Matthew 18:1-35

Section 46
JESUS TRAINS THE TWELVE IN PERSONAL RELATIONS

(Parallels: Mark 9:33-50; Luke 9:46-50)

TEXT: 18:1-35
A. Humility and True Greatness

1 In that hour came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven? 2 And he called to him a little child, and set him in the midst of them, 3 and said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye turn, and become as little children, ye shall in no wise enter into the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

B. Responsibility

5 And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me; 6 but whoso shall cause one of these little ones that believe on me to stumble, it is profitable for him that a great millstone should be hanged about his neck, and that he should be sunk in the depth of the sea.

C. Self-renunciation

7 Woe unto the world because of occasions of stumbling! for it must needs be that the occasions come; but woe to that man through whom the occasion cometh! 8 And if thy hand or thy foot causeth thee to stumble, cut it off, and cast it from thee: it is good for thee to enter into life maimed or halt, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into the eternal fire. 9 And if thine eye causeth thee to stumble, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is good for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into the hell of fire.

D. Individual Concern

10 See that ye despise not one of these little ones: for I say unto you that in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven. (Many authorities, some ancient, insert Matthew 18:11: for the Son of man came to save that which was lost. See Luke 19:10) 12 How think ye? If any man have a hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and go unto the mountains, and seek that which goeth astray? 13 And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth over it more than over the ninety and nine which have not gone astray. 14 Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.

E. Discipline in the Fellowship of Christ

15 And if thy brother sin against thee, go, show him his fault between thee and him alone: if he hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. 16 But if he hear thee not, take with thee one or two more, that at the mouth of two witnesses or three every word may be established. 17 And if he refuse to hear them, tell it unto the church: and if he refuse to hear the church also, let him be unto thee as the Gentile and the publican. 18 Verily I say unto you, What things soever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and what things soever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. 19 Again I say unto you, that if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father who is in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

F. Forgiveness

21 Then came Peter and said to him, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? until seven times? 22 Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times; but, Until seventy times seven. 23 Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, who would make a reckoning with his servants. 24 And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, that owed him ten thousand talents. 25 But forasmuch as he had not wherewith to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made, 26 The servant therefore fell down and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. 27 And the lord of that servant, being moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt. 28 But that servant went out, and found one of his fellow-servants, who owed him a hundred shillings: and he laid hold on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay what thou owest. 29 So his fellow-servant fell down and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee. 30 And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay that which was due. 31 So when his fellow-servants saw what was done, they were exceeding sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done. 32 Then his lord called him unto him, and saith to him, Thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou besoughtest me: 33 shouldest not thou also have had mercy on thy fellow-servant, even as I had mercy on thee? 34 And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due. 35 So shall also my heavenly Father do unto you, if ye forgive not every one his brother from your hearts.

(Matthew 19:1 And it came to pass when Jesus had finished these words, he departed from Galilee and came into the borders of Judea beyond the Jordan.)

THOUGHT QUESTIONS

a.

Matthew (Matthew 18:1) says the disciples came to Jesus asking, Who is the greatest in the kingdom? whereas Mark (Mark 9:34) says that when they were asked directly about this very discussion, they were silent. How can both statements be true? Explain this apparent contradiction by showing the proper order in which these took place.

b.

What is the spirit of the Apostles-' argument? What would their mental concept of the Kingdom have been that caused them to discuss the question of relative greatness?

c.

What is the point of Jesus-' object lesson: what is there about children that makes them a good illustration of what the disciples must become?

d.

What does it matter what attitude one has who would seek to enter the Kingdom?

e.

How does humility so radically affect a man's life as to produce the desired change Jesus indicates as absolutely essential for entrance into God's Kingdom? Explain how it is that the most humble are the greatest in the Kingdom.

f.

How do the principles of Jesus conflict with those of the world as to what constitutes true greatness? Who are the truly great in God's sight?

g.

What are some dangers to avoid in trying to be truly humble?

h.

Does Jesus actually say that it is wrong to want to be great? Did He imply it?

i.

What does receiving little children have to do with humility? Do the great of this world not receive them?

j.

Does Jesus mean that those who operate orphanages serve God perfectly?

k.

Why were the Apostles mistaken to hinder the unaffiliated worker of miracles?

1.

Why do you suppose Jesus permitted the unaffiliated worker to do his work in His name? So that the disciples would have to encounter him and have to decide about him?

m.

