First Sabbath of the month, and as you know, we've been going through the five discourses contained in Matthew's Gospel. And this Sabbath we begin Matthew 18, which is the fourth discourse by Jesus Christ recorded by Matthew. This discourse, like the first one, Matthew 5-7, and the second, Matthew 10, is given to his disciples only. It's important to keep that in mind. It's given to his disciples only. In the third discourse, the parables of Matthew 13, Jesus gave four parables to the multitudes, but he never explained to them what they meant.
He gave them four, but he never explained to them what they meant. Privately, he explained to his disciples the first two parables that he had given to the multitudes. That's the parable of the sower and the parable of the wheat and tares. His disciples didn't ask, and it was not recorded, that he explained the third and fourth parables, the mustard seed and the leaven. They seemed self-explanatory, so perhaps that's why. And after explaining the first two parables, he gave his disciples three additional parables that he didn't give the public. The hidden treasure, the pearl of great price, and the dragnet. It's important to see those in context and who he gave it to and who he explained it to and who he didn't explain it to, to have the proper understanding of it.
In Matthew 18, Jesus explains how his disciples should view themselves and how they are to relate with their brethren. And as we'll see, I hope we'll see, it's easy to see why this course was given to his disciples only. This is teaching for Christ's disciples, even though it's made public to the whole world. But it's given specifically to the disciples of Christ. The New King James Version arranges these verses under five, what they call subject heading.
You can check it if you have a New King James. They'll be divided into five sections called subject headings. And then the expositor's Bible commentary arranges the same text in six distinct sections, which are slightly different from the New King James' Eddings. The message of Matthew, which is put out by the InterVarsity Press, lays out this discourse in seven distinct sections. Again, slightly different from the other two. The way this last one, the message of Matthew, lays them out, emphasizes relationships as being the main theme of the four discourses. For our study, I plan to use that structure given in the message of Matthew, as it seemed to me the most logical and textually accurate of the three arrangements.
So let's begin in Matthew 18 and verse 1. At that time, the disciples came to Jesus saying, Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven? Then Jesus called a little child to him, said him in the midst of them, and said, Assuredly I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Assuredly I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.
Therefore, whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. I think we all know these verses pretty well, but they're obviously very powerful verses. He began off with saying, Matthew began with saying, At that time. So the timing is significant. The setting of these events was in Capernaum. You see that in Matthew 17 verse 24. Jesus and Peter had just paid the temple tax of one half shekel that every Israelite was to pay.
The shekel had been taken from a fish, as you know. The New King James margin on 1727, Greek stator, the exact temple tax for two. So the fish had exactly the temple tax for two. The disciples came to Jesus. Okay? This statement, combined with the wording of 19.1, when Jesus had finished these sayings, identified Matthew's fourth discourse. It identifies it as a discourse.
And we've noted this pattern in H1 that I just want to note it in this one. So they came to him and they're saying, Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven? Now, the expositor commentary wonders whether this question arose because Jesus told them in Matthew 17, 22 to 23, that he would be killed. Well, if you're going to be killed, which one of us is the greatest? Doesn't that make you feel great?
