Matthew 20:17-19

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17 Now Jesus, going up to Jerusalem, took the twelve disciples aside on the road and said to them, 18 "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death, 19 and deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock and to scourge and to crucify. And the third day He will rise again." ~ Matthew 20:17-19 

Today, we return to our study of Matthew 20 where the Lord Jesus is with His disciples and they are headed to Jerusalem where He would eventually be crucified. Crucifixion was a method of capital punishment popularized by the Romans in which their victim was nailed to a large wooden cross or beam and left to hang until eventual death from exhaustion and asphyxiation set in.

In v.17-18 of today's passage we read, "Now Jesus, going up to Jerusalem, took the twelve disciples aside on the road and said to them, 18 "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death."

Previous to the events in this passage the disciples proclaimed how they had left all to follow the Lord Jesus, but this must not be the focus of our lives. On His way to Jerusalem, the Lord Jesus made three specific references to His death. It must be that our focus must always be on the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ because it must define us on a day by day basis. We must be defined by the cross because it was there that God revealed His greatest thoughts toward us. We must never be defined by anything we do, otherwise, we will be defined by the lesser, and we will lack. And, we know at the root of our sin is our lack.

I find it quite instructive that the word "Christian" is only used three times in the Bible, and each time, it carries a negative connotation. The most biblical words to use to describe the followers of Christ is the phrase "in Christ." Union with Christ means that we are "in Christ," and He is in us. There are over 160 verses in the New Testament that describe the believer’s union "in Christ." This is so important because there is a tremendous difference in our lives when we live out of God's acceptance of us through the Lord Jesus than living in order to gain His acceptance or maintain it. Sadly, most believers in Christ live out of the latter.

To His disciples the idea of a crucified Messiah was crazy and blasphemous. In fact, it was a massive barrier they had the hardest time getting beyond. They were convinced the Messiah could not come to earth in order to die. They did not understand the fallenness of mankind and the severity of sin. They didn't understand our separation from God. They didn't understand that the Messiah must be judged by God on mankind's behalf. Many still don't understand it to this day.

Later we will learn that the disciples were "astonished," and, the others who were following them were "afraid" at the words of the Lord Jesus that He would be crucified. The difference between the disposition of the disciples and the others was due to the fact that the others had less information than the disciples had, and, they did not understand what the disciples understood, so they were afraid. The word "afraid" refers to a kind of fear that is a baffling kind of fear. They were struggling with more confusion because they lacked understanding. Fear grows in the context where we lack information about God. 

In 1 John 4:15-18 we read, "15 If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. 16 And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. 17 This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. 18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love."

The word "perfect" in 1 John 4:18 means lacking nothing or mature. And, the more we grow in our understanding of God's love for us, we will be less and less controlled by fear. Love is more cerebral than it is emotional. Love is a choice. Shakespeare once said, "Love is not love which alters when it alterations finds." True love endures. True love is the type of love that makes someone stick with a person through thick and thin. This is the type of love that God has for us.

Even though the disciples were trained in Judaism, they lacked the ability to connect an accurate interpretation of Scripture with the realities of their lives. Under the influence of the religious leaders of Israel at that time and their bizarre understanding of God, this crowd did not really have a good understanding of God and His ways. This is why discipleship is so important.

In v.18-19 of today's passage we read, "18 Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death, 19 and deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock and to scourge and to crucify. And the third day He will rise again."

The fact that the Lord Jesus had now told His disciple these details three times, including the way they would kill Him by crucifixion, proved this was a planned event. According to Revelation 13 the Lord Jesus was "the Lamb slain before the foundations of the world." The Lord Jesus was not a victim of anything. His death was a planned event long before anything was created. The first words in the Gospels that ever came out of the Lord Jesus' mouth were, "I must be about my Father’s business." The last words ever to come out of His mouth before His death, "It is finished." The Lord Jesus knew exactly why He came to this earth, and, He did it to provide for you and me and anyone who would believe in Him deliverance from the domain of darkness and to be transferred into the light of His incredible love.