How does building a religious denomination with its great agencies, its shows of strength, its big conventions, its fences of separation, its grand institutions, defy the spirit and will of Jesus? Or does it? If not, why not?

n.

What does judging by harsh condemnation do to this spirit of Jesus?

o.

How does the incident involving the unaffiliated worker of miracles relate to His teaching concerning false teachers? Does this passage instruct us to receive all religious teachers regardless of their teaching, simply on the strength of the fact that they follow not with us?

p.

How can you harmonize he that is not against us is for us (Mark 9:40) with Matthew 12:30: He who is not with me is against me?

q.

Does Jesus specify what reward may be expected by any who help the disciples? What do you think it is?

If you say that these little ones who believe in me are young Christians, why then does Jesus call them little? What is so little about them?

s.

How or why would death by drowning be better or profitable for the one who causes others to stumble?

t.

Why must occasions of stumbling come? How do they come?

u.

If a Christian, despite his pure life in Christ, unknowingly causes others to sin, is he thereby placed under the condemnation of Jesus? What is a stumbling block anyway? Is it best to look for them in our lives, or to ignore them and let others point them out? Are any of your present habits or attitudes likely to become stumbling blocks? What are you doing about them?

v.

What is the relationship between Jesus-' dire warnings about one's own hands, eyes or feet, and what precedes as well as what follows them? In other words, what principle is seen in self-discipline and self-mastery that affects the disciples-' attitude toward others?

w.

What protection against damning selfishness does Jesus afford His disciples in the very words of our text? (Matthew 18:1-35)

x.

How many weak, sinful, stubborn, abusive, hardheaded church-members are included in the command: See that you despise not one of these little ones? How do you know?

y.

How does the illustration about the finding of the lost sheep hold an undisguised threat to status-seeking disciples ambitious to be the greatest in the Kingdom? How does this parable serve as an extremely important context for the teaching on church discipline given later in this same text? (Matthew 18:15-18)

z.

Who is meant by thy brother (who) sins? Should we bring against thee into the discussion? Is our action toward a sinning brother dependent upon whether he has sinned against us or not?

aa.

Even if we admit against thee as having been written in the text by Matthew, does this change anything about the nature and seriousness of the brother's sin? What sin is referred to in this command the Lord obviously intended for us: it is anything listed in the NT lists of sins? What is the law whereby we know when a person sins? How are we going to apply Jesus-' will as He states it here?

bb.

Must this sin be a public disgrace before we do anything about it? What if it is a failure in one's Christian faith which needs to be strengthened by privately showing him the lack? Are there sins concerning which one should not make a public issue where it is better to forgive than to publish them by initiating disciplinary action? On what basis should this decision be made?

cc.

Since not everyone is gifted with tact and wisdom sufficient to approach the sinning brother in order delicately to remove the cause of his stumbling, would it not be just sufficient merely to be kind and forgiving toward him without going to him about it? Must we go? Why not just pray for him and stay home? Besides, if we lack the necessary abilities to handle the case right, would we not do more harm than good? What does the Lord say?

dd.

Why go to the sinning brother privately at first? Show the wisdom of this course.

ee.

Why, in the case of failure, should one or two others go too? What is their exact function?

ff.

Why tell the matter to the church?

gg.

Who or what exactly is the church here? How could Jesus speak of the church before it even existed?

hh.

Do you think that God has nothing better to do than cooperate with the Church on earth by ratifying in heaven decisions made by the Church? Who is governing this world anyway: God or the Church? How are we to understand the binding and loosing on earth and in heaven?

ii.

Do you think Jesus should require anyone, much less His Church, to call people names like pagan or publican? Why or why not?

jj.

Just because two people agree to ask God for something, does this mean that God is obligated to honor the promise made by Jesus in our text? (Matthew 18:19) Or are there other considerations? If so, what are they?

kk.

In what sense is it true that Jesus is present wherever two disciples meet in His name?

ll.

Do you think an erroneous decision made by the Church, or perhaps one which contravened God's law, would be binding on anyone? What do you think should be done, if the Church does err in a particular disciplinary case?

mm.

When Peter asked the Lord how often my brother shall sin against me, who does he mean by my brother? only Andrew? What had been said in Jesus-' previous discussion that would cause Peter to ask this question?

nn.

Do you think Peter was being generous or Pharisaic to try to ascertain the precise limit to which one should go in forgiving a brother? Why?

oo.