They also point out that in Matthew 5.19 he talked about who will be called greatest in the kingdom of God and who will be called least in the kingdom of God. So perhaps those thoughts inspired their thinking. Maybe it wasn't as off the wall as it said. Okay, who's going to be great? Who's not going to be great? Of course, they could have read the rest of the verse, and that would have answered that question. As I have, I think, explained many times, in my experience, whenever there's a controversy within the fellowship, whatever the controversy may be, there is usually an underlying cause behind them all, an underlying cause, and the question is, who's in charge? That's usually underneath the questions and the controversies. Calendar questions, Passover questions, the real issue is usually who's in charge. The implication being, they don't understand the Hebrew calendar, so don't follow them, follow me. I understand. So I can teach you the Hebrew calendar, and it'll get it all straight. So, from my perspective, the disciples' question really was, what is our relationship between ourselves? Who should lead, and who should follow? In other words, who's in charge? And Jesus gave them the most amazing and unexpected answer. Then Jesus called a little child to him and said him in the midst of them and said, Assuredly I say to you. Now, we've been watching that phrase through these discourses, which the New King James translates, Assuredly I say to you, and the NIV, I really like the NIV on this one, I tell you the truth. In other words, he's emphasizing something extremely important. Unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Obviously, this is important, extremely important. And also, another thing we can learn on these things is where he would use in this chapter, you singular or you plural. And it's important to note that. In this one he says, I tell you plural, all of them standing there. I tell you the truth. So in these verses in this passage, Jesus always used the plural you. So he's speaking to everybody. You know, most human beings tend to spend most of their life trying to advance themselves in various ways. We tend to seek certificates or credentials or badges or degrees that we hope will bring fame, fortune, and the good life. Today, celebrities are held in high esteem. Somebody wants to find that as they're famous for being famous.
Our society is built on lust, the selfish desires to benefit oneself. You notice how world leaders are often exalted and extolled. Of course, a lot are criticized, too. But world leaders don't have meetings. They have summits. It's an important meeting. All about these people at the top. That's what a summit is. And he's not a pastor. He's a senior pastor. And he's not a bishop. He's an archbishop. The Bible doesn't tend to use these words. People like big offices, big desks, big cars, big budgets, big expense accounts. It seems like a big deal.
After seeing President Clinton on Air Force One, one impressionable reporter wrote, power was crackling from his genes.
I'd say that's a pretty impressionable person.
Probably good call for writing, though. God's kingdom, of course, will be nothing like that. Instead, those in God's kingdom will be converted and become as little children. The word translated, converted, is usually translated to turn or turned. In other words, unless you turn. Unless you turn from your present thinking of who's the greatest and instead become as little children who aren't concerned with that question, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. It's very strong stuff. Very strong. And he didn't even refer to big children. Mark's account says it's in Mark 9. If you want to look at it, Mark 9, 37, 36, then he took a little child and sent him in the midst of them. And when he had taken him in his arms, that's a little child, all right, whoever receives one of these little children in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives not me, but him who sent me. This agrees with the statement in the Sermon on the Mount at the beginning of it, blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of God.
The message of Matthew, we can be fairly sure that when Jesus called the little lad to him, he promptly came and stayed where he was put. The child was accounted to be greater by Jesus. It's not that it is not that a clue to what real humility means. It means when Jesus calls us and, and, and, I'm sorry, it means coming when Jesus calls us and staying where Jesus puts us. So humility is not a matter of suppressing our drive or hiding our gifts. Humble people are quite unselfconscious about it, like the lad. They claim no right from others or from their master. They follow where Jesus calls and they stay where Jesus puts them. That's humility. Later the author added, God has already given us the highest status in the world. We are his padea, his children. But then they add in Greek, as in Aramaic, the children, the word can also mean servants, it means children. The NIV study Bible notes, like little children, trusting and unpretentious.
Trusting and unpretentious. Mature Christians must become trusting of God and unpretentious as little children are. In those verse 4 he said, humbles himself. This is an action that we have to take ourselves.
Humbles himself. Philippians 2, verses 8 and 9 says, And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself. And became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him, and given him the name, which is above every name. Jesus Christ's name is above every name, except of course the Father's. But he's the head we just went through in Colossians, in that chapter 1 he goes to show how Christ is preeminent in everything. And he gives examples after example how he's preeminent in everything. And in Matthew, a couple chapters before, Matthew 11, verse 28-29, Jesus said, Come unto me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me. For I am gentle, margin says meek, and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for yourselves. Our world is full of agitation and strife. When someone is accusative, coercive, contentious, deceptive, manipulating, or quarrelsome, one's soul cannot be at peace. One has to be watchful. That's not how Jesus is. And that's not how his true servants will be.
