Matthew Chapter 18 Verse 1

• At least two other places in the Bible we see the disciples arguing over who will be the greatest in the coming kingdom (Luke 9:46 and Luke 22:24) but I looked at this particular scene as Matthew describes it a little differently…Matthew tells us the disciples came to Jesus and the word that he uses to describe how they came implies humility…bowed to Jesus, and they ask Him, in the Greek not only “who” but that word can also be translated, “what, why, whom, which,” and so on…and so while we could pick on the disciples because we do know they are volleying for position, I’m not so sure that’s the message Matthew wants to send. Contextually Jesus doesn’t respond in really a personal way, as to identify one that is or can be the greatest, but rather He responds in principle.
• And so here’s how I see this. They come to Him and they ask Him, “How can we become greater in Your kingdom!” Not only is that not necessarily a bad thing to ask, it’s the right thing to ask! How can I grow up! What can I do, what can I learn? We want to be greater for You and for Your kingdom…how?!

Matthew Chapter 18 Verses 2 – 4

• I love this! This scene could have gone bad in an instant…discouraging in an instant…Jesus could have stood up, brushed off His cloak and said, “Take a good look boys! You want to be greater, be just like Me!” And they would have been like, “Well crud…You’re absolutely, completely, constantly perfect…we are toast…” HA! But look at what happens…Jesus calls a little child to Himself…and says, you want to grow up in the things of the Kingdom of Heaven and eternity? Grow down in the things of the flesh!

• This would have stunned them! Children in that day were not even regarded as people. They had no rights, they were not held in high esteem, they were not respected, they were not listened to, in fact they were regarded as property…owned by someone else…under the authority of someone else… Now, just think of those things…this is interesting…these are all things we CAN do…we just despise these things because in our fallen sin-blackened hearts we are burning to be like God (the sick reward of sin)…but a child…all these things and yet they smile. They play. They sing. They dance. They’re imbeciles, they’re less and thought of as less…and they’re ok with that! HA!!
• Jesus doesn’t stand and say, “You want to become greater, get perfect…,” He actually says, “Get stronger.” Decrease in the weakness of self and increase in the strength of humility. He uses the phrase, “Be converted and become.” He says, “Whoever humbles himself,” because this is something we naturally are not…Little children are a mess, unfiltered and utterly transparent…they don’t naturally hide but rather are just out there…not like us, right? Oh how we hide behind false fronts…
• We were at a store a while back and Link saw a couple of devout Muslim women…completely covered up…just a slit for their eyes and he was just staring at them for a minute in bewilderment and then he turns to me and with excited volume proclaimed, “Dad! Real ninjas!” HA! The people around me expanded their eye lids in that moment…but hey, he’s just a kid…innocent, he meant no harm…no malice in what he says, nothing behind it but purity…sensitive, trusting, simple…Jesus uses this one word to describe how we are to be in order to grow up in His kingdom…not children…little.
• This is, by the way, the very setting of the atmosphere of conflict resolution. Later in this chapter is what’s known as spiritual discipline. What we are to do when we are sinned against by a brother or sister in the Lord. Folks jump right to verse 15 but if you don’t first set the atmosphere in your heart in accordance with verse 4 then you’re sunk before you leave port.
• Now Jesus will speak directly about the actual child in their midst but as He does, there is also a thick practical and spiritual parallel, underlining message…

Matthew Chapter 18 Verse 5

• Is He talking about the child? About folks receiving and caring for little ones? I truly believe so! To take time to encourage them, to affectionately acknowledge them and to assure and reassure them…to receive them as they come around…but He’s also saying to these men…anyone who encourages humility, conversion to simplicity, anyone who assures and reassures these things, receives Me…and the implication is…as King.

Matthew Chapter 18 Verse 6

• Meek and mild, eh? You know that’s a hymn, not a Bible verse…Jesus said of Himself that He is gentle, meek and humble, lowly in heart but mild He is not. He is Deliverer and yet He is also Judge…and what He says here is intense. Whoever discourages one of these little ones in terms of truth, grace and righteousness…causes them to sin…send them head first to the depths…Davy Jones’ Locker!!!! I mean that is intense!!
• Is He talking about the little child or is He talking about the converted childlike adult? Yes! Crimes against kids are horrible. They are hellish. To harm a little one who is dependant and innocent, even hardened criminals cringe (child abusers don’t do well in prison). And yet to discourage the simplicity of faith, to discourage humility, to point folks away from the things of God and towards the things of man…God says sink them…

Matthew Chapter 18 Verse 7

• Offenses are here…and they cause suffering and woe…sin causes suffering and woe but the double portion of suffering and woe is dealt to the one through which the offense comes…

Matthew Chapter 18 Verses 8 – 9

• Jesus is not commanding them to literally do this and we know this by the body parts He chooses. If you cut off your right hand well then you still have your left and if you pluck out one eye, well you still have the other…and the truth is that the eye or the hand or the foot really isn’t the issue…the mind controls them all and the mind is slave to the heart…the heart is the real issue…and so what is He saying?
• Take intense action, man! Whatever you’ve got to do, do it in order to grow up in the Lord. Defeat the power of weakness and death that continually wants to crud-up your life…defeat sin…Think about this…He’s given you all you need to do it…you just have to agree with Him, man…and maybe take of a hand…something you do…a foot…somewhere you go…or an eye…your perspective…