d. "if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto
thee as an heathen man and a publican" - If one or
both parties will not abide to the judgment of the
church, they have demonstrated a stubborn and
rebellious spirit and should be put out of the body
of Christ until they repent.
e. Even so, what is done is done for love and
redemption’s sake, not for anger or wrath’s. The
goal is repentance not retribution.
2Th 3:14 And if any man obey not our word by this
epistle, note that man, and have no company with
him, that he may be ashamed.
15 Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him
as a brother.
E. \\#18:18-20\\ Be Aware of God’s Power and Presence - God’s
people need to understand how God works through them and
abides with them. Jesus may have physically departed to the
heavens, but He is far from being absent from the affairs of
man and that especially includes the events of His own
children.
1. \\#18-19\\ Be Aware of God’s Power
a. \\#18\\ This is a almost exactly a repeat of the
promise that Jesus made to His disciples in Caesarea
Philippi.
Mt 16:19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the
kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on
earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou
shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
b. \\#19\\ Jesus gives a similar promise by granting
power to two who would both agree that their desire
was of God and would seek it by prayer.
c. As discussed in connection with Matthew 16:19, this
promise was made primarily to and fulfilled by the
disciples, but saints of all ages still have the
application of it. While we do not have the power
granted to the apostles, we have many promises
guaranteeing that God hears and answers the requests
made in accordance to His will.
2. \\#20\\ Be Aware of God’s Presence
a. God abides within each individual believer.
Ro 8:9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the
Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in
you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ,
he is none of his.
b. Jesus is promising that His presence would be even
more evident when two or more of His children gather
for His glory and honor.
c. What a blessing this promise has been to the believers
down through the ages.
F. \\#18:21-35\\ Be Ready to Forgive
1. \\#21-22\\ The Setting
a. \\#21\\ Peter wants to know how often he should
forgive a "brother" who sins against him.
(1) Perhaps the thought of forgiveness was on Peter’s
mind because of Jesus’ command in
\\#Matt 18:15\\.
(2) The Jews taught that a man was bound to forgive
another three times, but was not required to do
so the fourth time. (Barnes Digital Commentary)
(3) Peter must have thought he was being very
generous to offer to forgive an offender "seven
times."
b. \\#22\\ Jesus said seven times was not enough; rather,
we are to forgive "seventy times seven."
(1) For most, such a quotient, would be too high to
keep accurately.
(2) Jesus was telling Peter to forgive as often as
forgiveness was needed.
c. Consider that Jesus is talking to his disciples about
forgiving as much as needed. Why? Because
Christians have problems and misunderstandings just
like the lost world does. Hopefully, Christians are
not as easily offended and deal with problems better
than the lost world, but they must still be willing
to forgive freely and often.
2. \\#23-33\\ Parable of the Unforgiving Servant
a. Setting - This is the first parable that Matthew
recorded in which Jesus used the background of a king
with servants who would be held accountable.
(1) Since \\#Matt 12:14\\, when the scribes and
Pharisees rejected Jesus and determined to kill
Him, Jesus has speaking in parables and His
emphasis changed from a coming kingdom to a
departing King.
(2) Since \\#Matt 16:21\\, Jesus has been preparing
His disciples for His death and departure by
giving some final instructions.
(3) In this parable, Jesus taught of the need for
forgiveness AND alluded to the fact that His
children will be held accountable for what they
do while He is gone.
b. The story:
(1) The parable shows two debtors.
(a) \\#23-27\\ One who owed a great debt to His
king.
(b) \\#28-30\\ One who owed a lesser debt to the
first debtor.
(2) The plot - Although forgiven by his king, the
first debtor would not forgive the man who owed
him a far smaller debt.
(3) \\#31-34\\ The point - Since the debtor would not
forgive the small debt owed to him, the king
demanded of him all that was originally owed.
(4) \\#35\\ The Purpose - Jesus said this is what God
will do to the person that will not forgive a
brother a wrong that was committed against him.
c. The question:
(1) Can a forgiven sin be reapplied?
(a) That is definitely what this parable would
suggest.
(b) Other verses seem to tell us that
forgiveness might be withheld.
Mt 6:15 But if ye forgive not men their
trespasses, neither will your Father forgive
your trespasses.
Mt 7:1 Judge not, that ye be not judged.
Mt 7:2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye
shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete,
it shall be measured to you again.
Lu 6:37 Judge not, and ye shall not be judged:
condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned:
forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:
Jas 2:13 For he shall have judgment without
mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy
rejoiceth against judgment.
(c) But it would also contradict other
passages:
Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation
to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not
after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Jer 33:8 And I will cleanse them from all their
iniquity, whereby they have sinned against me; and
I will pardon all their iniquities, whereby they
have sinned, and whereby they have transgressed
against me.
Is 43:25 I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy
transgressions for mine own sake, and will not
remember thy sins.
(2) How do we account for what seems like a
discrepancy?
(a) All parables break down if pushed too far.
The main point that Jesus was making is
that as Christians, we must forgive.
(b) The secondary point that Jesus was making
was that not forgiving will hurt our
standing before God.
i. An unforgiving heart means God cannot
bless us with His favor and fellowship
like He desires.
ii. Is an unforgiving Christian forgiven?
I think so; yet while our sins may be
forgiven, we do not have the
"cleansed" standing before God that
He desires to give to us. Hence, the
work of forgiveness is not complete.
iii. A Christian can not receive what he
will not give—and that includes
all the benefits of forgiveness.
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