Should we forgive an offender who does not seek forgiveness from us? On what basis do you answer as you do?

pp.

Why should Jesus have to tack onto His demand that we forgive the additional expression from the heart? Is there any other kind of forgiveness?

PARAPHRASE AND HARMONY

Returning to Galilee from the tour of Phoenicia, Syria, Decapolis, and, most recently, the Mount of Transfiguration, Jesus and the Twelve arrived in Capernaum. Now an argument had arisen among the disciples as to which of them was the most important. But Jesus knew what they were thinking. So when He was indoors, He faced them with the question, What were you discussing on the way home?
But they would not answer, because on the road they had been disputing with one another about who was the greatest. At that moment some of the disciples came forward to Jesus, blurting out the question, Who then is really the most important in the coming Kingdom of Heaven?
Jesus sat down and, calling the Twelve together, told them, If any one wants to be first, he must put himself last of all and be the servant of everybody!
At this point He called a child to His side and stood him in the center of the group, commenting, Truly I can assure you, unless you change your entire outlook and become like children, you will certainly never get into God's Kingdom! The most important man in the coming Kingdom is the one who humbles himself till he is like this child.
Then, putting His arms around the child, He continued, Whoever takes care of one little child like this for my sake, is, in effect, welcoming and caring for me. And whoever welcomes and cares for me, is not receiving me only, but also God who sent me. You see, he who seems to be the least important among you all, is really the one who is the most important!
John broke in to say, Master, we encountered somebody invoking your name to drive out demons, so we tried to stop him, because he does not follow you along with us.
But Jesus-' answer was, You must not hinder him, because no one who uses my name to do a miracle, will immediately thereafter be able to insult or revile me. In fact, anyone who is not actively against us is on our side. I can assure you that, whoever gives you a mere cup of water to drink on the basis of the fact that you belong to Christ,there is no way he can miss his reward.
On the other hand, if someone becomes the means whereby one of these seemingly less important disciples is caused to stumble into sin, it would be better for him to have a millstone tied around his neck and be plunged into the sea and drowned. How terrible for the world that there are things that cause people to stumble into sin! In fact, it is inevitable that such things happen, but woe to the person through whose influence the temptation comes! So, if it is YOUR hand or YOUR foot that proves a snare to YOU, hack it off and fling it away from YOU. By comparison, it is better for YOU to live forever maimed or lame than be thrown with both hands or both feet into the eternal, unquenchable fire of hell! It is the same way with YOUR eye, if this is the cause of YOUR undoing, tear it out and hurl it away from YOU. Entering life half-blind in the Kingdom of God is better for YOU, than with two good eyes to be thrown into a fiery hell, where the maggots never die and the fire is never put out. The salt with which everyone will be salted is fire. But the salt is a good thing only if it has not lost its strength. Otherwise, how will you season it? You must have in yourselves the salt I mean, and keep on living at peace with one another.
Be especially careful not to underesteemmuch less despiseone of these seemingly insignificant followers! I assure you that in heaven their angels have uninterrupted access to my heavenly Father. What is your opinion? Suppose a man had a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray. Would not he leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go in search of the one that is straying? Moreover if he manages to find it, it goes without saying that he is happier over it than over the ninety-nine that have not gone astray. So, it is not the will of my heavenly Father that even one of these seemingly insignificant disciples should be lost.
So, if your brother sins against you, go and convince him of his fault privately, just between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have won your brother back. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, so that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, present your case to the congregation. And if he refuses to listen even to the community of believers, then consider him like you would a pagan or an outcast. I assure you that whatever action you take on earth will conform to the divine pattern and God will back you up. I intend to underline the fact that, if even two of you agree on earth about anything they pray for, they will receive it from my heavenly Father. This is because, where two or three come together as disciples to meet in my name, I am right there with them.
Then Peter came up with the problem: Lord, how often shall my brother keep on sinning against me and I have to forgive him? As many as seven times?
Jesus disagreed, No, I would not say, seven times, but seventy times seven! This is why God's Kingdom may be compared to a king who decided to settle accounts with his agents. He had no sooner begun than one man was brought in who owed him an astronomical figure. Since he could not pay it, his Lord ordered him to be sold as a slavehis wife, his children and all his possessionsand payment to be made. At this the agent fell to his knees, imploring him, -Lord, give me time, and I will repay you every cent of it!-' Out of mercy for him, this lord not only released him, but also forgave him the debt. But this same fellow, as he went out, happened to meet one of his co-workers who owed him a paltry sum. Grabbing him by the throat, he began choking him and demanding, -Pay me what you owe!-' At this, his companion prostrated himself, pleading, -Just be patient with me, and I will pay you back!-' But the other refused. Instead, he hauled him off to prison till the debt should be paid. Since other co-workers had witnessed the spectacle, all very upset they went to their master and reported the entire incident. Then the king summoned that agent and addressed him: -You wicked ingrate! I cancelled your entire debt because you asked me to. Should you not have been as merciful to your fellow worker, as I was to you?-' His indignant master then turned him over to the prison torturers, until he should pay the entire amount. This is precisely how my heavenly Father will treat every last one of you, unless you sincerely forgive your brother!
Then, when Jesus had finished this message, He left Galilee and went beyond the Jordan River to Perea which borders on Judea.