Finally, the chaos and confusion were necessary for the disciples to understand the gospel. The darkest of moments are useful because these moments frame up God's goodness for us. They reveal to us God's heart, if we let them. And, out of this framing up we are granted understanding. And, it was at His cross that understanding won the day. The cross grants clarity to us on a day by day basis if we let it. We never leave the teaching of the cross, otherwise we give our existence to chaos and confusion. My dear friend Joe Novenson once said, "I must live so close to the cross that I get splinters in my nose."

Matthew 16:1-16

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1 For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. 2 Now when he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. 3 And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, 4 and said to them, "You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you." So they went. 5 Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did likewise. 6 And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing idle, and said to them, "Why have you been standing here idle all day?" 7 They said to him, "Because no one hired us." He said to them, "You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right you will receive." 8 So when evening had come, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward, "Call the laborers and give them their wages, beginning with the last to the first." 9 And when those came who were hired about the eleventh hour, they each received a denarius. 10 But when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise received each a denarius. 11 And when they had received it, they complained against the landowner, 12 saying, "These last men have worked only one hour, and you made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the heat of the day." 13 But he answered one of them and said, "Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? 14 Take what is yours and go your way. I wish to give to this last man the same as to you. 15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things? Or is your eye evil because I am good?" 16 So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few chosen. ~ Matthew 20:1-16

Today, we begin our study of Matthew 20 where the Lord Jesus incorporated yet another parable to help His disciples understand His culture better. This is what happens to us while we are being sanctified by the Holy Spirit, we are taught of and we experience for ourselves His definitions of things. Learning His culture is a sanctification thing. You will remember that our justification before God is granted to us through the cross of Christ only. His death on the cross of Calvary garnered for us our salvation. Through our justification we will be admitted into heaven. While our sanctification gets heaven into us now. 

The Lord Jesus told this parable in response to Peter's question which was: "We left everything for you. So, what do we get?" In response the Lord Jesus shared this parable illustrating what He had previously said to Peter which was: "The first will be last, and the last will be first." It is with a broken spirit that we came to faith in the Lord Jesus. Our brokenness enabled us to realize that we could do nothing to earn our salvation. Our salvation was given to us as a gift based upon the merit and the work of Christ alone. 

In v.1-2 of today's passage we read, "1 For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. 2 Now when he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard."

More than revealing to the disciples what the kingdom of heaven is like, this parable really gets at the idea of what God is like. This is very important because how we view God has a huge impact on how we relate to Him. Our theology is the most important thing about us because through it we see everything else. C.S Lewis once said, "I believe in Christianity as I believe that the Sun has risen not only because I see it but because by it I see everything else." This means that what we believe about "injustice" may be a deviation from God's definition of justice.  

The atheist has no way to absolutely define a concept like justice. Since, according to atheism, the universe is undesigned and purposeless, all of life is just an accident. And, since everything is just the result of molecular interactions on the previous state, then there is no "should be." When it comes to actions and states of the universe, there only is "what is." According to atheism, injustice has no meaning. Just as death, decay, and disease are matter-of-fact realities of the universe, love and hate are just results of chemical reactions in the human mind. 

According to Christianity, God has given us answers as to why there is pain and suffering. Christianity best answers all of life's questions about reality and God. For example, if we view God as strict, temperamental or stingy, then we will probably not have a very close relationship with Him. In fact, we will be hesitant to even approach Him. We will only go to Him when we feel like we have no choice. But if we view God as the Bible defines Him, as loving, kind and generous, then we probably will have a close relationship with Him. And, the closer to Him that we become will render how we live life and how we treat others.

In v.3-7of today's passage we read, "3 And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, 4 and said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.' So they went. 5 Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did likewise. 6 And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing idle, and said to them, 'Why have you been standing here idle all day?' 7 They said to him, "Because no one hired us." He said to them, "You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right you will receive.'"

The typical workday in those days was from 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM. The landowner, representing God, at different intervals throughout the day hired His needed workers. We can always trust God to do what is right because He is right. People often ask what will happen to children who weren't old enough and informed enough to make a choice about Christ? To that I answer, "Is God good? If He is good and He is, we can trust Him to do the right thing with reference to children at the end of time." 

