Mission 66 (English podcast)
Matthew 18 Strength in Humility
"If you've been wronged and you think it's a serious enough issue, we'll go to the person privately. Don't go on social media. Don't slander them behind their back to your family and the whole world. Because if you protect their privacy, then maybe they'll listen to you and apologize, and that will be it. The issue need go no further." This is Mission 66, your deep dive into the 66 books of the Bible, brought to you by Bible teacher and pastor Dr. Luis Seow, in collaboration with Transworld Radio. Let me remind you to download your free study guide of the Gospels. You'll be able to go deeper into God's Word and follow along with each day's program. It's a great companion resource of the audio teaching of John Matthews and Esther Susullo. To get your free study guide of the Gospels, visit mission66.org, that's mission66.org. Get ready for an impactful session as John Matthews, along with his co-host, Esther Susullo, guide us through today's study. Yes, this is the series of studies in the Gospels of the New Testament, and we're in the Gospel of Matthew today, which tells us about the arrival in the earthly ministry of Jesus, the Christ, the Messiah, as promised by the Old Testament prophets. Now, Indian leader Mahatma Gandhi used to say that the weak, they never forgive. But instead, forgiveness is a characteristic of the strong. A lot of teacher John Matthews will present to us chapter 18 of Matthew with a theme, strength in humility. My name is Esther, and hey, John, it's good to be with you again. I'm really looking forward to being strengthened by today's message. I hope you're doing well. Yeah, thanks, Esther, me too, and, you know, what a chapter this is, and a very warm welcome to you, our listeners, wherever you're listening to us today, it's so good to be with you again. And here we are, Esther, in our study of Matthew, which so far has seen us look at Jesus arriving and then declaring himself as the Son of God, no less, bringing forward his kingdom to be established here on earth. The Messianic King is instructing his disciples about the kingdom of heaven. I tell you what, it's not what they were expecting. They probably expected Messiah to come in great strength, power, maybe even waging war, marshaling, huge military forces. That's the kind of thing that they've seen with the Romans. But that was not what Jesus had in mind, not yet anyway. You know, Jesus, to this point, Esther has, and he's been constantly rejected along with his message. He presents us a sort of attitude that is pretty rare, actually, among kings. And that's maybe one of the most extraordinary marks of Christianity in the New Testament. He's setting a new standard. So look at what happens in the disciples, though they have their minds set on the ways of the world of that time, which is very similar, actually, to the ways of our world nowadays as well. And they come up to Jesus and they say to him, "Jesus, who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" In other words, they wanted to know which of them was going to get the best seat in the throne room of heaven. Probably had in their mind a sash of medals hanging over their shoulders, perhaps gold chains around their necks, if that's your thing, to show that they were the ones whom God favored the most, and its human nature, I guess, to think this way, because most earthly kingdoms are governed by men who seem the most important, the strongest, the greatest. At least that's the perception, perhaps, sometimes we have. But Jesus turns the entire discussion upside down. And what he does in answer to this question, I love the way Jesus is. Jesus does this. Sometimes he doesn't just respond with words, but he performs an action and he calls a little child over to him, puts the child in the middle of the group. You can imagine the disciples thinking, right, what's he going to do now? Verse 3, he says, "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." Jesus going against the common thinking of the age that the strongest with the most powerful reveals to the disciples that they should become like a child. Let's just think about a child for a moment. You know, they often accept what you tell them. They're quick to trust. They don't often show favoritism or desire to be boss, and if they do get into fights in the school yard, well, generally it's quickly forgotten and forgiven. Well, Jesus says that unless we become like children, we will not enter the kingdom of heaven. You know, the path to greatness he was saying is humility of being humble at heart. Jesus had a special place in his heart for children, and he warned his disciples not to forbid the children to come to him. You can imagine the disciples thinking, "Well, don't bother the master." No, no, Jesus was yes, bother me. These are the people that I want to be with, and as for those who harm the ones that are like children, who are Jesus' disciples, potentially in this case, will be where? Verse 5 says this, "Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me. But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, well, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea." What a dire warning this is from the king of kings toward anyone who would abuse a child or teach a little child to sin. It would be better, says Jesus, that they were drowned in the ocean rather than suffer the punishments of hell prepared for the unrepentant. Think about the fragility of a child, and yet, the simplicity often of their faith. They'll often believe what you tell them, instead of teaching them sin and lies, teach them truth and virtue. And you can measure, I think, a society's spiritual condition by how they treat little children and by what they teach them. And Jesus continues here in verse 7 of Matthew 18 to say, "Woe to the world for temptations to sin, for it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the