The Kings Greatest Men

The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter Fifteen: The King’s Rebuke (Matthew 18)

To live above, with saints we love

Will certainly be glory.

To live below, with saints we know—

Well, that’s another story!

Matthew 18:1–14 NASB95

1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus and said, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 2 And He called a child to Himself and set him before them, 3 and said, “Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 “Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 “And whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me; 6 but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea. 7 “Woe to the world because of its stumbling blocks! For it is inevitable that stumbling blocks come; but woe to that man through whom the stumbling block comes! 8 “If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; it is better for you to enter life crippled or lame, than to have two hands or two feet and be cast into the eternal fire. 9 “If your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and throw it from you. It is better for you to enter life with one eye, than to have two eyes and be cast into the fiery hell. 10 “See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven continually see the face of My Father who is in heaven. 11 “For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost. 12 “What do you think? If any man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go and search for the one that is straying? 13 “If it turns out that he finds it, truly I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine which have not gone astray. 14 “So it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones perish.

I. Become Like Children (1-4)

Matthew 18:1–4 NASB95

1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus and said, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 2 And He called a child to Himself and set him before them, 3 and said, “Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 “Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

M

A. The Childish Quarrel (1)

B. The Illustration of a Child (2)

Small child - small enough to hold in his arms.

C. The Conversion a Child (3)

The Gospel of Matthew, Volume 2 Personal Relationships (Matthew 18)

(1) First and foremost, there is the quality of humility (verses 1–4). Only the person who has the humility of the child is a citizen of the kingdom of heaven. Personal ambition, personal prestige, personal publicity and personal profit are motives which can find no place in the lives of Christians. Christians are people who forget self in their devotion to Jesus Christ and in their service to other people.

The Gospel of Matthew, Volume 2 The Mind of a Child (Matthew 18:1–4)

(1) First and foremost, there is the quality which is the keynote of the whole passage, the child’s humility. Children do not wish to push themselves forward; rather, they wish to fade into the background. They do not wish for prominence; they would rather be left in obscurity. It is only as they grow up, and begin to be initiated into a competitive world, with its fierce struggle and scramble for prizes and for first places, that this instinctive humility is left behind.

(2) There is the child’s dependence. To children, a state of dependence is perfectly natural. They never think that they can face life by themselves. They are perfectly content to be utterly dependent on those who love them and care for them. If men and women would accept the fact of their dependence on God, a new strength and a new peace would enter their lives.

(3) There is the child’s trust. Children are instinctively dependent, and just as instinctively they trust their parents that their needs will be met. When we are children, we cannot buy our own food or our own clothes, or maintain our own home; yet we never doubt that we will be clothed and fed, and that there will be shelter and warmth and comfort waiting for us when we come home. When we are children, we set out on a journey with no means of paying the fare, and with no idea of how to get to our journey’s end, and yet it never enters our heads to doubt that our parents will bring us safely there.

Don’t worry about who is the greatest in the kingdom, unless you are like a child you won’t even make it!

The Gospel of Matthew, Volume 2 The Mind of a Child (Matthew 18:1–4)

(1) First and foremost, there is the quality which is the keynote of the whole passage, the child’s humility. Children do not wish to push themselves forward; rather, they wish to fade into the background. They do not wish for prominence; they would rather be left in obscurity. It is only as they grow up, and begin to be initiated into a competitive world, with its fierce struggle and scramble for prizes and for first places, that this instinctive humility is left behind.

(2) There is the child’s dependence. To children, a state of dependence is perfectly natural. They never think that they can face life by themselves. They are perfectly content to be utterly dependent on those who love them and care for them. If men and women would accept the fact of their dependence on God, a new strength and a new peace would enter their lives.

(3) There is the child’s trust. Children are instinctively dependent, and just as instinctively they trust their parents that their needs will be met. When we are children, we cannot buy our own food or our own clothes, or maintain our own home; yet we never doubt that we will be clothed and fed, and that there will be shelter and warmth and comfort waiting for us when we come home. When we are children, we set out on a journey with no means of paying the fare, and with no idea of how to get to our journey’s end, and yet it never enters our heads to doubt that our parents will bring us safely there.

The Gospel of Matthew, Volume 2 The Mind of a Child ()

(1) First and foremost, there is the quality which is the keynote of the whole passage, the child’s humility. Children do not wish to push themselves forward; rather, they wish to fade into the background. They do not wish for prominence; they would rather be left in obscurity. It is only as they grow up, and begin to be initiated into a competitive world, with its fierce struggle and scramble for prizes and for first places, that this instinctive humility is left behind.

(NASB95)

(2) There is the child’s dependence. To children, a state of dependence is perfectly natural. They never think that they can face life by themselves. They are perfectly content to be utterly dependent on those who love them and care for them. If men and women would accept the fact of their dependence on God, a new strength and a new peace would enter their lives.