In v.8-16 of today's passage we read, "8 So when evening had come, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward, 'Call the laborers and give them their wages, beginning with the last to the first.' 9 And when those came who were hired about the eleventh hour, they each received a denarius. 10 But when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise received each a denarius. 11 And when they had received it, they complained against the landowner, 12 saying, 'These last men have worked only one hour, and you made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the heat of the day.' 13 But he answered one of them and said, 'Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? 14 Take what is yours and go your way. I wish to give to this last man the same as to you. 15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things? Or is your eye evil because I am good?' 16 So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few chosen."

At the end of the day the hired hands were paid a denarius which was a days wages for a farm hand. Those who had worked all day were upset because the landowner paid all of the workers the same amount. To them it seemed unfair. But, this is a parable about generosity which chooses to treat everybody the same no matter how much or little work they worked. Generosity is a synonym for grace which makes all believers in Christ equal. We are equal because the perfection of Christ has been applied to our account before God, resulting in God granting us access to Himself. The all-day workers expressed their displeasure because they saw themselves as more deserving than those who had not contributed as much as they. 

The word "complained" is written in the imperfect tense, which means they were in a constant state of complaining. They were distracted from gratitude because they thought they knew best. Compared to those who only worked an hour, these workers thought they were worth a lot more. But this is not the way grace works. There is nothing we can do to make God love us more. There is nothing we can do to make God love us less. Like a gift, the only thing we can do with grace is to receive it. In the final analysis, the first in this parable are those who are grateful and the last are those who complain. 

The most important point is revealed in Psalm 103:10 which reads, "He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities." 

The word "many" in today's passage is better translated "everyone." That day the Lord Jesus really said "everyone is called, but some people refuse the invitation and are not chosen." God has chosen to show the believer mercy and grace through His Son's death on the cross. When the Lord Jesus died on the cross, His death fulfilled God’s justice as He suffered on our behalf. The Lord Jesus paid the full penalty for our sins on His cross. Perfect justice and never-ending mercy meet together at the cross where God's grace and His justice co-exist even to this moment and on into eternity. This produces gratitude in us and when we lack gratitude, we are in danger of harboring an unbiblical view of God.

Matthew 19:27-30

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27 Then Peter answered and said to Him, "See, we have left all and followed You. Therefore what shall we have?" 28 So Jesus said to them, "Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life. 30 But many who are first will be last, and the last first." ~ Matthew 19:27-30

Today, we conclude our study of Matthew 19 where the Lord Jesus had just told the Rich Young Ruler to give away all of his possessions and come and follow Him. To that the Rich Young Ruler went away sad. He walked away as his understanding of the Lord Jesus jerked him in the wrong direction. And, that which blunted his view of the Lord Jesus was his wealth. If God is not bigger in our lives than anything else, He will appear small in certain areas of our lives. Until the Holy Spirit has broken us of our puny view of God, we will lack the power to rise above the powers of this world. 

In v.27 of today's passage we read, "Then Peter answered and said to Him, 'See, we have left all and followed You. Therefore what shall we have?'"

When we see the Lord Jesus for who He is, it will be then that we will lose sight of those things that keep us from realizing His call. It took the death of my mom when I was five years old and the death of my dad when I was seventeen for me to get to this place. And, the moment I saw it, I was set on a course to discover new appetites and new aims. Don't get me wrong, I did not stop sinning, but once I was born again a new course was set in my life. This new course was a tremendous gift whereby my spirit was made alive to God.

Peter and the other disciples had left everything in order to follow the Lord Jesus. And, even though they had been changed, they still lived out of the type of theology that needed changing. We are no different than they. At this point the disciples were living out of what they left rather than what was before them. They had just heard the conversation the Lord Jesus had with the Rich Young Ruler, and out of their response through Peter, they proved they were not fully aware of the gift given them. As in the disciples lives, God's goal in our lives is not our perfection, this will never happen this side of heaven. God's goal in our lives is to increase our trust in Him. 

Trust is essential in any relationship where love increases. Trust is feeling safe when vulnerable. It is only in the realm of vulnerability that we grow in our trust of anyone. This is why the Lord tells us to rejoice in our trials for it is through our trials that the goodness of God can be seen. If we try to avoid our trials by holding on to the control of our lives, like the rich young ruler, we will end up walking away from Him.