They will have, like little children, Come unto me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me. For I am gentle, and lowly in heart, and you will find rest in your souls.
Here's another aspect of this teaching that you will find interesting. In Daniel 7, we learn of four world-ruling empires described as being wild beasts. A lion, a bear, a leopard, and a fourth that was a combination of them all, and exceedingly brutal. All these are wild and destructive animals that though they may be captured, and sometimes trained to do certain things, they can never be domesticated.
God was showing Israel the true natures of these four world-ruling kingdoms. You're not going to change the nature of those kingdoms. But notice Isaiah's prophecy in Isaiah 11 and verses 6 and 7. Isaiah 11 and 7. The wolf also shall lay down with the lamb. The leopard shall lie down with a young goat. The calf and the young lion and the fat linked together. And a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze. Their young one shall lie down together. And the lion shall eat straw like the ox. This describes a time when wild animals and the kingdoms they have represented will be domesticated and harmless.
And every member of God's kingdom must become like a little child. All those nations will be led by humble servants of God, little children, who will genuinely serve them.
What a time of peace!
That's the first one. Here's number two. Matthew 18 verses 5 to 7.
Verses 5 to 7. Whoever receives one little child like this in my name receives me. Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he would drown in the depths of the sea. Now, many translations combine verse 5 with the first four verses, but if you look closely, the topic has slightly changed. Instead of focusing on the relationship among the twelve, Jesus now addresses how Christians are to relate to each other. Whoever receives one little child like this in my name receives me. God's people respect a humble person. That's an important key to the kingdom of God. To show respect for one of Christ's little ones is to receive and to respect Christ himself. And Jesus Christ is the most humble person there ever was. He humbled himself and became obedient to death. The prideful tend to overlook a child like person. They see somebody that's a child like and they just don't even see them. They don't show up in the radar. The prideful respect those they consider powerful. Power crackling from his genes.
So it's the powerful who they feel can benefit them, so it's the powerful they seek out and try to please. The prideful can also be dismissive and condescending toward Christ's little ones. And when a little one has been treated dismissively or contemptuously, they could stumble. Little ones can slip up. You can harm them. And become downcast or discouraged, upset, and then sin. And become angry and resentful.
Think how Jesus would view somebody who caused that to happen to one of his little ones. Get him discouraged, get him downcast, and they get discouraged and they go off. And stumble. Little ones can stumble.
So it continues in verse 6, whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were drowned in the depths of the sea. If we reject and or harm one of Christ's little ones, we're really rejecting him. The Greek word translated millstone, by the way, indicates in a mill at that time you had a big stone, you had a little stone. And usually they had a donkey or some kind of animal to move the big stone.
And that would be the Greek indicates it's the biggest stone, not the little one, the big one. If that larger stone were around someone's neck, it'd sink fast. That big, heavy stone, it'd sink fast. Most commentaries don't address whether these verses to apply to actual children. They all take it as Christ's little ones, Christians.
Adam Clark states that Christ was referring to those who are disciples only. However, we know through the Apostle Peter that we're to show honor to all people. He said, honor all people. I'll read that to you in a minute. It's 1 Peter 2 17. I'll tell you a story that might surprise you. I remember when Joseph Tkach became pastor general, he would visit congregations and afterward form a long line, he'd shake everybody's hand. Remember that? He would do that. Well, when he visited Australia, his first stop was Melbourne, Australia, where Bill Bradford was the pastor and I was the regional director. So I was down there to greet him and Bill was worth living there. He and Jenny served the congregation in Melbourne. After that first service, he spoke and he had this big long line. People started coming through.
I have a dimension to him afterward, I forget the circumstances, that the Australian parents are known for their willingness to serve their children. They're eager to volunteer to serve their children. Very eager. As a whole. I'm sure there's probably some exceptions, but as a whole, that's how it was. So I said, I mentioned the Australian parents are known for their willingness to serve their children. He replied to me, I noticed that. And I thought that was his first opportunity to meet a Australian congregation. He spoke with one sermon and he noticed that. So I asked him, how did you notice it? Inquiring minds want to know.
