True Greatness in the Kingdom
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Text: Mt 18.1-14
1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”
2 And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them 3 and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
4 Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
5 “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, 6 but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.
7 “Woe to the world for temptations to sin! For it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the one by whom the temptation comes!
8 And 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 with two hands or two feet to be thrown into the eternal fire.
9 And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into the hell of fire.
10 “See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven.
12 What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray?
13 And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. 14 So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.
Main Point/FCF: The world encourages pride and selfishness, but the Kingdom of God requires the opposite.
Application: True believers are marked by humility and treating others as better than themselves.
Entrance into the Kingdom of God requires humility. (18:1-4)
Entrance into the Kingdom of God requires humility. (18:1-4)
The problem is that...
No one is naturally humble.
No one is naturally humble.
At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”
This is the natural bent of human beings. People are constantly trying to outdo one another, be it at work, wealth, popularity at school, beauty, intelligence, social status—we want to be great.
Kids in school are constantly battling to one up each other, to make a name for themselves. We don’t want to be a nobody, so we strive to outdo one another in sports, academics, extracurriculars, popularity. Then we go off to college and start that cycle all over. Then we get into the work force and start climbing the ladder.
Some people think they’re not prideful because they don’t play that rat race of ladder climbing. But, those who don’t worry about climbing the ladder express their pride through their love of comfort and ease. They may be laid back and chill, but ask them to get outside of their comfort zone, or to come to an extra service at church, to do an outreach event, or to serve and they get uncomfortable.
Because at the end of the day, our natural bent is to put ourselves first. To be selfish.
Humility does not come naturally to anyone. We have to constantly remind ourselves of what Christ has done for us.
I once had the opportunity to share the gospel with a neighbor of mine. We talked for a long time about his beliefs, which I would describe as kind of a New Age buffet line. He had a little bit of Christianity, a little bit of Eastern religions (karma), a little bit of Nordic religion (Valhalla), and a bunch of whatever else felt right to him sprinkled in.
As we talked through the Bible’s worldview and the path of salvation, I could sense him getting hung up on the idea of grace. He knew intuitively that he was not good enough to get into “heaven,” per se, but didn’t think that he was bad enough to deserve Hell.
He was a law enforcement officer, and as such, he put his life on the line for complete strangers day in and day out. He really prided himself on that. That’s why he like the concept of Valhalla, because—at least in his version of it—there was a lesser realm in Valhalla for warriors like himself, while the really good people went on to the higher level.
This is really no different than the Catholic Church’s theology of purgatory. Only the saints and the really godly people who do lots of hail mary’s and go to mass all the time go to heaven. Most of us end up in Purgatory, where we have our sins “purged” through some suffering. Only the worst of the worst end up in Hell.
We’re naturally drawn to ideas like this because we intuitively realize that we don’t deserve heaven, but we don’t think we’re bad enough to deserve Hell either. And we like the idea that we can one day earn our way into heaven.
But the true gospel turns all that on its head. There is no such thing as purgatory.
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
All of us, by nature, are on a path towards hell. None of us could be good enough to earn our way into heaven.
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
The only way any of us get into heaven is by the grace—that is, the undeserved gift—of God. We simply place our trust in Christ and what he has done for us.
Our natural self rebels against that idea. We know we’ve messed up, but we want to right the wrongs ourselves. That’s why the most common corruption of the gospel is to turn it into a works-based righteousness. It fits what we want and expect more easily than grace does. The only way that we ever gain access to the Kingdom of God is by admitting that we cannot do it ourselves. We have to embrace the humility and dependence of a child and throw ourselves on God’s mercy.
and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
Humility on Earth is the path to greatness in the Kingdom.
Humility on Earth is the path to greatness in the Kingdom.
And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
The Kingdom of God is an upside down kingdom. Those who exalt themselves and try to make a name for themselves get humbled.
And those who acknowledge their weakness, depend upon Christ, and seek his glory and exaltation, God will exalt.
This was John the Baptist’s attitude. When his disciples worried that Jesus was stealing all the attention and that the crowds were going to Jesus instead of John, John said:
You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him.’
The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete.
He must increase, but I must decrease.”
Using the picture of a wedding, John says, “I’m just the best man. The groom—that’s Jesus. This isn’t about me, it’s about him.”