Peter and the disciples were so saturated in the culture of this world. The evidence was they thought they were earning their greatness which is never earned, it is realized as we learn to say "no" to self and to say "yes" to the leading of the Holy Spirit. It is a posture, not a right. To experience the life the Lord Jesus died to give us, we will have invested in that which causes us to die to self.

In v.28-29 of today's passage we read, "28 So Jesus said to them, 'Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life.'"

The Lord Jesus strategically reminded the disciples that they had gained a personal relationship with God whom they had not previously known. And, they were given it before they started following Him. When believers in Christ focus on leaving our old lives and we do not focus on the life the Lord is giving us, we miss the point of our calling. The point is that we are now following and being defined by God. The point is that we are being delivered from this world's way of living and we are experiencing eternal life now. When we learn to live according to His culture, we will increasingly recognize that our possessions were given to us not for our benefit alone. Our possessions were given to us in order to advance His kingdom in the hearts of others. The disciples had walked away from their families while the young ruler walked away from the Lord Jesus. 

In v.30 of today's passage we read, "But many who are first will be last, and the last first."

This phrase "first will be last and the last first" screams to us that it does not matter who we are in this world or what we have done, eternal life is for those who believe that the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus gained us a personal relationship with God. The Lord Jesus chose the weak things of this world to bring about His purposes in this world. 

This phrase also refers to those who will reign in the millennium with the Lord Jesus. We endure in the faith because we belong to the Lord Jesus. We endure because we are His. And, in the end, when all history is done, we will rule and reign with the Lord Jesus in His enduring kingdom. And, the extent of our rule in the coming age will be a reward in proportion to our faithful service here in this world now.

Matthew 19:23-26

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23 Then Jesus said to His disciples, "Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." 25 When His disciples heard it, they were greatly astonished, saying, "Who then can be saved?" 26 But Jesus looked at them and said to them, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." ~ Matthew 19:23-26

Today, we return to our study of Matthew 19 where the Rich Young Ruler had just walked away from the Lord Jesus with sadness in his heart because he loved his riches more than the truth. When this man first came to the Lord Jesus he was quick to proclaim his lack, yet, he could not let go of that which kept him from gaining that which he truly lacked. This is what our sin did to us, it separated us from our source of being and it distorted our understanding of what is really real.

In v.23-24 of today's passage we read, "23 Then Jesus said to His disciples, 'Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.'"

Affluence can create in us a greater appreciation for the non-essential values over the essential ones. Rich people do not worry about where their next meal will come. Rather, they tend to be concerned about how the food will taste. Rich people tend not to be concerned about whether they will have a roof over their head and clothes to wear. Wealthy folks tend to be more concerned with fashion and style and decor. Riches tend to transfer our concern from the necessary things of life to the not so necessary. This is the most dangerous place that we can be because it is the place which is most plastic and unreal. We are at our best when we are convinced that we utterly need God because our ability to invest in what is really real comes out of our desperation. 

Our wealth tends to insulate us from that which is really real. Many think that the wealthy are overprivileged, but, in reality, they are underprivileged. They are more likely deprived of a deeper intimacy with the Lord, because it is the deeper struggles of life coupled with in-depth interaction with God through His Word and prayer that we are afforded the possibility of deeper intimacy with Him. And, I might add, that translates into a deeper intimacy with others. 

Some say this needle of which the Lord Jesus spoke was a reference to the Needle Gate, a low and narrow after-hours entrance found in the wall surrounding Jerusalem. It was purposely small for security reasons, and a camel could only go through it by stripping off any saddles or packs and crawling through on its knees. In Luke's account of this story, though, the physician Luke used the Greek word which means "the eye of a surgeon's needle." The Lord Jesus used this metaphor to describe an impossible task that only God can perform. The greatest impossibility is that sinful man can access a personal relationship with God. 

The Jews had long been conditioned for thousands of years to believe that wealth is a sign of God's favor. They assumed that their acceptance before God was based on certain conditions, like wealth. But, God's grace introduces us to a different way of thinking. It was only His grace that made unconditional acceptance a possibility for fallen man. Our salvation must be unearned since the only thing that can turn around that which prevented us from having a personal relationship with God in the first place is the shed blood the Lord Jesus Christ.

