Matthew 18

The Greatest

MATTHEW 18:1-35

18:1 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.

15 “If your brother sins*, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. 16 “But if he does not listen to you,take one or two more with you, so that BY THE MOUTH OF TWO OR THREE WITNESSES EVERY FACT MAY BE CONFIRMED. 17 “If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. 18 “Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.

19 “Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven. 20 “For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.”

21 Then Peter came and said to Him, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” 22 Jesus *said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.

23 “For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. 24 “When he had begun to settle them, one who owed him *ten thousand talents was brought to him. 25 “But since he did not have the means to repay, his lord commanded him to be sold, along with his wife and children and all that he had, and repayment to be made. 26 “So the slave fell to the ground and prostrated himself before him, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you everything.’ 27 “And the lord of that slave felt compassion and released him and forgave him the debt. 28 “But that slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred *denarii; and he seized him and beganto choke him, saying, ‘Pay back what you owe.’ 29 “So his fellow slave fell to the ground and began to plead with him, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you.’ 30 “But he was unwilling and went and threw him in prison until he should pay back what was owed. 31 “So when his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were deeply grieved and came and reported to their lord all that had happened. 32 “Then summoning him, his lord *said to him, ‘You wicked slave, I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33 ‘Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, in the same way that I had mercy on you?’ 34 “And his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him. 35 “My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart.”

MATTHEW 18:1-6

“Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”

Jesus, James, John and Peter have recently descended from Mount Tabor where Jesus was transfigured, surrounded by God and bookended by Moses and Elijah. What he returns to after the transfiguration is akin to chaos. The disciples are powerless to help a man whose child is possessed and furthermore they are arguing about who will be the greatest in God’s kingdom.

Mark tells us this occurs because James and John secretly tried to position themselves in the “greatest spot” with Jesus and the other apostles became indignant [Mark 10:32-45]. Jesus presents three options for greatness.

1. Drink the sacrificial cup he is drinking (grateful sacrifice)

2. Become servant to all (embrace humility)

3. Become childlike in faith (foster wonder)

These are rarely the “paths to power” we foster in our worldly institutions. Yet, how different our world would look if we did make this our modus operandi. Jesus had limitless power but he recognized the difference between the power to manipulate and the power to set free.

One of the most important tools we give to the high-risk children we work with in education and social services is the ability to differentiate between someone (or even a system) that is trying to manipulate them and someone who truly loves them. Manipulators offer performance-based approval (“I will love you if you do what I want…”). People who truly love you always seek your unconditional dignity (“I will seek your best, even when you don’t”). They celebrate with your joy and empathize with your pain; they challenge you when you are not doing your optimum, but always with your dignity in mind.

MATTHEW 18:7-11

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!

“Woe to the world because of its stumbling blocks!”

Jesus used the term for stumbling block [G4625 Skándalon] in the last chapter when Peter asked about paying taxes. The term comes from the bait placed on a trap to catch an animal. It is also used for entrapment, enticing a person to conduct that could ruin her or him.

We must petition God that the words we say or behaviors we model do not become a trap for others.

“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.”

Despise [G2706 Kataphronéō] to hold in contempt or think lightly of to neglect or not care for a child. The term could also be used for “Cast out to evil.” As in the story of the shepherd who seeks the lost sheep. To deliberately turn away from that sheep or to cast it out would be evidence of the word, Despise.

We may not cast out a lost sheep ourselves, but turning our back on one who is lost is as grave as casting her or him out.

These words go beyond what we do intentionally, they also include what we allow to happen incidentally—in our name. As when governments spend our money or corporations make investments with our support. This is moving beyond personal vigilance to corporate awareness and social activism as well.

MATTHEW 18:12-14

“It is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones perish.”

As a society we tend to think in terms of how much we invest in our children (or how little). However, the flip side of the coin is rarely considered—the amazing amount our children invest in us! They invest trust, wonder and their futures. That is far more than any dollar amount we could set aside on them in programming.

Can we say we return these investments to them “with interest?” Do young people walk away from our institutions with more trust, more wonder and more hope in their future because of their interaction with our schools, social services and religious institutions?