He replied that he noticed when the Melbourne members shook his hand, each parent introduced themselves and then each of their children individually. Then he said, in most places, the parents introduce themselves, but they often don't introduce the children. Isn't that instructive?
That observation changed the way I meet families.
I now try to give individual attention to each and every member of the family. Honor all people.
Okay, that's the second one. Here's the third. Matthew 18, 7, and 9. Woe to the world because of offenses, for offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes. If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you. It's better for you to enter into life lame or maimed rather than having two hands and two feet, or to be cast into everlasting fire. If your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you. It's better for you to enter into life with one eye rather than having two eyes and be cast into hellfire. In these verses, Jesus used singular you, singular you. Woe unto the world because of offenses. Once again, the subject moved from warning his disciples about offending one of these little ones to warning the world about offenses. Other commentary, older commentaries like Adam Clark claim Christ's use of the word woe is ever used by the Lord to express sympathy and concern. Newer commentaries disagree. Expositor says the Greek text proclaims a woe here clearly a proclamation of judgment and not of sympathetic sorrow. Since Matthew heightens the judgment language, see further in 23, 13 to 32, that's the fifth discourse, on the world. Understood not merely to be the neutral setting for the struggle between belief and unbelief, but the source of all stumbling. The world is a source of stumbling. Woe unto the world because of offenses. Since he's speaking to his disciples, this is the warning to them of what was coming. Those in the world would be offensive. Their brethren shouldn't be, but those in the world will be offensive. What all the commentaries miss is vital for us to know. God's solemn promise to render vengeance. His trusting servants are not to avenge themselves. Romans 12, verse 19, Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath. For it is written, vengeance is mine, I will repay. God's servants have a promise that if vengeance is needed, he will deal with it. We don't deal with it ourselves. Paul also wrote in Hebrews chapter 10, verses 30 and 31, For we know him who said, vengeance is mine, I will repay. That's in Deuteronomy 32. I was going to go there, but since he's put it there in Hebrews, I thought I'd save the time. For we know him who said, vengeance is mine, I will repay. Says the Lord. Again, the Lord will judge his people. The Lord will judge his people. And then Paul added, it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. A fearful thing. Now, when Paul writes that, he had some experience. Jesus Christ confounded him on the road to Damascus, and he had a little chat. Paul had been persecuting his people, and Jesus let him know in no uncertain terms that he wasn't pleased. Later, Paul wrote, but I obtain mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. He persecuted God's people terribly, but he did it ignorantly in unbelief, and so mercy was extended.
Then Jesus continued, for offenses must come. For offenses must come. But woe to that man by whom the offense comes. Now, you see how this statement makes sense if you're looking at it this way, that he's the one who judges. Christ promised to avenge those who would harm his servants, and he always keeps his promises. As Jesus plainly stated, woe unto the world because of offenses.
Understanding that Christians strive mightily to avoid offending people. Speaking before Felix, the Roman emperor, this is Acts 24, 15 to 16. Acts 24, 15 to 16. Paul said, I have hope in God, which they themselves also accept, that there will be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust. This being so, because there will be a resurrection of the dead, both the just and the unjust, this being so, because I'm going to be judged, and so will everybody else. I myself always strive to have a conscience without offense toward God and men. He tried as hard as he could not to give offense to anyone, especially to God, but also to man. That's what we should do, too, brethren. Then he said, Jesus said, if your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you. It would be better for you to enter into life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands and two feet, and be cast into the everlasting fire. And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you, or it's better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire.