one by whom that temptation comes. And if your hand or your foot causes you to sin, then cut it off and throw it away. It's 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." Yeah, those are some really weighty, strong words, John. And you know, I've really noted that people have taken Jesus' message and what he said about this and quite literally mutilated themselves because they didn't really understand what he meant by it. Yes, Esther, the teaching, well, it seems extreme. It sounds extreme to us, doesn't it? And in a way it's true, hell is so dreadful that it's to be avoided at all costs and it would be better to cut off your hand than to go to hell. But that's actually not how you avoid hell. Self-medal agent is not what saves you, but Jesus, what he's doing here is using this as an example of or underlining, if you like, how serious the consequences of sin are by saying we must be ruthless in removing any temptation that causes us not to turn to God to repent and believe in Jesus. Now why do I say that? Well, sin is an issue of the heart. It's not an issue of the hand or the foot or the eye. The heart guides those things. A thief could cut off the hand and, well, he could still steal, couldn't he? And those who are addicted to, let's use pornography as an example, don't usually sin with only one eye, but with two. So you see what he's saying, he's not saying go out, chop off every part of your body that might cause you to sin, because if that were the case, well, nobody would have anybody parts left. I think what he meant was take action that will clear your way to God and away from evil and the threat of hell. So if you can't control your viewing, well, cancel the cable or internet. If you can't control your alcoholism, well, don't go down the street where the bar is and put yourself in temptations way, substitute bad habits with good ones like reading, regular doses of the word of God, which renews your mind. And above all, get you to Jesus, who is the one who changes our hearts and fills us with a peace that is not possible without him. He alone is able to help us conquer sin. He is able. You know, salvation is not achieved through human effort and neither is the ability to resist temptation. It's a gift of God for those who believe in him. So look, there are things in all of our lives that hold us back. And if there is something in your life that keeps you from following this king, then we've got to fight against it and be serious against it in a really direct and radical way to remove it completely. And as we continue, Esther, on this same line of thought, this is what Jesus says in verse 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. Instead, we should teach them the word and point them to Jesus." I love that. So is there actually such a thing as a guardian angel for children? Well, this passage says so, along with other biblical passages such as Psalm 34, which says the angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him to deliver them. God does indeed provide angels that take care and protect those who are committed to him. And the Bible says that we're not worship angels, but we do know that angels are part of the heavenly realm. And we don't know everything about this. Of course, we don't know everything about angels and those things haven't been revealed in the Bible. But we can hold on to the things that are written. So let's stick to what's written here. And there's something I think that needs to be said here, Esther, and we think of children only as being innocent little angels, and they may be tender, but they're not innocent actually. Anyone who has ever parented children knows that they are capable of lying, cheating, and stealing. The proverbs say that children need discipline and guidance when they're young, or they'll grow up thinking that they can get away with doing wrong and have things completely their way. Romans 3, 23 says, all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God and David. Rights in Psalm 51, I was born in an equity and in sin did my mother conceive me. You know, some believe that babies are are born perfect and it's only the experience of life that that changes them, but that's simply not true. What David writes here shows that David knew that he was sinful at birth, sinful from the moment that his mother conceived him, and he knew that he needed to be redeemed. And the idea here is that saved. The idea here is that we need to be like children in the sense that we must be completely dependent on God, especially for salvation, but also for guidance through this life. And one of the main characteristics of a child is that they're always dependent on somebody else. They're not able to take care of themselves, so they have to rely on their parents or somebody else in charge of them. And everyone who has truly come to know God and become a disciple of Jesus will at some point learn to depend completely on God. In fact, that complete dependence is a sign of spiritual maturity. And Jesus then shows us now that he cares about children. In fact, cares about every one of us. This is what he says in verse 12. What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the 99 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 99 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. You see, Jesus wants to save people. He has paid for their sin on the cross and now the people must hear the gospel, the good news of Jesus' life and believe it. And this is so important, so important that even though God is all powerful and omniscient, if just one sheep gets lost, one person is lost, that is enough motivation for God to go out looking for him. God pays special attention to each and every one of his, his sheep, his people. Jesus is the good shepherd who cares for his sheep. You're listening to Mission 66. This is a program that is dedicated to looking into the 66 books of the Bible. And we're so glad that you could come along with us on this incredible journey. Right now, friend, we're in the middle of Matthew chapter 18 with our teacher, John Matthews. And there's more for us to explore. So shall we continue, John? Yeah, let's do that, Esther. You know, the key is our theme today, really, and the words of the theme are strengths in humility. In verse 15, then Jesus gives instructions to maintain good human relationships. And this works for Christians, non-Christians, those who are not yet Christians in church, out of church, in work, on the sports field, anyone out there who may be interested. This is what Jesus says. 