NOTES
SITUATION: DISCIPLES DREAMING OF DISTINCTIONS

Matthew 18:1 In that hour came the disciples of Jesus, saying, Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven? The opening words link this section with Jesus-' discussion with Peter about the temple tax, therefore in the house where He regularly stayed during His now less frequent returns to Capernaum. These two events probably occurred the same day, as there is a definite logical connection between them. (See on Matthew 17:24.) This discourse may have occurred upon Peter's return from paying the temple tax (Matthew 17:27), although its basis lay in an earlier quarrel. Depending on the emphasis placed on the various details, there are three possible harmonizations of the Gospels-' approach to this question:

1.

Argument on the road home (Mark 9:33; Luke 9:46)

2.

Jesus perceived their thoughts (Luke 9:47)

3.

Jesus challenged them to admit it (Mark 9:33)

4.

Ashamed, disciples remain silent (Mark 9:34)

5.

Jesus-' statement: First is last and servant. (Mark 9:35)

6.

Disciples insist: Who, then is greatest? (Matthew 18:1)

1.

Argument on the road home (Mark 9:33; Luke 9:46)

2.

Jesus perceived their thoughts (Luke 9:47)

3.

Jesus challenged them to admit it (Mark 9:33)

4.

Ashamed, disciples remain silent (Mark 9:34)

5.

Disciples, unmasked, ask, Who, then, is greatest? (Matthew 18:1)

6.

Jesus-' statement, First is last and servant. (Mark 9:35)

1.

Argument on the road home (Mark 9:33; Luke 9:46)

2.

Disciples ask innocent general question (Matthew 18:1)

3.

Jesus perceives their real meaning (Luke 9:47)

4.

Jesus challenged them to admit meaning (Mark 9:33)

5.

Disciples remain silent, ashamed. (Mark 9:34)

6.

Jesus-' statement: First is last and servant. (Mark 9:35)

7.

Jesus-' object lesson: Be like children (Matthew 18:2: Mark 9:36; Luke 9:47 b)

This assumes they either did not understand His statement (5) as the true answer, or in light of its ethical implications, stupidly push Him to indicate His prospective hierarchy anyway.

This assumes that, faced with His obvious insight into their squabble, they shamelessly request that He settle their dispute, indicating their relative status.

This assumes they hide their ambition under an innocent, general, hypothetical query, but Jesus reads their thoughts and unmasks their real motive to learn their future status.

Drawn out in these bleak terms, their selfish ambition may seem shocking to the reader who has learned to love and regard these very men highly for their work's sake (1 Thessalonians 5:13). In fact, the psychological likelihood of this dispute against a backdrop of Passion Predictions may seem slight, but upon closer investigation, is regrettably harmonious. The argument on the road home from Caesarea Philippi (Matthew 16:13) and the Mount of Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1) very likely finds its genesis in certain important details involved in the events that took place there:

1.

The promise of special powers to Peter (Matthew 16:17-19). Did this make him greatest?

2.

The special privileges of Peter, James and Johnwas there any self-exaltation among them because of this?

a.

To witness the resurrection of Jairus-' daughter. (Mark 5:37)

b.

To pray with Him on the Mount of Transfiguration. (Matthew 17:1; Luke 9:28)

3.

The contrasting failure of faith and miracle-working power of the Nine. (Matthew 17:19 f) Did this put them in a bad light with the other three?

4.