Christ places such a high premium on children and others who were vulnerable or at risk of straying.

· These little ones [G3398 Mikrós] we get micro from this word as in microscope. It implies those who are too small to be noticed or hard to see. It wouldn’t just mean children. It would also apply to anyone on the fringe of society (the institutionalized, aged, incarcerated).

· Perish [G622 Apóllumi] render void or bring to naught, judicially it meant to sentence to death. To lose a soul or a coin, to become extinct

Our Lord tells us it is not his will that any of these “little ones perish.” Perish means to diminish their future or render their lives void. This is often considered the test of a society, how it treats it’s children or most vulnerable. It doesn’t just apply to my neighborhood or city either. There is an indication of responsibility that extends to all children, all the vulnerable everywhere.

Will today find me combing the mountain trails or back alleys for the “least little one, the most vulnerable or safe in the pen with the other 99? Sadly, most of our churches resemble the pen with the safe ninety-nine and it is easy to forget our Lord’s passion for the lost and exposed one.

Perhaps my sole role is to remind those inside the pen of our commission for the one lost outside the safety of the flock. That would be prophetic!

MATTHEW 18:15-20

MATTHEW 18:15

“If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother.”

“You have won your brother.”

Do you remember Christ’s aim in these latter chapters of Matthew? Repeatedly, he is refining the disciple’s view of the Messiah from the cultural viewpoint of global conqueror to God’s viewpoint of suffering servant. If we understand Christ’s perspective than we can understand his teaching.

 Let’s begin by looking at where Matthew tells us this discussion began:

Matthew 18:1

At that time the disciples came to Jesus and said, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”  Mark is a little more explanatory; this is where the episode begins for him:

Mark 9:33-34

33 They came to Capernaum; and when He was in the house, He began to question them, “What were you discussing on the way?” 34 But they kept silent, for on the way they had discussed with one another which of them was the greatest.”

 Does it sound like the apostles had caught the heart of Jesus’ message?

Matthew 16:24-27

24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. 25 “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. 26 “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 27 “For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and WILL THEN REPAY EVERY MAN ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS.”

 Would the disciples have scrambled for the preeminent position if they knew it meant standing by a beaten Jesus in Herod’s courtyard?

 Jesus is still working to unshackle his disciples from a delusional faith. He sent them into the harvest [Mt 10], let them feel the sting of the Pharisee’s prejudice and then confronted them in their prejudgment against the Canaanite woman [Mt 16]. He revealed himself on the Sea of Galilee [Mt 15] and on Mt. Tabor during the transfiguration [Mt 17]. Jesus stated he was not the political Messiah preached by the religious leaders as he revealed in Matthew 17:24-27 when our Lord pays taxes to the earthly king. Yet the apostles still did not understand the role of God’s Messiah. He was Savior to little one’s [v5] and lost sheep [v11-12]. To follow him is to serve those who are most neglected:

Matthew 18:14

“So it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones perish.” We cannot be a leader in God’s kingdom if we hunger for authority and attention in this world. Prominence in God’s kingdom always begins with service. We do not seek our own promotion; we seek justice for God’s lost. That is the way to leadership according to this Gospel.

Against the background of that larger context Jesus frames the issue of the “brother who sins.” It is against the background of seeking power, forgetting the lost child, and seeking personal aggrandizement that our Lord preaches about treating our own “brother” as though they were a “Gentile or a tax-gatherer” (a foreigner or a traitor). It is when the disciples seek to be positioned above one another that Jesus speaks of sin within the body. It is when the disciples seek privileged titles rather than graceful humility that Jesus speaks of how to oust a “brother” from the church. Jesus—who welcomed Gentiles and tax-gatherers—will not tolerate pride and within these verses he gives a three-point plan for driving that sin from your midst.

 This is the “stumbling block” that must be cut off:

Matthew 18:7-10

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!

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.

Jesus doesn’t speak of cutting off a stumbling block in verses 8 and 9 then lose his train of thought and switch to talking about “these little ones” in verse 10. The stumbling block is the pride that James and John displayed when they argued about: “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”

 Cast that man out! Cast that sin away! Better to burn away your eyes or hands than to try and be greater than your brother or sister in Christ.