The world is full of people who are caught up in religion because they are aware of the huge hole in their soul.  And, most can't figure out what's missing. This is the cry of the unsatisfied, this is the plea of the unfulfilled heart. The answer is to get to the place where we cry out to God for His help. It is our utter lack that positions us to do this. The Rich Young Ruler had a life-long habit of appearing to others that he had it all together. His facade fought against him, keeping him from the humility required to believe in the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

In v.25 of today's passage we read, "When His disciples heard it, they were greatly astonished, saying, 'Who then can be saved?'"

The disciples found it most difficult to believe these words of the Lord Jesus because all of their lives their hearts had been conditioned by their ignorance. They believed it was their devotion to God that gave them favor in His eyes. The answer is to be trained by God's grace. When we stop depending on ourselves and our resources, we open ourselves up to God's wonderful grace. And, His grace is the greatest change agent this world has ever known. However, it is not the change that grace brings about in us that makes us right with God. It is only by placing our faith in the Lord Jesus that the enormous gap that our sin created between us and God can be bridged.

In v.26 of today's passage we read, "But Jesus looked at them and said to them, 'With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.'"

God is the only One who can make us fully what we cannot become and what we must become. He is the only One who can cleanse our sin from us. He is the only One who can replace our hearts of stone. He is the only One who can give us a personal relationship with Himself. Consequently, He is the only One who can teach our hearts to increasingly trust Him. He is the only One who can enable us to abandon our understanding of how life should work and be defined by Him. Once this process has begun, we will not only grow in our fellowship with God, we will also begin to deal selflessly with others. The greatest impossibility of them all is revealed in the words, "Whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." Through the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus sin and death has been defeated forever.

Matthew 19:16-22

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16 Now behold, one came and said to Him, "Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?" 17 So He said to him, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments." 18 He said to Him, "Which ones?" Jesus said, "You shall not murder," "You shall not commit adultery," "You shall not steal," "You shall not bear false witness," 19 "Honor your father and your mother," and, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." 20 The young man said to Him, "All these things I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack?" 21 Jesus said to him, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me." 22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. ~ Matthew 19:16-22

Today, we return to our study of Matthew 19 where the Lord Jesus was approached by a young man who was rich and religious. This young man was a leader, he was respected and he was influential. He was also the ruler of a synagogue. But one thing he lacked: he had never come to the end of himself and he knew he lacked salvation.

In v.16 of today's passage we read, "Now behold, one came and said to Him, 'Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?'"

According to Mark and Luke's gospels, after teaching the disciples on greatness, the Lord Jesus was approached by this man who ran up to Him, fell on his knees before Him and addressed Him as one who possessed inherent goodness that only God possesses. He then asked a question of the Lord Jesus which was full of poor theology. He assumed that sinful man can earn God's favor through his obedience. The emphasis in his question was on himself, and, it provided a stark contrast to what the Lord had been teaching the disciples about the major role selflessness plays in discipleship. This man had everything this world had to offer but he knew he lacked something. He had a personal relationship with everything else including religion, but that was a far cry from having been "born again." This only goes to prove nothing in this world will ever truly satisfy us, for "God created us with a God-shaped vacuum that only He can fill."

In v.17 of today's passage we read, "So He said to him, 'Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.'"

The Lord Jesus spoke to this man in his own language. All this rich young ruler had ever known was self-produced achievement and self-manufactured morality. This is why the Lord Jesus challenged his understanding of "goodness." This young man failed to understand that the purpose of the law of Moses is to reveal to us our sinfulness. He had looked into the mirror of God's word and did not see the sin in his own life. In fact, he saw the law as a means to feel good about himself. He failed to understand the principle that if we break the law in one small part, we are immediately guilty of having broken it all.  

In addition, the rich young ruler failed to see that the law cannot save any of us. He tried to establish his own righteousness, failing to understand true righteousness is of God. He also failed to see that through God's mercy He imputes His righteousness on the one who repents of his way and believes in the Lord's way. The rich young ruler failed to understand that in order to inherit eternal life, we must confess our sin and we must realize that we cannot earn God's acceptance by our obedience to the law. The Lord Jesus didn't argue with this man. Rather, He informed him that salvation is reserved for those who come to an end of themselves and are desperate for God. 

