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March through Matthew with Jesus:
Matthew 18
During Lent in March we continue reading through the Gospel of Matthew, one chapter a day--28 chapters--with points to ponder, background information and personal application. Pray God strengthens our faith on this spiritual journey in His Holy Word.
Some Points to Ponder as we read Matthew 18:
1. Mathew 18:1 begins with a question the disciples ask Jesus: “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” Jesus answers their question and goes on to address a wide range of serious spiritual issues--such as childlike faith, temptation, those spiritually lost, dealing with sin, and the radical nature of God’s forgiveness.
2. Jesus uses a child (Mt. 18:1-6) to explain the nature of faith and how any and every child of God (aka US) enters the Kingdom of heaven. We receive God’s gift of salvation achieved by Jesus for us with complete childlike trust and humility and dependence upon our Father in Heaven.
3. Interesting tidbit: Matthew 18:10 and Psalm 91:10-11 are the primary Biblical texts which provide the basis that there are guardian angels watching over God’s children (aka US). Palm 91 (which is also the basis of the famous and favorite hymn/song “On Eagles’ Wings” from LSB #727) says:
10 no evil shall be allowed to befall you,
no plague come near your tent.
11 For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways.
4. Matthew 18:20 provides an awesome promise of the presence of Jesus and power of His Name. Jesus says: “For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”
5. Forgiveness is the essence of the Christian faith. We forgive, because Christ first forgave us. Yet as Jesus tells us in the Parable of The Unforgiving Servant (Mt. 18:21-35), we at times struggle or fail to forgive others. Forgiveness is a beautiful gift, theory, and/or teaching--until a person actually has to put it into practice. Jesus stresses that the forgiveness of our Father in Heaven for our massive debt of sin is radical and unconditional and undeserved and is what prompts and empowers us to forgive others.
6. Think of making the SIGN of the CROSS with your hand in the air. It involves vertical and horizontal actions. In the same way, forgiveness is VERTICAL (between God and us) and HORIZONTAL (between us and our neighbor). Even as Jesus taught us to pray in Matthew 6:12, “…and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.”
7. Here are three of the short, simple, powerful, personal prayers from the notes The Lutheran Study Bible provides for Matthew 18:
We Pray:
+ Daily teach me, dear Jesus, to turn and become like a child. Amen.
+ Holy Father, I confess my sins of thought and word and deed.
Forgive me for Jesus’ sake. Amen.
+ Give me a heart, O Father, that cares about each of Your little ones. Amen. (Lutheran Study Bible, p.1620-21)
APPLICATION: Who is someone I need to ask Jesus to help me forgive? Hmm…
We now read Matthew 18…
Matthew 18 (ESV)
Who Is the Greatest?
18 At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 2 And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them 3 and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
5 “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, 6 but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.
Temptations to Sin
7 “Woe to the world for temptations to sin! For it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the one by whom the temptation comes! 8 And if your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than with two hands or two feet to be thrown into the eternal fire. 9 And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into the hell of fire.
The Parable of the Lost Sheep
10 “See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven. 12 What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? 13 And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. 14 So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.
If Your Brother Sins Against You
15 “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. 16 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. 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 be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. 19 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. 20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”
The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant
21 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?” 22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.
23 “Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. 24 When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. 25 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. 26 So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ 27 And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. 28 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.’ 29 So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ 30 He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. 31 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. 32 Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33 And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ 34 And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. 35 So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”
+Prayer+ Dear God, I admit that I sin daily in my thoughts, words and actions. Thank You for loving me and forgiving me repeatedly and unconditionally because of Jesus, in Whose saving Name I pray. Amen.
Pastor Scott Schmieding
Senior Pastor
Immanuel Lutheran Church and School
115 S. Sixth Street
Saint Charles, MO 63301
636.946.2656
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