Jesus was not afraid of controversy and addressed any misunderstanding when asked about other issues such as, ““You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,” (Matthew 5:43–44, ESV). These questions provided the place for him to clarify or redefine marriage with regard to polygamy, Levirite marriage, same-sex marriage, etc. Instead, he pointed back to the creation account.
“At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea. “Woe to the world for temptations to sin! For it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the one by whom the temptation comes! And if your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than with two hands or two feet to be thrown into the eternal fire. And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into the hell of fire. “See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven. What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish. “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 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. Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times. “Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”” (Matthew 18:1–35, ESV)
It seems that the disciples were eager to see who would be the greatest in the kingdom, and so they ask Jesus directly about who would be the greatest. It is not difficult to imagine how this conversation had arisen from their ranks. Peter, James, and John had just been with Jesus in an unforgettable event, but they had been instructed not to disclose the events until after Jesus had risen from the dead. Perhaps questions were raised by the other disciples that were left unanswered. Maybe these three told them that were not at liberty to discuss what had taken place on the mountain. Rivalry and jealousy may have prevailed, and they argued with one another about the greatest among their group. Jesus takes a child and gives them a picture of how kingdom greatness is measured. Jesus did not take the child because of how cute they were. Children were not the center of domestic life as they often are now. Children are weak and vulnerable, and Jesus says that greatness is measured by humility. One does not come into the kingdom through strength and self-sufficiency, they come through humility. The children of the king are to be protected and woe to the one who causes the little ones to sin.
Temptations are a part of life, but Jesus explains that just because they are a reality in this life, it does not give one the right to sin. The follower of Jesus is called to holiness. Holiness is not the appearance of righteousness but a true holiness that is pursued through the Holy Spirit. We must consistently mortify sin through the power of the Holy Spirit. Sin is a monster that grows and to think that one might control it will only lead to death.
The family of faith should protect and guard one another. These little ones that Jesus describes are valuable to the shepherd. He has sought them, and he rejoices over the one found. We too should be thoughtful of the family of God and protect and help the little ones. The shepherd goes to great lengths to keep his sheep.
How do we respond when someone sins against us? The family of God has members that struggle and sin. Kingdom life will inevitably lead to conflict and offense. The Bible gives us guidelines on the way in which we seek reconciliation. When someone sins against us, the first step is not to complain to others about the offense. We are to go directly to them and explain the issue. The heart is the issue. This first step is not the excuse for you to go and blast them for their behavior. Kingdom motivation dictates that we are seeking reconciliation in love and not simply airing grievances in the hopes they will beg us for forgiveness. The hope is to gain our brother. If a peaceful reconciliation is not achieved in a one on one meeting, then the offended party should establish the matter with witnesses. Careful attention should be paid not to gather a mob to gang up on someone due to frustration. The next step should be to bring it before the church, and if they still refuse to listen, then they are demonstrating willful resistance to a God-appointed authority. This will result in them losing the privilege of membership and being viewed as someone still dead in their trespasses and sins. The rest of the chapter may seem to be a contradiction, but it serves to emphasize the importance of forgiveness. Forgiveness does not mean that one must ignore an offense, it means that forgiveness should always be sought. The parable of the unforgiving servant shows the way in which one must understand how much God has forgiven them. The king forgave a servant who owed him much. The forgiveness was motivated by pity and compassion. Then the servant met someone who was in debt to him to a much lesser degree and rather than extend forgiveness, he began insisting on immediate payment. The king was angry with the servant who had been forgiven so much. How could this servant treat others contrary to how he had been treated. We should be motivated by love and compassion toward others and always be quick to ask for forgiveness and quick to grant forgiveness.
A voice came from the cloud. It was the voice of the Father declaring his love for the Son and revealing his pleasure. The Father instructs the disciples to listen to him. The disciples are frightened and fall to their faces on the ground. Would they be consumed by God's wrath or would they melt in the presence of glory? Neither. Jesus lifted up their faces and told them not to be afraid.
Jesus makes it personal and asks his disciples about his true identity. Peter declares, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Jesus commends this answer but calls Peter away from pride by explaining that his understanding was given to him by the Father. Jesus reveals part of his plan and purpose when he explains that he will build his church on the confession of truth, and nothing would prevail against it.
Religious leaders from Jerusalem come to Jesus in an attempt to trap him and expose errors in his doctrine and theology. The question is asked about the reasons for not following traditions, and they make reference to ceremonial washing before partaking in a meal. Jesus does not give an answer to the question asked and instead goes on the offensive and confronts them in their hypocrisy.