We heard a bit about that in the sermonette, about what we spend our time looking at. Expositives provides the key to understanding these verses in connection with verse 7. Quote, 8 and 9, Jesus now abandons denunciation of the world causing his disciples to stumble and tells his disciples they must prove to be not only victims but aggressors. The adverse, the adverse of D is given to the first horse, but beyond all this, if your hand. And the majority text, the ALT 3, supports that view. And here's how it is in that text. But if your hand or your feet causes you to stumble, figuratively to sin, cut them off and cast them from you. It would be better for you to enter life lame and crippled, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into the eternal fire. As we saw when we covered Matthew 5, 29 to 30, these verses are figures of speech. In those verses he wasn't demanding a ruthless mutilation, but ruthless self-denial.
Don't look at things that create lust. Don't handle such things. Don't go there.
In 18a-9, the emphasis is on not giving offense. That's the emphasis there. Be ruthless in dealing with our prideful actions and words. The vanity that drips from our mouths so many times. Be ruthless in eliminating offensive talk, such as being condescending, insulting with put-downs or trash talks. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 10, verses 31 to 33. 1 Corinthians 10, verses 31 to 33. Therefore, whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Give no offense, either to the Jews or to the Greeks or to the Church of God. Verse 33. Just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own prophet, but the prophet of many, that they may be saved.
Therefore, whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Give no offense, either to the Jews. We don't want to be offensive to Jews. We don't want to be offensive to Greeks. And we certainly don't want to be offensive to the Church of God. Just as I please all men in all things, not seeking my own prophet, but the prophet of many, that they may be saved. Expositors concludes this section by saying, the argument is clear. Jesus' followers must become like little children in humility if they are to enter the kingdom, verses 3 and 4. Those who receive such little ones because they belong to Him in effect receive Jesus. Those who reject them, causing them to stumble, are threatened with condemnation, verses 5 to 6. Those causing Jesus people to stumble, those things causing Jesus people to stumble, are inevitable, yet damning, verse 7. But the disciples themselves must beware, failure to deal radically with similar sin in their own lives betrays their allegiance to the world and threatens them with the eternal fire of hell, verses 8 and 9, and also 522. Jesus' disciples must deal as radically with pride as they were earlier commanded to deal with lust in the Sermon on the Mount. I thought that's a good summary. Pride gets in there, and then things go wrong.
Now the next section is verses 10 to 14.
Take heed that you, plural, do not despise one of these little ones. For I say to you, plural, that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven. For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost. What do you, plural, think? If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one who was straying? And if he should find it, assuredly I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than over the other ninety-nine that did not go astray.
Even so, it is not the will of your plural Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish. As I mentioned in this paragraph, Jesus used the plural you. He spoke to them as a group. So he said, take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones. Jesus again emphasizes that his servants must not look down on his little ones. Now, let's remember, he's speaking to his future leaders, twelve disciples there at that point, but two later called to be apostles. He's speaking to his future leaders, knowing that those who find themselves in leadership roles are prone to get the big hit. It's just the way it is. Those in leadership roles are prone to get the big hit. When writing to Timothy on ordaining elders, Paul instructed, not a novice, not a novice. The Greek word there is neophotus, or a neophyte, which he had the word today that comes from that. The theor says that a neophyte or neophotus means newly planted. By definition, we should expect an elder not to be a novice or newly converted or planted. Less being lifted up with pride, this is Paul writing to Timothy again, he fall into the same condemnation as the devil. Puffed up in Greek, the word is typhu, to be cloud from typhos, cloud or smoke. In other words, their heads are in the clouds. We know it was pride delayed to Satan's downfall. Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty. You corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor. That's Ezekiel 28. Pride can easily lift the heart of a neophyte into the clouds, and it can if pride can get the whole of anybody. Look at Deuteronomy 17, if you would please. Deuteronomy 17 and verse 18. Deuteronomy 17 and verse 18.