That’s why Jesus later said this about John:
Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist.
The greatest thing you can do in the Kingdom of God is to point all the attention away from yourself and onto someone else—Jesus Christ.
But, being humble sometimes opens us up to abuse and mistreatment. Others will use us as the ladder while they climb to the top. But there’s good news...
The King fiercely defends the humble. (18:5-9)
The King fiercely defends the humble. (18:5-9)
“Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.
The key to understanding this passage is to understand that this passage isn’t about children. Jesus is using children as a metaphor for a humble believer. So, when Jesus says “one such child,” he doesn’t mean a literal child, but one who—like he says in verse 4—“humbles himself like this child”
This is confirmed by the tag in verse 6, “one of these little ones who believe in me.” So, everywhere you see “one such child” or “these little ones” in this passage, Jesus is referring to his disciples, not necessarily to actual children.
This is echoed in a very similar passage in Mt. 10:40-42
“Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me.
The one who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and the one who receives a righteous person because he is a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward.
And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.”
Jesus rewards those who treat his disciples with honor.
Jesus rewards those who treat his disciples with honor.
5 “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me...
I don’t think that Jesus is talking about a specific class or type of believer—as if there are “humble” believers and “not-so-humble” believers. I think the point he is making is that humility is the mark of a true believer. All true believers should be humble.
So, the point is that those who show humility and treat other disciples with honor and gentleness—not because they are great, wise, or mighty but because they come in Jesus’ name—will be greatly rewarded. Whatever you do for another disciple with a kind, gentle spirit is rewarded as if it was done for Christ himself.
But...
Jesus will judge those who tempt his disciples to sin.
Jesus will judge those who tempt his disciples to sin.
6 but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.
The picture here is of someone placing a stumblingblock or temptation in the path of a believer.
We have to ask, “Who is Jesus talking to here, believers or unbelievers?” Jesus is talking to his disciples, but he’s threatening judgement and hell. How are we to make sense of this?
Again, this whole passage is about how humility is the mark of a true believer, one who enters the Kingdom of God, and pride is the mark of an unbeliever.
But, we know that there are many who claim to be believers but are not. Wolves wearing sheep clothes. I think that is what is pictured here.
A classic example of this is Judas. Judas disguised himself as a disciple, but he was not truly a disciple. He was not humble. He was selfish, seeking his own glory, not Christ’s. But, his sin—betraying Jesus—laid a stumblingblock in front of all the other disciples, causing them to sin and abandon Jesus. Of course, Judas did not cause their sin in the strict sense, but he caused the temptation.
Judas appeared to be a believer to the other disciples. But, through his lack of humility and his selfishness he revealed his true nature as an unbeliever.
We still have such people in our churches today.
Temptations are necessary, but tempters still bear responsibility for their actions.
Temptations are necessary, but tempters still bear responsibility for their actions.
7 “Woe to the world for temptations to sin! For it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the one by whom the temptation comes!
The temptation of Christ was necessary. Through overcoming that temptation, Christ’s human nature was effectively inoculated against similar temptations.
17 Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.
18 For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.
There will always be people who claim to follow Christ, but whose actions demonstrate that they do not know him.
Those people lay a stumblingblock in front of others.
How many times have we heard about the hypocrisy of Christians causing others to doubt the truth of the gospel? How man times have we heard of a leader’s sin causing others to fall away?
Do not be that person.
Guard yourself against pride.
Guard yourself against pride.
8 And 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 with two hands or two feet to be thrown into the eternal fire.
9 And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into the hell of fire.
This is serious. Jesus is obviously using a figure of speech here. A lot of people would argue that he’s using hyperbole—an intentional exaggeration to make a point.
This is going to get a bit technical for just a minute, but I think it’s important, so try to hang with me here.
I don’t think that hyperbole is the best explanation for what Jesus is saying here, because that implies that Jesus is exaggerating the severity of sin and Hell. But going to Hell is certainly not less serious than cutting off your hand or gouging out your eye. In fact, if cutting off your hand or gouging out your eye would prevent you from sinning and going to Hell, then it would be a small price to pay!