Perhaps the fact that the temple tax collectors singled out Peter seemed to increase his prestige as spokesman for the group and especially for Jesus. (Matthew 17:24-27) We are not told how many other Apostles knew about the collectors-' question, however.

5.

From the standpoint of James and John, Peter's impulsiveness and constant rebukes by the Lord might have marked him, not for the highest office, but for some lesser post, a fact that would leave the nicest political plums still on the tree. (Cf. Matthew 16:22 f; Matthew 17:4; Matthew 17:24 f; Matthew 14:28-31; Matthew 15:15 f) Notwithstanding Jesus-' lesson delivered here, they return later with their own false ambition. (Matthew 20:20-28)

6.

It is not unlikely that Jesus already perceived the harsh spirit of John and the others (cf. Mark 9;38ff) and the self-righteous bargaining of Peter (Matthew 18:15; Matthew 18:21).

So, Jesus-' question, What were you discussing on the way? (Mark 9:33) was not based upon His ignorance, but upon theirs, because He was very much aware, just as He was aware of Peter's answer given to the collectors of the temple tax. (Cf. Matthew 17:25) How gently He deals with these children! His question which leads their conscience to accuse them is more effective than a direct rebuke and leaves them psychologically readier to study the question with Him.

There are root causes that made it a psychologically easy matter to begin scrapping over the brightest honors in the Kingdom:

1.

Heart-broken over Jesus-' insistence that He must die (see on Matthew 17:23), they cling for hope to the Kingdom-idea, but it was THEIR Kingdom-concept that led them astray. As Edersheim (Life, II, 115f) reminds us.

It was the common Jewish view, that there would be distinctions of rank in the Kingdom of Heaven. It can scarcely be necessary to prove this by Rabbinic quotations, since the whole system of Rabbinism and Pharisaism, with its separation from the vulgar and ignorant, rests upon it. But even within the charmed circle of Rabbinism, there would be distinctions, due to learning, merit, and even to favoritism.. On the other hand, many passages could be quoted bearing on the duty of humility and self-abasement. But the stress laid on the merit attaching to this shows too clearly, that it was the pride that apes humility.

If they connected the general resurrection with that of Jesus (cf. Mark 9:10), then they may have imagined the apocalyptic last judgment as following hard on the heels of the general resurrection, and the proclamation of the Messianic Kingdom immediately thereafter.

2.

They presumed without proof that Jesus-' Kingdom would OF COURSE be hierarchical and that someone among them would very likely occupy the highest posts, dignities and honors. They presumed that greatness and position were political prizes dispensed by the King to His favorites, rather than qualities to be developed through ministry and usefulness to others. Further, they were well aware that Jesus intended to create a community of which they themselves were the founding elements. (Matthew 16:18 f; John 6:68-70; Matthew 10; Matthew 13:10-17)

3.

Since their total concern was who among themselves was greater than the rest of them (see Luke 9:46 = meízon autôn), they evidently could not conceive of anyone outside their group as being trusted with such greatness nor even with miracle-working powers which Jesus entrusted exclusively (so they thought) to them. (Cf. Mark 9:38-41; Luke 9:49 f)

4.

From this theorizing and castle-building in which they would all benefit, it was an easy step to begin hypothesizing about who would merit the lion's share, because pride and envy are not far apart. Their formal question is, Who then is greatest in the Kingdom? but the question of their heart is: Lord, is it I? They were dividing the spoils before beginning the battle. Scarcely anyone is willing to accept inferiority to others as normal, and considering everyone else as fully one's equal is just as difficult to admit for many, but the vast majority can dream of nothing but unrivaled superiority.

In this confusion of motivations, half based on Jewish expectations and half grounded in their brash expectation of honors and positions as rewards for following Jesus, as Farrar (Life, 389) says.

The one thing which they did seem to realize was that some strange and memorable issue of Christ's life, accompanied by some great development of the Messianic kingdom was at hand; and this unhappily produced the only effect in them which it should not have produced. Instead of stimulating their self-denial, it awoke their ambition; instead of confirming their love and humility, it stirred them to jealousy and pride.