And it shall be when he sits in the throne of his kingdom. Now, is these instructions, because they weren't a king, these are instructions that were added into the Scripture. Also, it shall be when he sits on the throne of his kingdom that he shall write for himself a copy of this law in a book from the one before the priests and the Levites. And it shall be with him, and he shall read it all the days of his life for two reasons. One, that he may learn to fear the Lord is God and be careful to observe all his words of this law and these statutes. Read it every day so he could fear the Lord is God and be careful to observe all the words of this law and the statutes. That his heart may not be lifted up above his brethren. When you're the king, there's a tendency for the heart to be lifted up above the brethren. God knew this, so he put this instruction in. That he may not be turned aside from the commandment to the right hand or to the left. That he may for the longest days in his kingdom, he and his children in the midst of Israel. He said, if your king is going to rule long, you want him to read every day in the law and study it. That he'll learn to fear the Lord is God and that he won't get a big hit. It's a human tendency, very sad. God is well aware of this human tendency for leaders to think themselves superior to those they lead. As I mentioned before, Peter wrote, honor all people.
Peter's instruction is to show honor to every person you meet. Honor all people. Love the brotherhood, even a greater relationship. Fear God. You don't have to fear anybody else. Fear God. Honor the king. That's 1 Peter 2, 17. If we honor all people, it will be difficult, if not impossible, to be offensive to them. If you're being honorable toward somebody, it's very difficult to be offensive at the same time. I guess somebody might be able to try it.
Proverbs 16, 18 says, pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall. So that's the Christian life we're called to, that we're called to honor all people and not be offensive. Then he adds, for I say to you that in heaven, their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven.
For I say to you that in heaven, their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven. They've got access to the big boss 24-7.
I'm sure we'll agree that it's not wise to get up at ease with the boss's son or daughter, right? That's not a smart plan of attack. That's asking for trouble. As I mentioned, pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall. Some use this verse to say we each have a guardian angel.
We know that angels have been assigned to help humans, especially those called to his kingdom. Hebrews 1.4 says, Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation? God gave his physical children a spiritual guardian superior for the time, who Jesus may lower than the angels like we are. But there's no evidence in Scripture that we are assigned a particular angel, but they're all there to help. He said, next in verse 11, For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost. This suggests that his little ones are likely to get into to have some shortcomings and perhaps even wander off and get lost. Doesn't that suggest that? For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost. If so, then it's easy to see how a pastor, thinking himself spiritually mature, might find himself looking down on members who either are or seem less mature. This instruction is from the chief separatists, as it's called by Peter, clearly warns Osoa against such outlooks of not looking down or talking down.
Then he says in verse 12, What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety and nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that's straying? And if he should find it, assuredly I say to you, here's our phrase again, he rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray. Even so, it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.
The Wycliffe commentary has an interesting comment here. The importance of even the lowliest believer is illustrated by the parable of the law sheep. Since the shepherd is greatly concerned over a single straying sheep, how important is our obligation not to minimize such unfortunate ones? They've gone off, but we don't write them off.
There's an old saying, where there's life, there's hope.
Speaking in the book of Luke, Luke chapter 19 verses 9 to 10, he went into, I think it's Zacchaeus' house. He said, Luke 19, 9 to 10, and Jesus said to him, today salvation has come to this house, because he is also a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost. To seek and to save that which was lost. A similar parable is recorded in Luke 15, 1 to 7, but that one was given to tax collectors while the Pharisees and scribes looked on. Since Matthew records it as being given to his disciples privately, it seems Jesus used this parable to give pastoral care and instruction to his disciples, wherein in Luke he was explaining it more publicly. Probably a totally different occasion. The message of Matthew views Luke's account, which includes three parables, the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost or prodigal son, are evangelistic, emphasizing God's desire to seek and to save those who are lost. Let's remember, brethren, Jesus Christ came to seek and to save that which was lost. He's working to bring salvation to every human being, and that includes those the Father has called and cleansed, but may have wandered away in a time of error or stumbled or gone through various things. We've seen all kinds of examples of that, and thankfully a good number do return, which is encouraging. Okay, let's look at Matthew 18.