So, I don’t think this is hyperbole—I don’t think Jesus is exaggerating to make a point. I think the key to understanding this passage (and the similar passage in Matthew 5) is a closely related type of figure of speech called Metonymy.
Metonymy — The use of one entity to refer to a related entity within the same conceptual domain.
A classic example of this is “The White House.” The White House is often said to issue statements, declare emergencies, deploy troops, etc. But, of course, the literal “White House” is just a building and can’t speak. When we say, “The White House issued a statement” we mean that the administration that works in the White House issued a statement. But we refer to the building as a representative of the whole.
When Jesus says “if your eye/hand causes you to sin...” he doesn’t mean your literal eye/hand, but rather your desires and pride.
The “eye” in Scripture is commonly used to symbolize your desires.
27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
29 If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell.
For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.
In this context in Matthew 18, I think the eyes refer not just to sexual desire but more broadly to prideful desires—greed, coveting, pride.
The “hands” in Scripture often refers to pride in accomplishments.
Beware lest you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.’
So, when Jesus says in Matthew 18:8–9 “And if your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away...And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into the hell of fire” I think what he is saying is that if your desires or your accomplishments lead you to pride, you need to purge whatever it is that is causing pride in your life. You need to do “spiritual surgery.”
If someone struggles with pride because of their intelligence, what is the antidote?
...What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?
Sure, maybe you are smarter than the average person, and maybe you’ve studied hard for your grades or your degrees. But who gave you your mind? Who enabled you to take those classes? Who caused you to be born here where you had such access instead of in Africa, Asia, or the Middle East where schools were inaccessible?
If someone struggles with pride because of their looks, athleticism, or physical fitness—sure, you worked out. But who made it so that you were born with legs and arms? Who gave you the body that you exercise? Who granted you the genes to be good looking or athletic so that your body would respond to training? “What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?”
If someone struggles with pride in their wealth, business, or social status—who gave you those things? Why were you born in a free country where those things produce wealth? Why were you given the head start and all the advantages you have in life? Why has your business prospered? “What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?”
When pride arises in our hearts, we need to cut it out. Guard against pride.
And 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 with two hands or two feet to be thrown into the eternal fire.
And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into the hell of fire.
The Father’s love for his children is fierce. (18:10-14)
The Father’s love for his children is fierce. (18:10-14)
Beware that you do not look down with pride on believers.
Beware that you do not look down with pride on believers.
“See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven.
Reason #1: Angels stand at the ready to defend them.
Reason #1: Angels stand at the ready to defend them.
“See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven.
Angel means “messenger”
Elsewhere, esp. in Hebrews, it becomes clear that at least part of the Angels’ job description is to “serve for the sake of” the elect, Christians
Of the angels he says, “He makes his angels winds, and his ministers a flame of fire.”
Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?
This does NOT mean that each of us has a “guardian angel,” as sweet and sentimental as that sounds. Angels primarily serve as messengers of God Almighty, and there’s no evidence in Scripture that they get “assigned” permanently to follow us around everywhere. In fact, the verse says they stand at the ready in Heaven, in the presence of God—not following us around to prevent us from getting in a car wreck while we text and drive.
Don’t make too much of angels—they are messengers from God. But, don’t dismiss them as irrelevant, either. Every time in Scripture that an angel shows up, people fall down in sheer terror. They are mighty spiritual beings with incredible power.
“See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven.
What this verse says is that God defends the humble through the commissioning of his angels to defend them from oppressors and trials.
Matthew 18:10 is a threat of judgement against any who would oppress the people of God.
It’s Jesus’ way of saying, “You realize that I have an army of angels at my disposal, right? Treat my people right.”
Here are three quick examples:
Example 1: Elisha. In 2 Kings 6, the King of Syria is angry with the prophet Elisha because Elisha’s prophecies are causing him to loose his battles against Israel. So, the King sends a huge army to capture Elisha. Elisha’s servant sees the huge army and panics, but listen to what happens:
14 So he sent there horses and chariots and a great army, and they came by night and surrounded the city.
15 When the servant of the man of God rose early in the morning and went out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was all around the city. And the servant said, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?”
16 He said, “Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”
17 Then Elisha prayed and said, “O Lord, please open his eyes that he may see.” So the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
18 And when the Syrians came down against him, Elisha prayed to the Lord and said, “Please strike this people with blindness.” So he struck them with blindness in accordance with the prayer of Elisha.