This merely emphasizes that the foundation of our salvation is always on the work of the Redeemer, not on the work of the redeemed. If it were not for God's forgiving nature, none of us would choose repentance. It was William Hordern who once said, "It is never our repentance that causes God's forgiveness; rather, it is God's forgiveness that causes our repentance."

In v.18-19 of today's passage we read, "18 He said to Him, 'Which ones?' Jesus said, 'You shall not murder,' 'You shall not commit adultery,' 'You shall not steal,' 'You shall not bear false witness,' 19 'Honor your father and your mother,' and, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'" 

In response to the question of the rich young ruler, the Lord Jesus highlighted several of the last six commandments. The first four commands, not mentioned, have to do with our relationship with God. The last six address how we treat other people. Ah, this sounds familiar to what the Lord had just taught, the disciples; that is we should value the least. Here, in this response to a man who had all this world has to offer, the Lord Jesus accentuated the behavior of greatness and how it loves others selflessly.

In v.20 of today's passage we read, "The young man said to Him, 'All these things I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack?'"

This man claimed to have kept the commands, but he did not understand that his obedience could not earn the favor of God.  This very wealthy man had never become like a child and he had not come to an end of trusting in himself and in his wealth. This explains that in the end he was more committed to his wealth than he was to going to heaven. It was the wealth and the supposed goodness of this man that defined him the most. In fact, it was his wealth and his goodness that had kept him from entering into a personal relationship with God through the Lord Jesus Christ.

In v.21 of today's passage we read, "Jesus said to him, 'If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.'"

The Lord Jesus knew that being perfect was and is an impossibility for any fallen human. And, the Lord Jesus never said that if we sell everything we have and become poor that we could earn our way to heaven; that deifies the very point of the context. The Lord Jesus exposed the true heart of this self-righteous man who incorrectly stated, "I've kept the law since I was young." The answer the rich young ruler gave to the Lord Jesus that spot-lighted man's ultimate problem which is not our obedience but our sinfulness. And, the only remedy to our sinfulness is the death of the Lord Jesus on the cross where He paid the penalty for our sin which had separated us from God. 

In v.22 of today's passage we read, "But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions."

No doubt this young man sincerely tried to keep the law; in fact, this may have been what brought him to the feet of the Lord Jesus in the first place and he didn't realize it. Then, the Lord Jesus did not quote the law to him as a means of salvation, because obedience to the law does not save us. The Lord Jesus quoted the law to him because in doing so He held up the law as it were a mirror revealing to him his inadequacy. 

Sadly, the man who had all this world had to offer went away sorrowful. Subtly, we are given an accurate portrait of how this world will never satisfy our deepest longings and needs. This young man who had everything that money and power and youth could give him, knew in his heart that there was something missing in his life. That day the rich young ruler had caught a glimpse of eternal life but he walked away sorrowful, because he was unwilling to repent from his goodness so that he might be defined by the Lord's goodness.

Matthew 19:13-15

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13 Then little children were brought to Him that He might put His hands on them and pray, but the disciples rebuked them. 14 But Jesus said, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven." 15 And He laid His hands on them and departed from there. ~ Matthew 19:13-15

Today, we continue our study of Matthew 19. In the previous chapter, the Lord Jesus taught the disciples about greatest in the kingdom of heaven. To illustrate, He took a child into His arms and He accentuated such characteristics as forgiveness and reconciliation. All of this came on the heels of the Lord Jesus confronting the disciples for trying to prevent someone from casting out demons whom they thought did not belong to their inner circle. The stage was set for the events of today's passage.

In v.13 of today's passage we read, "Then little children were brought to Him that He might put His hands on them and pray, but the disciples rebuked them."

This was a significant enough of an event that all the synoptic writers included it in their accounts of the gospels. But, the disciples thought it was an unnecessary intrusion upon the time and space of the Lord Jesus. As a result, the disciples issued a strong rebuke to the parents of the children. The rebuke of the disciples garnered the displeasure of the Lord. He was angry with them because a very important truth was being illustrated and they didn't recognize it. The most common means of healing by the Lord Jesus involved touch. 