 Let’s quit seeking to be great, greater, or greatest. Seek instead to be less, lesser, or least.

Matthew 25:40

“The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’

MATTHEW 18:16-17

16 “But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that BY THE MOUTH OF TWO OR THREE WITNESSES EVERY FACT MAY BE CONFIRMED. 17 “If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.”

“If he refuses to listen...”

Here is the process that Jesus lays forth to deal with the “brother (sister)” who has placed his/her own needs above those of others. It is important to keep in mind how this process is primarily directed towards James and John (the Beloved no less) for trying to “pull rank” on the other disciples. The life or death of a church—indeed any relationship—hinges on the words; “What about me?” When any member of a relationship begins to say, “What about me?” the relationship begins to die.

 However, as Jesus points out, when selfishness is at the expense of the littlest ones then it is time for action. Here are the steps Jesus lays forth:

First of all, there is the purpose of all confrontation, not to destroy but to restore. Christ uses the term: “you have won your brother.” To win [NT2770 kerdaino] means to gain or profit. It is a loss to all of us when we lose any person to the selfishness of this culture and Satan’s malicious deceptions. We all gain when a brother or sister chooses Christ above self. That is the framework for all admonition.

Then there is the method. We take someone aside and tell them only what we have personally witnessed. Christian admonition should never begin with, “I’ve been hearing,” or, “someone told me.” As leaders we should play no part in this gossip mill. Especially when someone comes to us and whispers about a problem they are having with someone else. Our responsibility must always be to say; “You need to speak to him/her. I’ll be glad to help you set up an appointment if you wish.” If the person insists on continuing his/her gossip without the other individual present than we should warn them of their transgression and excuse ourselves. We do damage to the kingdom whenever we become an intermediary to gossip.

If we bring an issue to a brother or sister—that involves that person placing themself above community in a selfish manner—then we do so only with much prayer and humility. These aren’t issues of personal dislike or personality conflicts. The sin of James and John was pretty public. They wanted to be named the “greatest” of the apostle’s by Jesus—in front of the others. That’s pretty blatant.

If we are sure someone is undermining the community in a selfish manner AND a personal conversation has had no impact then it is time to see if anyone else has witnessed the behavior as well. However, we should check and recheck our own hearts to make sure we are not gossiping as well and truly have the community’s interest at heart.

 How do we know? Are we just going to talk about someone or are we looking for ways to resolve a potentially dividing issue? Gossips don’t seek solutions in conversations; they find pleasure in talking about someone else’s faults. A true Christian will be overjoyed to be proved wrong in his/her assessment of a negative situation.

If a person is found to be selfishly manipulating a community (or its members) for personal purposes than there is only one possible alternative and that is absolute honesty. In contemporary terminology this would be called an intervention. Those directly hurt by this person’s behavior should have the opportunity to express their hurt directly to the perpetrator.

This doesn’t mean name-calling or denigrating someone; it means an honest statement; “When you ‘did this’ I felt hurt, betrayed, devastated.” There is no judgment to such a statement, nor is there position-taking. It is viscerally honest and completely personal.

If those steps do not bring about change; Christ gives us the last alternative: “Let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.” Still, before we go too far with this example, let us examine how Jesus treated Gentiles and tax collectors. How did he treat the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s Well, the Demoniac in the Geresene graveyard or the Canaanite woman in the region of Tyre and Sidon? How did Jesus treat Zaccheus and the author of this book, Matthew? He still loved them, he still called them, and when they made Jesus their Lord, he embraced them.

If a person was sinning Christ still loved them. He didn’t ask them for counsel or direction; he didn’t put them in positions of responsibility or leadership. But when there is change, when a heart is renewed and has found its way home, then Christ celebrates like the Prodigal Son’s father. He throws a party, kills the fatted calf and gives his son his own signet ring. Christ’s eye was ever on restoring the sinner to the family of God.

Do we follow this path when we have an issue involving selfishness in the community of believers? Are all of our statements focused on restoration? That is the heart of Christian correction according to Jesus.