I don't think we'll be able to finish that one. It's a big one, but let me read it. Moreover, if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. I have found people are so unwilling to do that thing. If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you've gained your brother. But if he will not hear, take one or two more, that by the mouth of two or three witnesses, every word may be established. And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector. Anyone who doesn't hear the church should be like a heathen or a tax collector.
These were not popular people in that day. Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Again I say to you that if two or three of you agree on earth concerning anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, I am there in the midst of them.
Interestingly, in this paragraph, Jesus began using the singular when speaking to them individually from 15 to 17, and used the plural in 18 to 20.
I'll just go a little further in it. Verse 15, Moreover, if your brother sins against you, let's first note, Jesus is not addressing minor slights, misspoken words, or inconveniences. Such things are best overlooked. Proverbs 19, 11, NIV, A man's wisdom gives him patience. It is his glory to overlook and offense.
Proverbs 20, verse 3, It's to a man's honor to avoid strife.
But every fool is quick to quarrel. It's there. So Jesus is addressing a brother who sins, in this case, against you. The Greek word translated sins is usually translated sin or sins, but it can also include offensive behavior. Paul used it in that way in Acts 25, 8, that he avoided offense wherever he could. So Jesus is addressing, Jesus addressed causing a little one to sin in verse 6 and offenses in verse 7. Here the person is sinned or is defensive toward you, and it's possible the person is doing the same toward other people. Brethren, it says we must not ignore it. We must deal with it. Go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you've gained your brother. Now, many people think this is brand new teaching from Jesus Christ that was only available in the New Testament, but it's not. If you look, let's turn there to Leviticus 19. Leviticus 19. By the way, Leviticus 19 has been called the kernel of the law. It's quite an amazing chapter. Leviticus 19 and verse 17. You shall not hate your brother in your heart. You shall surely rebuke your neighbor. I was going to talk to him. If you rebuke, it doesn't mean scold. It means saying, I found that difficult or I found it unpleasant or whatever, and you deal with it that way. You shall not hate your brother in your heart. You shall surely rebuke your neighbor and not bear sin because of him. You shall not take vengeance nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord. So if someone does you wrong, we can choose between hating him in our hearts or talking with them privately about his actions. Choosing the latter leads to resolving the matter and prevents bearing sin because of carrying grudges around is not the Christian way. It's not the Christian way. Instead of sinning by taking vengeance or holding a grudge, resolving the matter peaceably is the right and loving thing to do even in the Old Testament. This maintains harmony within the fellowship and enables us to be recognized as Christ's disciples. We all have a responsibility to our church community to be part of maintaining peace within the fellowship. I think our first hymn said we're at peace, which is a great blessing for the congregation to be at peace. I remember the first time doing—I did this, I believe it was the first time—I was working in a mail opening in Pasadena in 1962. A mail opening was where the mail first went to be opened, and then it was handled to be sent literature or whatever it needed to do to get to different departments there. It was a small room with about eight, nine people crowded around one table. And there was one man there—obviously, I'll tell you his name because it all ended beautifully. His name was Fred Cullors—was one of the people at the table. He was a couple years ahead of me. And he said in our conversation a couple things that concerned me. So I decided to, following his verse, I'd go talk to him privately. When I arrived at his dorm, he was reading 1 Corinthians 13, the love chapter. That slowed me down a little bit.
Nevertheless, I told him my concerns, and I said, I was concerned about that. And he replied, you know, I can understand why you were concerned.
But then he told me that he was concerned about some things I had said.
I'd only saw it from my own perspective. I hadn't seen it from his perspective.
And I said, I could see your point. We ended an agreement, and I gained my brother. That was over 50 years ago. And I've done that a number of times on personal issues. Never once have I had to take the matter further in dealing with personal issues. Each talk ended in reconciliation and peace. What a wonderful blessing that is. As they used to say at summer camp, God's ways work. Verse 16, but if he will not hear, we'll pick it up there next time.
