Matthew Chapter 18

Discussion About Rank;

            ¹ At that time the disciples came to Jesus, “Who’s greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”

            ² He called a little child and stood him in front of them,       

³ “Unless you change and become like little children, you won’t even get into the kingdom. ⁴ Whoever humbles himself like this little child is greatest in the kingdom of heaven, ⁵ and whoever receives a little child like this in my name, receives me.           

Mt 18:1-5

The Question of Stumbling Blocks

            ⁶ “Whoever makes a little one stumble that believes in me, would be better off to have a large millstone hung around their neck and drown in the sea. ⁷ Woe to the world because of temptations. They’ll come, but woe to the ones that bring them. ⁸ If your^sg hand or foot causes you problems, cut it off and throw it away. It’s better to go about life deformed or lame than to have two hands and two feet to be thrown into the eternal fire. ⁹ If your^sg eye is causing you problems, gouge it out and throw it away. It’s better to go about life with one eye than to have two eyes to be thrown into the burning hell.

¹⁰ “Make sure you^pl don’t look down on one of these little ones. I tell you^pl, their angels in heaven can always see my heavenly Father. [ ¹¹ ]^{ms 12} What do you^pl think? If a man has 100 sheep and one wanders off, doesn’t he leave the 99 on the hillside and go looking for the stray? ¹³ If he finds it, he’s happier over it than over the 99 that didn’t stray. ¹⁴ In the same way, your heavenly Father doesn’t want a one of these little ones to perish.                                     

Mt 18:6-14

Mistreatment and Forgiveness

            ¹⁵ “If your^sg brother sins against you, go show him his fault privately. If he listens, you’ve gained him back. ¹⁶ If he doesn’t, take one or two with you so ‘two or three witnesses will confirm everything’ [Deut 19:15]. ¹⁷ If he won’t listen, tell the church. If he won’t even listen to the church, regard him like a Gentile or a tax collector.

¹⁸ “Whatever you^pl bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. ¹⁹ Again, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask for, it’ll happen for you from my Father in heaven. ²⁰ Where two or three gather in my name, I’m with them.”

Mt 18:15-20

            ²¹ Then Peter came and asked, “How many times should I forgive someone that sins against me? Up to 7 times?”

²² Jesus said^p, “I wouldn’t say up to 7; I’d say up to 77.”

²³ “The kingdom of heaven is like a king that wanted to settle accounts with his servants. ²⁴ As he was making the settlements, one debtor was brought to him that owed 10,000 talents. ²⁵ Since he couldn’t repay it, the lord commanded his wife, children, and everything he owned to be sold to make the repayment. ²⁶ The servant prostrated himself and pleaded, ‘Be patient with me, and I’ll repay it all.’ ²⁷ The lord felt sorry for him, let him go, and forgave his debt.

Mt 18:21-27

            ²⁸ “That servant went out and found a fellow servant that owed him 100 denarii. He grabbed him and began to choke him, ‘Pay me what you owe me.’ ²⁹ His fellow servant fell down and began to beg him, ‘Be patient with me, and I’ll pay you back.’ ³⁰ But he wasn’t willing. He put him in prison till he’d paid what he owed.

            ³¹ “His fellow servants were deeply grieved and reported to their lord what happened. ³² His lord called him in, ‘Evil servant, I forgave you all that debt when you begged me. ³³ Shouldn’t you have been merciful with your fellow servant like I was with you?’ ³⁴ His lord was angry and turned him over to the torturers till he’d pay everything he owed.

³⁵ “My heavenly Father will do the same thing to you^pl unless you forgive your fellow believer from your heart.”

Mt 18:28-35