MATTHEW 18:18

“Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.”

“Loosed in heaven”

Jesus proved his authority

Matthew 9:6-7

 6 “But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—then He *said to the paralytic, “Get up, pick up your bed and go home.” 7 And he got up and went home.

 The authority of Jesus gave him power over sin and power over disease. Our Lord gave temporary authority to the disciples when he sent them out to the twelve tribes of Israel:

Matthew 10:1

Jesus summoned His twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every kind of disease and every kind of sickness.

 Again the authority of Christ gives his disciples the power to heal and restore:

· The power over unclean spirits

· The power over every kind of disease and

· The power over very kind of sickness

He then extends this same authority to Peter

Matthew 16:18-19

 18 “I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. 19 “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.”

 However, the power Jesus gives Peter is no longer a temporal power; it is a power on earth and in heaven. This is not temporal authority; it is eternal influence.

 Here in Matthew 18, Jesus extends the same power to the other disciples: “Whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.”

 He further defines that authority in Matthew 20:

Matthew 20:25-26

25 But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. 26 “It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant.”

 The authority of Jesus is defined in each circumstance. Its purpose is to set free and it is given to the greatest servant.

Matthew 18:3-5

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.”

 Are we ready for the “authority of God?” Better to ask, “Are we ready to be the humblest servant?” To have the authority of Jesus we must move beyond self and into service. We must see Jesus as more than a personal savior; but also a universal redeemer. Yes, he died for me, but I won’t understand the fullness of the cross or Christ’s authority until I am willing to go out in his name. Look at the last time that Jesus uses the term “authority” in Matthew’s Gospel:

Matthew 28:18-20

18 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

 The influence of Jesus will reach the world but it transforms us from the personal to the communal, from the myopic needs of the self to the telescopic ends of the earth. We are transformed by Christ’s power when we become humble servants and we are given Christ’s authority when we use that power to heal and restore others.

MATTHEW 18:19-20

“I am there in their midst.”

What does church look like? Jesus wanted his disciples to know that it had nothing to do with buildings:

Matthew 24:1-2

1 Jesus came out from the temple and was going away when His disciples came up to point out the temple buildings to Him. 2 And He said to them, “Do you not see all these things? Truly I say to you, not one stone here will be left upon another, which will not be torn down.”

 It wasn’t ritual:

Matthew 9:13

But go and learn what this means: ‘I DESIRE COMPASSION, AND NOT SACRIFICE,’ for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

 Church, to Jesus, was two or three followers who agree to live in the name of the Lord. Church, to Jesus had three simple components:

Two or more people

· In agreement

· To live in the name of Jesus.

Take away any of those components and it is not church. To be church there must be community, unity in purpose, and purposeful action matching Christ’s character. What does it mean to live in the Lord’s name? In Greek, “Name [G3686 onoma]” meant more than your given appelate at birth; it was a calling! It was to act with someone’s authority and to uphold that person’s reputation. The name of Jesus is both what he is called and his calling:

Matthew 1:21

“She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”  

In Hebrew, “Name [H8034 shem]” means reputation, character or, in essence, “what you are renowned for doing.”

Exodus 3:14-15

14 God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM”; and He said, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ “15 God, furthermore, said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is My name forever, and this is My memorial-name to all generations.”

 There is no greater honor—yet, no greater responsibility—than to act in someone’s name. To claim someone’s name and not live by his or her character was a grievous sin; that is what it means to take someone’s name in vain.

Exodus 20:7

“You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain.”

To act in vain [H7723 shav] means to make someone’s name empty, worthless, or meaningless. It means to smear someone’s reputation or to lie about him or her. When do we smear God’s name? When we claim his name and do not act according to his character. What is the proof of God’s character? Look at what Jesus told John when the Baptist asked if he was “the Expected One.”

Matthew 11:2-6

2 Now when John, while imprisoned, heard of the works of Christ, he sent word by his disciples 3 and said to Him, “Are You the Expected One, or shall we look for someone else?” 4 Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and report to John what you hear and see: 5 the BLIND RECEIVE SIGHT and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the POOR HAVE THE GOSPEL PREACHED TO THEM. 6 “And blessed is he who does not take offense at Me.”