(3) There is the child’s trust. Children are instinctively dependent, and just as instinctively they trust their parents that their needs will be met. When we are children, we cannot buy our own food or our own clothes, or maintain our own home; yet we never doubt that we will be clothed and fed, and that there will be shelter and warmth and comfort waiting for us when we come home. When we are children, we set out on a journey with no means of paying the fare, and with no idea of how to get to our journey’s end, and yet it never enters our heads to doubt that our parents will bring us safely there.

D. The Humility of a Child (4)

9 But take care that this liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. 10 For if someone sees you, who have knowledge, dining in an idol’s temple, will not his conscience, if he is weak, be strengthened to eat things sacrificed to idols? 11 For through your knowledge he who is weak is ruined, the brother for whose sake Christ died. 12 And so, by sinning against the brethren and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. 13 Therefore, if food causes my brother to stumble, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause my brother to stumble.

D. The Humility of a Child (4)

children are humble. What do we mean when we say they're humble? They have no achievements. They have no accomplishments. They have no personal means to achieve or to accomplish. They have no ability to chart their own course, they have no wisdom to face the world. They have no ability to protect themselves, to provide for themselves. They are weak. They are dependent. They are immature. They are ignorant. They are simple minded. They are vulnerable. They are in desperate need of care and that's exactly how it is for those who enter the Kingdom. We recognize that we have no achievement, no merit, no accomplishment. We are weak, ignorant, dependent, immature, ignorant, simple-minded, vulnerable. We can't defend ourselves. We can't achieve anything by some accomplishment. We have no ability for those kinds of things. We have no credentials. We have nothing to offer.

need of care and that's exactly how it is for those who enter the Kingdom. We recognize that we

have no achievement, no merit, no accomplishment. We are weak, ignorant, dependent, immature,

ignorant, simple-minded, vulnerable. We can't defend ourselves. We can't achieve anything by some

accomplishment. We have no ability for those kinds of things. We have no credentials. We have

when we say they're humble? They have no achievements. They have no accomplishments. They

nothing to offer.

II. Treat Each Other Like Children (5-9)

have no personal means to achieve or to accomplish.

II. Treat Each Other Like Children (5-9)

Matthew 18:5–9 NASB95

5 “And whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me; 6 but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea. 7 “Woe to the world because of its stumbling blocks! For it is inevitable that stumbling blocks come; but woe to that man through whom the stumbling block comes! 8 “If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; it is better for you to enter life crippled or lame, than to have two hands or two feet and be cast into the eternal fire. 9 “If your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and throw it from you. It is better for you to enter life with one eye, than to have two eyes and be cast into the fiery hell.

Matthew 18:

A. Receive Each Other (5)

Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament based on Semantic Domains 34.53 προσλαμβάνομαι; παραλαμβάνω; ἀπολαμβάνω; δέχομαι; ἀναδέχομαι; ἀποδέχομαι; ἐπιδέχομαι; εἰσδέχομαι; ὑποδέχομαι; προσδέχομα

to accept the presence of a person with friendliness—‘to welcome, to receive, to accept, to have as a guest.

B. Don’t Trip Each Other (6)

1. By Direct Temptation

to lie. to gossip. to sexual impurity. to drunkeness or drugs.

2. By Indirect Temptation

Ephesians 6:4 NASB95

4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

3. By Failing to Lead People to Righteousness.

flaunting our liberty

(NASB95)

9 But take care that this liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. 10 For if someone sees you, who have knowledge, dining in an idol’s temple, will not his conscience, if he is weak, be strengthened to eat things sacrificed to idols? 11 For through your knowledge he who is weak is ruined, the brother for whose sake Christ died. 12 And so, by sinning against the brethren and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. 13 Therefore, if food causes my brother to stumble, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause my brother to stumble.

4. By Setting a Bad Example

C. Don’t Be Tripped By the World (7)

Hebrews 10:25 NASB95

25 not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.

Example: Nadab and Abihu offering strange fire.

The Gospel of Matthew, Volume 2 The Terrible Responsibility (Matthew 18:5–7, 10 Contd)

Drowning was sometimes a Roman punishment, but never Jewish. To the Jews, it was the symbol of utter destruction.

C. Don’t Be Tripped By the World (7)

D. Deal Radically with Your Stumbles (8-9)

This is the cost of humility. We must perform spiritual surgery to remain as a little child before God.

III. Care for Each Other Like Children (10-14)

Matthew 18:10–14 NASB95

10 “See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven continually see the face of My Father who is in heaven. 11 “For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost. 12 “What do you think? If any man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go and search for the one that is straying? 13 “If it turns out that he finds it, truly I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine which have not gone astray. 14 “So it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones perish.

A. The Rule (10)

B. The Reasons (10-14)

1. The Relation of Believers to Angels (10)

The Gospel of Matthew, Volume 2 The Terrible Responsibility (Matthew 18:5–7, 10 Contd)

To say that these angels behold the face of God in heaven means that they always have the right of direct access to God. The picture is of a great royal court where only the most favoured courtiers and ministers and officials have direct access to the king.

2. The Relation of Believer to the Father (11-14)