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. And 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 gentle and a tax collector. Now, Jesus points out three steps there, doesn't he? If you've been wronged and you think it is a serious enough issue, go to the person privately. Don't go on to social meager and vent your frustration. Don't slander him or her behind their back to your family and the whole world. Because if you protect their privacy, well, maybe they will listen to you and apologize and that will be it. And the issue need go no further. What is important though, Esther, here is to have this attitude of humility, a willingness to forgive, show them that you really want the best for both of you. Expect that they will see it your way. Many a war could have been avoided if this was done according to Matthew 18. Now if they will not listen to you, you need to decide if the problem is really worth pursuing. Many offenses are simply not worth fighting over, are they? But if you think it does need to be pressed, if you know another person or two who can testify that what this person has done is wrong, well, the Bible says Jesus says, "Take them along in your next meeting." And if they still won't listen to you and the witnesses, well, Jesus then says to take it to the church. And if they still cannot see that they've done wrong, well, then he says, "Let them be like a pagan or a tax collector." In other words, it sounds sad, but you don't have to associate with them. Yeah, you know, I would imagine that by the time it gets to that level, it would have been a very, very serious offense, John. Yeah, quite right. And that is what Jesus is talking about here. I believe Jesus was aware that people would only go this far if they really knew that this was serious, yet all along we should be asking is this something I can just forgive? I think sometimes also it's really important to examine our own hearts and say, "If I done something wrong here, is there something that I need to be forgiven for?" But if in the case that we know that we've been wronged and we ask that question, "Is this something I can just forgive?" But on the other hand, remember how we are to treat loss sinners who might one day believe in Jesus. We can still choose to love them enough, to care for their soul, of course. Love is often a choice. It's important that they see what they've done if they are to be saved. God doesn't just let it go. The attitude that makes this scenario that Jesus is talking about work is our humility, realizing that we ought to try to get along with everyone if possible and realize that maybe the next time, it'll be me that is the one that needs to offer an apology. You see, let's take marriage as an example. The whole Christian life as a whole runs on a steady diet of humility, forgiveness and reconciliation and marriage is a prime example of that. Yeah. Absolutely true. And, you know, John, just to be clear, and, I mean, correct me if I'm wrong, right? But confronting a wrong in someone else doesn't necessarily mean that you're judging whether they're saved or not. No, no, no. That's right. No judge, we know that God and God alone is judge. And we might think that people are not acting in the right way sometimes, in a way that is honoring to God. But how many times have we as believers not acted in the right way as well? So that's a dangerous place to be when we become judge and we should never take that place, it's not ours to take. And, you know, in answer to the question, how many times have we as believers not acted like that? There are too many to count, isn't it? Let's be honest about that. Yeah. That's a very good point, John. Thank you for pointing that out. But there's something else, another one of Jesus's teachings that I think really needs some explanation. It's verse 18. I'll read it. It says, "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. And again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am among them." Lovely, isn't it, Esther? Isn't that lovely? Talking about the interconnectedness of believers in the church and the power, the real power that comes with agreement and unity. You read it there. Two or more people agree in prayer on anything. All Jesus is saying it will be done, of course, if it's in line with His will and the fruits of the Spirit as well. But He was talking specifically about forgiveness here, wasn't He? And when two or three people, especially when the whole church agrees that perhaps there's an offending brother that needs to be made aware of a certain sin and that brother needs then to pay attention because Jesus would consider the action of the majority as binding. So it is a serious thing to live in sin, a really serious thing and being confronted about it by two or more witnesses while pretending there's nothing wrong is clearly not the way to do things. Now, remember the theme though here is strength in humility, and we must continue to walk in humility and forgiveness, and none of us can say that we'll never sin, that would be ridiculous. And as we continue in verse 21, Peter comes up and says to Jesus, "Lord, how often then will my brother sin against me, and how often should I forgive him as many as seven times?" And Jesus says to him, "I do not