While some assert that Matthew plays down the disciples-' failures and ignorance, this chapter eloquently corrects that view, since it was written in the perspective of the cross and in the hindsight of several years of Church history. For him to report that any one of Jesus-' disciples posed this shameful question is to paint the humiliating truth about them in its true colors. In fact, this detail guarantees its authenticity, for there are few more embarrassing spectacles of the Apostles-' unworthy ambitions than that which underlies every syllable of this chapter. If this is not a true, reliable documentation, then to the extent it is self-descriptive, its author must be judged masochistic at worst and possessed of a warped taste at best. In fact, his use of disciples instead of apostles here is not meant to shield the Twelve, but to underline for the reader that these giants of the faith were one day students in Jesus-' classes and in desperate need of the same instruction the Lord lay before them and requires of all His followers. His goal is not demythologizing the Apostleship, but upgrading the discipleship. He does this by warning every disciple not to be surprised at his own ignorance and failure, as though something strange were happening to him, since even the great Apostles have also walked this lowly path of discipleship too.
The point of their question is its obvious demand for an authoritative, definitive pronouncement on primacy and status in the Kingdom, but especially in the Apostolic group itself. These men want to know precisely what the Catholic Church and all like her have settled for themselves, but it is heresy of the first order to invent human answers and ignore the sort of hierarchy which the Lord actually established by His definite and final answer given in this chapter! It is one of the ironies of Church history that men should so often have deliberately filled in the outline the Twelve had in mind, realizing their ideal of greatness with its high office, its pomp and pageantry, its rod of empire and its submissive subjects, and, in the same motion, robbing Jesus of HIS ideal. Had the Lord ever intended to establish the primacy of Peter or anyone else, this is the time, and this is the chapter. In fact, He could have simply answered their question, settling it for all time and eternity, by saying unequivocally: First, Peter has the keys of the Kingdom: second, James and John shall share equally as prime ministers, then the other nine will form the Apostolic College under the former. Then, having settled the issue, Jesus could then have preached them a message suited to their particular needs while functioning in their newly announced official ranks. But the very fact that He established NO OFFICIAL RANK when formally requested to do so is satisfactory proof that He had no intention of so doing. This conclusion is rendered almost, if not absolutely, certain by the impact and implications of the message He gave. Jesus knew what structured power would do to men. He also knew that He could establish His Kingdom in the world without the organizational power-structure men believe so indispensable to the accomplishment of such a task. He clearly foresaw just how damaging to the spiritual aims of the Kingdom would have been the establishment of an Establishment. Although at this time the Apostles are ignorant and so ask their question, we have the benefit of historical perspective and cannot claim their ignorance, because we are certain that Christ's Kingdom is not of this world, and the man or church is in trouble who acts as though it were! How amply and how sadly church history has vindicated His wisdom!

The question itself, although confidently addressed to Jesus as King of the Kingdom and, hence, qualified to furnish a definitive answer, is reprehensible, as the embarrassed silence of the Apostles betrays when He quizzed them about their quarrel. (Mark 9:34) In fact, as will be obvious from His answer, Jesus saw far more at stake than a simple request for His prospective line-up for preferential treatment in the Kingdom. Because He correctly sensed that much more was involved, He went right to the real heart of their problem, leading the Twelve in quite another direction than they expected when they worded their question. In fact, the very haggling over their own relative importance had not unlikely led to bitterness among them and, consequently, demanded that Jesus answer their question in such a way as to indicate the cure and motivate them to take it. Out of this will come the exhortation to humble efforts to seek reconciliation with a brother and the parable of the unforgiving servant. (Matthew 18:15-35)

What Jesus did at this occasion revealed not only his thorough understanding of the nature of the kingdom and of the way of entering it, but also his tenderness toward the little ones. What he said deserved all the praise that has ever been ascribed to it, and far more than that. But was not the amazing glory of the Mediator's soul revealed also in his restraint, that is, in what he did not do and did not say? He did not even scold his disciples for their callousness, their insensibility with respect to this approaching agony, the non-lasting character of their grief, their quickness in turning the mind away from him to themselves, their selfishness. All this he passed by, and addressed himself directly to their question. (Hendriksen, Matthew, 687)

It does, indeed come upon us as a most painful surprise, and as sadly incongruous this constant self-obtrusion, self-assertion, and low, carnal self-seeking; this Judaistic trifling in face of the utter self-abnegation and self-sacrifice of the Son of Man. Surely, the contrast between Christ and His disciples seems at times almost as great as between Him and the other Jews. If we would measure His stature, or comprehend the infinite distance between His aims and teaching and those of His contemporaries, let it be by comparison with even the best of His disciples. It must have been part of His humiliation and self-examination (= self-emptying, cfr. Philippians 2:7) to bear with them. And is it not, in a sense, still so as regards us all? (Edersheim, Life, II, 116)