 Jesus proves his name by pointing to his acts of compassion! We act in our Lord’s name when our acts of compassion point towards him. Our faith is evident because; “The BLIND RECEIVE SIGHT and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the POOR HAVE THE GOSPEL PREACHED TO THEM.”

 When a community—even if it is only two people—are united in Christ’s purpose then Jesus himself is “in their midst” and “anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven.” Is my church united in his purpose? Are we seeking our Lord’s help to achieve God’s purposes? Is Jesus known throughout our city because we are acting in his compassion? That’s the basics of church to Jesus Christ. That’s the church that will receive the ultimate blessing: “It shall be done for them!”

MATTHEW 18:21-35

MATTHEW 18:21-22

“Seventy times seven”

Let’s recall the setting for this entire reading:

· James and John want to have a higher office in Christ’s kingdom

· Jesus says that the greatest shall be the least

· Our Lord then lays out a three-point plan for the unrepentant “brother” in faith

· He grants the Apostles his authority to loosen or bind sin

· And, tells them that a church is two or more people united in his name (cause)

Despite these challenging discussions about faith and responsibility, Peter still wants to know how long he has to put up with the sins of others (presumably John and James). Before we think he is being too small; we have to realize that rabbinical teaching stated you must forgive another Jew three times for an infraction. Peter’s statement of seven times was twice the standard plus one for good measure. Seven was also the word for wholeness but—all the same—it was a finite number of times and one has to wonder if James and John might not have already been up to six on Peter’s scorecard. Jesus’ seven-times-seventy does not represent a finite number but instead an infinite time. It does not imply 490; it implies “wholeness multiplied by Godliness.” Seven implied wholeness but seventy (to the Hebrew) was a prophetic period mentioned in Daniel.

Daniel 9:24

“Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy place. This is called the “year-day” theory, each day representing one year. This period thus represents 490 years and was regarded as the period that would elapse until the time of the coming of the Messiah. So, to Jesus, it was not a matter of how many “times” you forgave another but how “long” you forgave them. And, how long is that (in case Peter wanted to know)? Until the Messiah returns. So, we are called to throw away our scorecards and our accounting of the sins of others and we are quite literally to forgive our way into the kingdom.

Matthew 6:14-15

14 “For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 “But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.”

MATTHEW 18:23-27

“The lord of that slave felt compassion.”

A denarius was the approximate equivalent of one day’s work for a common laborer. In Roman times one talent equaled 6,000 denarii. The man in this story owed ten thousand talents. If we translated that using a simple number like ten dollars an hour or eighty dollars a day, then one talent would equal $480,000 in U.S. currency. Ten thousand talents would be equal to $4.8 billion U.S.! The entire budget of Israel this year is $48.09 billion U.S.; the sum Jesus is speaking about would represent 10% of Israel’s current budgeted revenues for an entire year!  What is Christ’s point to Peter and the Apostles? This is an impossible amount to pay back. This man was forgiven for an impossible debt. He was not even asked to make payments on it: “The lord of that slave felt compassion and released him and forgave him the debt.” There are two important words in this sentence: Released and Forgave.

· Released [G630 apoluo] means to be freed fully, released or pardoned. This word would be used for a legal divorce but it would also be used for “to let die.”

· Forgave [G863 aphiemi] means to pardon but also “to send forth.” It was the word used for a hostage whose ransom had been paid so that he was “set free and sent forth.”

This slave—whose outrageous bill could never be paid—was “set free and sent forth.” He was divorced from his debt; it was “dead to him.” He walked into his Lord’s presence encumbered by a debt no person could ever hope to repay and he walked out a free man purely because of the compassion of his master. We are that slave. We have accumulated a debt we can never expect to pay back. Our only hope is the compassion of our Master; but his compassion is so complete that he wipes away any debt of any size. The debt is “dead to us.” It is forgotten and we are “released and sent forth.” What will we do with our newfound freedom? We have been “released,” will we now “go forth” to serve?