say to you seven times, but seventy seven times. How many times should we forgive others?" You know, you might think, "Well, I've forgiven him once, twice or her once, twice. I'm not doing it anymore." Well, let's keep in mind here that seven is the number of completion according to the ancient Jewish traditions, seven days of creation, seven days in a week. So Peter thought that, well, that would be a good number of times to forgive somebody because it's a number that refers to completion. But Jesus was saying forgiveness should not have a limit. We should forgive others the same number of times as God has forgiven us, and that is over and over and over again. And Jesus then expands on this by telling another parable, and this doesn't need too much explanation because it does speak for itself. Jesus says, "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 the master, 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 that debt. But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denari 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." But he refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. And his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed and they went and reported to the master all that had taken place, and 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 you not have had mercy on your fellow servant as I have 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. So what is Jesus saying here, John? Is he saying that you can lose your salvation if you do not forgive someone? No, he's not saying that, but what he is saying as Jesus says, "Anyone who believes on him has everlasting life." So the person may have eternal life, but we are not free to say, "Well, then everything is going to be okay." What I believe happens is that when we who have committed all types of sin against the kingdom of God through our actions, when we experience the beautiful forgiveness that God and God alone lavishes upon us. But then if we hold on to petty little grudges and bitterness and are unwilling to forgive others, then God says here that he's putting us in a kind of self-imposed prison that he allows us to feel the pain that comes along with unforgiveness. It's often said, isn't it, that unforgiveness is the thing that doesn't really impact the other person. It impacts us, unseen pitchforks, prodding and poking us and making us feel miserable. All of the life of someone you know who is still carrying offences from years ago, and you'll find that they are cooking, maybe not on the surface to be seen by all, but underneath cooking in a sort of cauldron, unforgiveness carries with it a sentence that can include unexplained physical problems, and the only solution comes when we are able to finally let it go. That takes a conscious act of our will. We choose to forgive, and we know it is possible because we know that people whose loved ones have been, let's say, use the example of murder. They may not be able to forget the horror of what happened, but they, we have experienced an examples of people who have made a conscious effort to forgive the murderer, and if they can do it and they have, well, so can we. You know, in some cases, John, you find that unforgiveness keeps coming back. You know what I mean? We forgive one day, but then the next day, we feel that rage and that anger rising up again. What do we do in that situation? Yeah, that's a really, really good point, isn't it? You know, we, yeah, we might feel yesterday as though we have peace in our souls, and today I feel very different. Well, look, it's making a conscious effort again to make that forgiveness keep coming back, Esther, isn't it? You know, and our listeners here who will be listening, thinking, I've got a situation where, oh, I feel cross with somebody, so cross. Well, it's the law, though, of the kingdom of heaven, and so we've got to practice it again and again as often as necessary, and our ability to forgive does get stronger each time we forgive, and ultimately, it's the spirit of God in us producing fruit of the spirit that changes our hearts and enables us to forgive in a deeper way. Well, those are some wise words, as always, and I have to say, excellent study, John. How can we wrap up this episode and what's the summary that we can take away? Yeah, let's do that Matthew 18 significant chapter in the life of Jesus who reveals that our strength actually comes from having childlike faith and humility. Jesus cares for children. In fact, cares for every one of us so deeply, he describes us as his sheep here and longs to bring back all those who stray. Sometimes he uses other sheep to bring the wanderer back into the fold, and we also see the value that God places as well on forgiveness, which is the key to holding on to all human relationships. Now, we must forgive as we have been forgiven, and we do not forgive our brother or sister rightly if we do not do it from the heart. And it's with that friend that we close off today's episode of Mission 66, our program that goes through the pages of the Bible. I hope you were encouraged by what you've heard. The next time we'll continue with our study in Matthew chapter 19 with myself, Esther, and our teacher, John Matthews. Until then, goodbye. That wraps up today's episode of Mission 66 with John Matthews and Esther Sussulu. Follow their daily teaching by downloading your free study guide of the Gospels at mission66.org. Go deeper into God's Word and discover how each day's teaching can apply to your life. James chapter 1 verse 22 tells us to be doers of the word, not just hearers. Download your free study guide at mission66.org and have it for our next program. That's also where you can leave a comment or make a donation to continue Mission 66 here and around the world. That's mission66.org. Mission 66 is a ministry of Transworld Radio in partnership with Dr. Luis Ciao. I'm Rob Dempsey. [Music] (dramatic music)