The task to which He now addressed Himself was at once the most formidable and the most needful He had as yet undertaken in connection with the training of the twelve. Most formidable, for nothing is harder than to train the human will into loyal subjection to universal principles, to bring men to recognize the claims of the law of love in their mutual relations, to expel pride, ambition, vainglory, and jealousy and envy from the hearts even of the good. Men may have made great progress in the art of prayer, in religious liberty, in Christian activity, may have shown themselves faithful in times of temptation, and apt scholars in Christian doctrine, and yet prove signally defective in temper.. No wonder then that Jesus from this time forth devoted Himself with peculiar earnestness to the work of casting out from His disciples the devil of self-will, and imparting to them as salt His own spirit of meekness, humility and charity. He knew how much depended on the success in this effort. and the whole tone and substance of the discourse before us reveals the depth of His anxiety. (Bruce, Training, 193f)

RESPONSE: JESUS-' SERMON ON THE IMPORTANCE OF OTHERS

In answer to their question either spoken (Matthew 18:1) or unspoken (Luke 9:46 f; Mark 9:33 f) Jesus made certain every single Apostle was present in class before beginning the all-important lesson. (Mark 9:35) Then, in one pithy, paradoxical proverb He stated His text: If any one would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all. (Mark 9:35) Everything else He will say will amplify this fundamental idea. Notice how Jesus overthrows earth-bound value judgments by arguing that the last will be first, and the first last, a theme He will take up again in the Parable of the Eleventh Hour Laborers. (Matthew 19:30 to Matthew 20:16)

Who is last of all and servant of all? The wood-choppers and water-haulers of earth! (Joshua 9:27) In short, the lowly burden-bearers in the service of others. Those, therefore, who voluntarily put themselves on this level of ministry to others are the most likely to fulfil the law of the King. (Galatians 6:2) The secret of true greatness is humble, impartial service kindly offered, not on the basis of the worthiness of the recipient or any qualifications other than that of need. This means not merely to serve one's own relatives or friends or social class or religious group, but all, like Christ did. (Matthew 20:25-28; Matthew 23:1 If; Luke 22:24-27; Luke 14:11; Luke 18:14; cf. 2 Corinthians 4:5; contrast Jude 1:9 f)

True nobility, in Jesus-' view, is not decided by one's notoriety nor his grip on other men to manipulate them at will. The primary reason for this is that, among men, the power to rule over others does not necessarily imply THE ABILITY TO RULE ONESELF. But the man who can successfully serve others by being happy to make others great is a man who has his own spirit under control also. He rules over the citadel of his own soul. (Proverbs 16:32; Proverbs 25:28) Only he who governs himself well is fit to suggest to others how to manage their affairs for the greatest common good.

Greatness, in Jesus-' view, is open only to the free. This is true, because the man who worships greatness, becomes a slave to it, whereas the man who despises this slavery to greatness is above it, hence truly free. But such freedom means the death of personal ambition, personal prestige, personal fame and personal advantage as motivations. But the man who freely chooses to become the servant of others and last in line is truly the greatest, because it requires so much bigness of character to do this.
Greatness is psychologically open only to the modest and unassuming anyway. The way into men's hearts is not opened by a bludgeon, In fact, our acquaintances whom we look up to and gladly acknowledge as better persons than ourselves, are usually the people who pour out their lives for others. Since men tend to resist naked power and willingly bow to loving service, we may say that, from a purely tactical standpoint, Jesus is planning the takeover of the world in the only way that it can successfully be done, by creating battalions of the most loving, unselfish, generous servants of mankind the world has ever seen! By equipping them with these character qualities, He readies them to sweep in conquest. What cities would not open their gates readily to winsome, friendly people who are bent on nothing but good for all its citizens?
Greatness depends upon being last of all, i.e. ridding ourselves of our proud pretenses. In fact, the man who makes no pretenses falls heir to that which the pretenders claim and by their pretenses cannot obtain! Only God can make us great after all, and it is only to the degree that we bring to Him an empty vessel, empty of pride, selfish ambition, self-importance and demands, that He is able to fill us more fully with eternal greatness, wealth and positions of importance.