Elisha and his servant were in an impossible situation, surrounded by a massive army that was sent to capture them specifically. But, Elisha humbled himself and prayed, and God sent an even larger army of angels to come rescue him.
Example 2: Daniel. In the OT, Daniel is in exile in Babylon and he receives a vision from God that leaves him completely stupefied and drained of energy.
So I was left alone and saw this great vision, and no strength was left in me. My radiant appearance was fearfully changed, and I retained no strength.
Then I heard the sound of his words, and as I heard the sound of his words, I fell on my face in deep sleep with my face to the ground.
Then, an angel appears and stands before him and says this:
And behold, a hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees.
And he said to me, “O Daniel, man greatly loved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for now I have been sent to you.” And when he had spoken this word to me, I stood up trembling.
Then he said to me, “Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words.
Daniel humbled himself, and God sent an angel to comfort him and help him understand the vision.
Example 3: Jesus. After Jesus had suffered temptation at the hands of Satan in the wilderness, the Father sent angels to minister to him and restore him.
Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.
And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.”
Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, “ ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’ ”
Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him.
We could go on and on. The Angel of Death sent to the Egyptians in Exodus, the angel that blocks the path of Balaam when he is trying to curse Israel, the angel sent to Joseph and Mary and the Wise Men to warn about Herod’s intentions, and so on.
I want to give you one more example, though, this one not from the Bible but from a more contemporary time.
There is a pattern in Scripture that when God’s people stay humble and resist the temptation to pride, God helps them, often by sending his warrior angels to fight the battles that us mere mortals cannot.
So, if you are struggling right now and feel humbled beyond your strength, be encouraged! The Father has legions of angels at his disposal to strengthen you and lift you up.
Perhaps you feel like an outcast, maybe you’re the one that always gets picked on at school. Imagine if this guy was your dad. You wouldn’t have to be afraid at school if this guy was your dad, because nobody’s going to mess with you!
Well, your heavenly Father has a legion of angels that would make this guy pee himself and faint. In fact, fainting is a pretty common response to angels in the Bible.
On the other hand, if you are one who looks down on the lowly and causes them to stumble; if you’re one who despises the humble and think yourself better than them—remember, the Father has legions of angels at his disposal to care for his humble children.
Reason #2: The Good Shepherd loves his sheep.
Reason #2: The Good Shepherd loves his sheep.
10 “See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven.
12 What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray?
13 And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray.
14 So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.
Don’t look down upon other believers or cause them to wander because the Good Shepherd loves them.
Elsewhere, Jesus uses this same parable to refer to an unbeliever, but here, the wandering sheep is a believer who has been led astray.
Jesus guards his sheep so intensely that he will leave the ninety nine to go after the one that wanders.
We need to remember that our brothers and sisters in Christ are first and foremost not just our brothers and sisters, but sons and daughters of the King. God loves his children and he will stop at nothing to ensure that they receive justice and persevere to the end.
Conclusion
The world around us is always vying for control and power and prestige, but the Kingdom of Heaven is not like that. Those who would be great in the Kingdom must humble themselves like children and depend upon God.
But, God does not leave us without protection. We are sheep, but we have a shepherd. He guards over us with legions of angels and loves us so much that he sent his only Son to die in our place.
As Christians, there is no place for pride in our hearts. Everything good about us is a gift from the Father. As we deal with one another, let us do so with humility, seeking to build up one another in love, putting each others’ needs before our own.
For those who are struggling, who have had stumblingblocks put in their path—God is faithful and he will set things right sooner or later. Entrust your cares to him, for he cares for you.
Reflection Questions:
Reflection Questions:
What does Jesus mean when he says you must become like children to enter the kingdom of heaven?
What is the relationship between humility and faith, and what does this have to do with the Kingdom of God?
How does the concept of humility contrast with the world’s view of greatness in this passage?
What are some practical steps you can take to cultivate humility in your daily life?
How can we create an environment in our schools, homes, and workplace that encourages humility instead of pride?
Why should we take extra care in how we treat our brothers and sisters in Christ?
Benediction
Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.
Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.
And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.