Jesus lost his forerunner, his friend, and a member of his family when he lost John the Baptist. He withdrew to be alone but had no opportunity to mourn his loss, because the crowds followed on foot. The crowd was waiting when he went ashore. Jesus did not send them away nor did he complain about their insensitivity or his loss. Instead, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.
Parables are not merely illustrations of Jesus’ teaching, in the way a preacher might tell a story to illuminate a point. They are fundamental elements of his teaching and focus our attention in a particular way onto the theme of the kingdom. Jesus is bringing attention to the reality that there are elements to do with the kingdom of heaven which are mysterious and as the gospel is proclaimed by Jesus, faith and unbelief exist side by side.
Jesus’ purpose in alluding to Jonah is to show the different responses between the people of Nineveh, who heard Jonah preach and repented of their sins, and the people of Jesus’ generation, who have someone greater than Jonah and have not repented. Jesus makes the same point in the comparison to Solomon. The Queen of Sheba traveled a great distance to hear Solomon’s wisdom and yet the people show little interest in David's greater son.
No one can be saved apart from God revealing himself to sinners. Jesus calls the weary to himself and promises rest. Jesus gives freedom from sin’s burden under his yoke. His call is not to the strong and self-sufficient, but to the weak and the weary. The soul finds rest under the easy yoke and light burden of Jesus.
Their proclamation was to be, "The kingdom of heaven is at hand." This teaching was to be accompanied and authenticated by miracles of healing, resurrection, and exorcism.
God was to be their portion and provision so they would not need silver or gold. They were not to take any excess baggage or staff. God would provide for them through the hospitality of those who received their message.
The kingdom advances as Jesus taught, proclaimed the gospel, and healed every disease and affliction. At this moment, Matthew captures the compassion of the king. He sees these people harassed and helpless, and he longs to see them healed and comforted.
The disciples needed to learn the importance of complete confidence in Jesus. While the centurion trusted the ability of an absent Christ, the disciples could not trust the power of a present Christ. The miracle was a means of showing them his dominion over all of nature. It also served as a confirmation to their weak faith. These disciples are left to ask what kind of man is Jesus, and the answer is that he is the God-man.
As Jesus' sermon comes to a conclusion, the people are amazed at his teaching. He did not teach like the scribes and refer to other Rabbis and their practices. Instead, he taught with authority because he is the word of God and he has the authority to speak for God because he is God.
It is a mistake to believe that religion can save. Formal external religious practices are not wrong, but they are not necessarily indicative of faith. Jesus continues his sermon, and he addresses the "heart" of the matter, which is the matter of the heart.
The Sermon on the Mount seems to be the inaugural address of his kingdom. The King presents the way his kingdom is identified and how his rule administered. It also prescribes the way in which those who belong to the king are to live. Jesus explains the just demands of the law, but dismisses the legalism of the Pharisees. He is outlining the rule of God for this new community.
This confrontation with the enemy illustrates a much larger picture. Sin entered the world through temptation in a garden because Adam failed his test and therefore sin proceeded to all men. Here, Jesus is tempted in a wilderness, but he succeeds where Adam failed. Jesus will bring salvation into the human experience. Jesus felt the full force of the enemy's temptations and resisted every one of them without fail.
John’s appearance is rough and certainly not fashionable. There were certain similarities between this prophet and Elijah. This voice was strong, direct and people listened to his message. Some in the Jewish community began to wonder if God had finally broken his silence after four hundred years. This man's clear call arrested the people's attention while many heeded the message resulting in the confession of sin, repentance, and baptism in the Jordan River.
The family is a dynamic environment, and this family had already encountered its share of difficulty: traveling while Mary was great with child, seeking a place to lodge, entertaining shepherds and registering for a census commanded by a foreign government are just some of the challenges this family has faced. God uses dreams in Joseph's life again to instruct and direct him. This dream contains the warning about an attempt on Jesus' life and the directive to leave for Egypt.
The universe dances to God's song. All these generations had waited for the promised Messiah and now in the fullness of time God would enter time and become like one of his creatures. God's people must have wondered if God had forgotten or abandoned them but God is always accomplishing his good purpose. Time, history, and creation all converge at God's behest on an ordinary carpenter and his betrothed, Mary.
Paul's situation in a Roman dungeon was difficult, to say the least. He longs for companionship as he faces his final days. There is a sense of urgency in these words as Paul entreats his friend. When reading the Bible, it is important to remember that God is working through actual people facing real circumstances. Paul is not immune to loneliness, and his body suffers from the cold. He needs to occupy his mind, and there is a profound sense of loss as he recounts being deserted by friends.