MATTHEW 18:28-35

28 “But that slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred *denarii; and he seized him and began to choke him,saying, ‘Pay back what you owe.’ 29 “So his fellow slave fell to the ground and began to plead with him, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you.’ 30 “But he was unwilling and went and threw him in prison until he should pay back what was owed. 31 “So when his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were deeply grieved and came and reported to their lord all that had happened. 32 “Then summoning him, his lord *said to him, ‘You wicked slave, I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33 ‘Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, in the same way that I had mercy on you?’ 34 “And his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him. 35 “My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart.”

“Pay back what you owe.”

Here is one of the saddest stories in history—a story not directed at the Pharisees but at Jesus’ closest followers. This man had been “released and sent forth.” He had been set free of all his debts (sin)—an impossible debt—yet, when he stumbles on a man who owes him a mere pittance in comparison the slave takes him by the throat and sends him to jail. The amount the second slave owed was not small, almost four months wages, but compare that to what the first slave owed. We are not to count the amount owed but instead, we are to compare it to what we owe the Master. Now, remember the context of this reading:

· James and John seek to be above the others

· Jesus castigates those who seek personal greatness above serving others

· Jesus compares that sin to plucking out your eye or cutting off your arm

· He teaches how to reprimand others who continue to sin

· Then, Peter asks how much he has to forgive others

How often? Until our Lord’s return in glory... Even if the forgiveness is for a sin that is large by human standards; it is infinitesimal in comparison to the compassion of our Savior. We do not compare another sin against our own accounts; we compare to God’s compassion. We do not say; “Look at what you owe me!” We say; “Look at how much God forgave me!” Compassion, not judgment, is the nature of the Christian. [33] “Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, in the same way that I had mercy on you?”  The word mercy [NT:1653 eleeo] is actually “tender mercy” or “compassion”. Zachariah uses the term in his prayer when he names his son John:

Luke 1:76-79

76 “And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; For you will go on BEFORE THE LORD TO PREPARE HIS WAYS; 77 To give to His people the knowledge of salvation By the forgiveness of their sins, 78 Because of the tender mercy of our God, With which the Sunrise from on high will visit us, 79 TO SHINE UPON THOSE WHO SIT IN DARKNESS AND THE SHADOW OF DEATH, To guide our feet into the way of peace.” 

Could we imagine a greater calling than to use all of our abilities to forgive, to preach and model God’s tender mercy, to shine for those who “sit in darkness and the shadow of death?” Why are we worried about our own self-righteous anger when we have God’s tender mercy freely available to us? Why hold on to the debt others owe us when the debt we’ve been forgiven is so vast? “Release and forgive!” There is the way to eternal life. Therein lies the path to immediate joy! How many times should we forgive? “Forgive until you are set free.”

Matthew 18

The Greatest

MATTHEW 18:1-35

MATTHEW 18:1-6

“Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”

MATTHEW 18:7-11

“Woe to the world because of its stumbling blocks!”

“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.”

MATTHEW 18:12-14

“It is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones perish.”

MATTHEW 18:15-20

MATTHEW 18:15

“You have won your brother.”

Matthew 18:1

Mark 9:33-34

Matthew 16:24-27

Matthew 18:14

Matthew 18:7-10

Matthew 25:40

MATTHEW 18:16-17

“If he refuses to listen...”

MATTHEW 18:18

“Loosed in heaven”

Matthew 9:6-7

Matthew 10:1

Matthew 16:18-19

Matthew 20:25-26

Matthew 18:3-5

Matthew 28:18-20

MATTHEW 18:19-20

“I am there in their midst.”

Matthew 24:1-2

Matthew 9:13

Matthew 1:21

Exodus 3:14-15

Exodus 20:7

Matthew 11:2-6

MATTHEW 18:21-35

MATTHEW 18:21-22

“Seventy times seven”

Daniel 9:24

Matthew 6:14-15

MATTHEW 18:23-27

“The lord of that slave felt compassion.”

MATTHEW 18:28-35

“Pay back what you owe.”

Luke 1:76-79

Matthew 17

Matthew 19