Jesus does not deny that there may be those who are first. Rather, He simply rectifies every concept of greatness or importance, so that everyone in the new Christian community understands that the first duty and first place is that of the humble servant. This means that every gift we possess that distinguishes us from each other, whether mental endowments, leisure time, strategic position, possessions, or whatever, is entrusted to us for use in loving service of others. Love, that most fundamental rule of God's Kingdom, abolishes the vulgar distinctions that characterize Satan's realm, dividing it into the status-seekers and the down-trodden, the victors and the victims. Jesus-' proverbial rule here calls for a total unconsciousness of rank, the spontaneous choice of inferiority and the dropping of all claims to consideration and respect, which can be attained only by self-denial. So, He has maintained His hard-line position on the cost of our salvation. (See on Matthew 16:24 ff.) Whereas the Apostles-' question concerned what PERSON would be declared greatest, Jesus-' answer defines what CHARACTER ANY PERSON MUST DEVELOP to be considered greatest.

OPENING ILLUSTRATION: THE LITTLE CHILD IN THE MIDST

Matthew 18:2 And he called to him a little child, and set him in the midst of them. Jesus-' visual demonstration consisted of two separate gestures, each symbolizing a distinct lesson:

1.

He first called the child and set him in the midst of the disciples. In this vivid way He centered everyone's attention on the child standing there at His side in the place of honor. If Jesus and the disciples are seated around the room, when the child comes in to stand by Jesus (éstesen autò par-'heatô, Luke 9:47), it would be standing in the midst of them (Matthew and Mark). At this point the child becomes the ideal or standard by which the disciples must judge themselves, a symbol of the disciple honored as great. (Matthew 18:3 f)

2.

Next, He took the child in His arms. (Mark 9:36 b) This gesture symbolized the truth that When you embrace a child, you embrace me too. (See on Matthew 18:5 = Mark 9:37 ff = Luke 9:48 f)

This little child stood in marked antithesis to the dignitaries the self-important Apostles had dreamed of becoming. Jesus is proceeding just as God did when He began the world's redemption, as Thomas (PHC, XXII, 429) eloquently said it:

By the incarnation there was set in the midst of the prophets, philosophers, armies, governments of the world, a little child. The sign that God has come to redeem the world was not in blare of trumpets, volleys of artillery, edicts of emperors, but in the swaddling-clothes that swatched a Babe in a manger.

Surrounded by His self-seeking disciples, He who Himself is the greatest in the Kingdom turns their eyes to the little child and begins His lesson.

ONE OF THESE LITTLE ONES: LITTLE CHILDREN OR WEAK CHRISTIANS?

That there is a progression in Jesus-' thought none would care to dispute. The Lord starts with a little child in the midst and then takes it in His arms. This literal example becomes the basis of His entire message. From this child (Matthew 18:4) He will move to discuss one such child (Matthew 18:5), and from there He will progress to one of these little ones who believe in me. (Matthew 18:6) Later, when He argues that though they go astray like sheep (cf. Isaiah 53:6; 1 Peter 2:25), they are nonetheless precious to Him, it is clear that He is intentionally referring to both concepts indiscriminately under the same expression.

Interesting evidence that this is Jesus-' meaning is to be found in the neuter number one (hén) in Matthew 18:14, even though other, later manuscripts miscorrect this to the masculine heís. The Lord is probably not referring to the neuter noun sheep (próbaton = one [sheep] of these little ones), but the neuter noun child (paidíon = one [child] of these little ones).

Then, without the slightest indication of a subject change, His argument fades smoothly into the discussion of what to do when your brother sins against you (Matthew 18:15), a note on which He will end the message, (Matthew 18:35) But even in the latter section (Matthew 18:15-35), He keeps developing the little child theme of weakness and apparent insignificance, so characteristic of the first half (Matthew 18:1-14). He does this by underlining the power and importance of just two or three united in Christ's name to conduct the business of the Kingdom of God. (Matthew 18:16; Matthew 18:19 f) Again, the brother who, because he sinned, proved himself to be a little one in need of personal, tender care, turns out to be a fellow Christian whom others and even the Church must help when brought in on the question. (Matthew 18:15-17)

Therefore, because Jesus does not always distinguish His intended reference to little ones when molding our attitude toward them, we are obliged to show the same humility and self-sacrificing helpfulness to both, the little children and the weak Christians, and certainly not neglecting all that a child representsthe weak, the insignificant, the helpless. (Bruce, Training, 196)

See Matthew 18:22-35 for Fact Questions.