In Leviticus 16:21 we read, "Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, confess over it all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions, concerning all their sins, putting them on the head of the goat, and shall send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a suitable man." In this verse connection with offering the annual sacrifices for the forgiveness of sin was highlighted. Priests ceremoniously laid their hands on the sacrifice in order to transfer God’s curse from the people to the sacrifice. In that circumstance, they symbolically made a transfer through touch. 

The Lord Jesus regularly allowed children to come to Him and, when they did, He gave them His complete attention. The value of a person is truly seen in how he treats the lowest among us. Forgiveness reflects the depth of our connection with God. The Lord Jesus had taken several children in His arms, and He blessed them by praying for them. In doing so, He was granting the children the touch of God. He also offered His disciples the possibility of a deeper knowledge of His way of thinking. He demonstrated greatness in His kingdom as He cared for those who are most dependent among us. Embracing childlike faith means we embrace selflessness which is birthed in our lives out of our continual dependence upon God. 

In v.14 of today's passage we read, "But Jesus said, 'Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.'"

The phrase, "for of such is the kingdom of heaven" is a huge part of what the Lord was giving to these disciples that day. If we are to be disciples of the Lord Jesus, the type who walk in concert with His culture, we will be known as those who depend upon the Lord as a child depends upon his parents. Only God can convert an adult into child-likeness. In order to do so, our inability must be revealed to us, resulting in the humble reception of His free gift of forgiveness. We find it very difficult to receive grace, and, we hold tightly to the idea that we must contribute to the gift of our salvation. Even after we have been believers for quite some time, we have found it difficult to wrap our souls around the concept of God's unmerited favor. This explains why we struggle with the whole idea of faith and discipleship.

As a result, we struggle with the idea that God requests to orchestrate the events of our lives. We struggle going belly up with Him because it is a vulnerable position. And, due to our warped perspective, God must at times show us our total bankruptcy in order for us to get His way of thinking and living. Becoming like a child requires admission that we need help and that we are not what we project to others. Being childlike is coming to the place that we are more and more aware of our utter need for God's help and we are found crying out for it. Interestingly, it is then that we become more Christlike. 

In v.15 of today's passage we read, "And He laid His hands on them and departed from there."

Here, the Lord Jesus brings our attention back to His touch. We all were made with a need to belong, and, appropriate physical contact is critical for our sense of well-being. Studies have shown the negative effects of a lack of safe touch, which range from developmental and emotional issues to an increased susceptibility to disease. The touch of the Lord Jesus was always of major importance for the one who had been touched by Him. His touch denoted His connection with the one whom He touched. Connection is the ultimate blessing here. Being connected to the Lord and His community fosters in us the type of stability that we all long for. It is life-giving and it enables us to live lives that are selfless because our lack is lessened within us. And when we lack less we are more unconscious of self.

Matthew 19:10-12

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10 His disciples said to Him, "If such is the case of the man with his wife, it is better not to marry." 11 But He said to them, "All cannot accept this saying, but only those to whom it has been given: 12 For there are eunuchs who were born thus from their mother’s womb, and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven’s sake. He who is able to accept it, let him accept it." ~ Matthew 19:10-12

Today, we continue our study of Matthew 19 where the religious leaders of Israel had just tried to make the Lord Jesus look bad in the eyes of the common folk when they asked Him a question about divorce. In context, the Lord Jesus drew attention to unfaithfulness, not divorce. Divorce was allowed but it was just a band aid to the real problem. At the very end of the Old Testament we learn that "God hates divorce." And, unfaithfulness between two people who made a promise to be faithful to one another undermines God's purpose for marriage. The physical union of a woman and a man is the visible picture of what a marriage ought to be. This is why God reserves physical union only in the context of the marriage commitment. 

In v.10 of today's passage we read, "His disciples said to Him, 'If such is the case of the man with his wife, it is better not to marry.'" 

In answering the Pharisees’ question about divorce, the Lord Jesus reiterated the serious commitment required of the marriage relationship. Having heard what the Lord Jesus had to say about commitment, the disciples concluded that it was better not to marry. The disciples realized the responsibility to remain committed and that it was a tremendously tall task. 

According to the religious leaders of Israel divorce was legally permitted for almost any reason, but the Lord Jesus explained the husband had a weighty obligation no matter how easy it might have been to legally divorce his wife. The Lord only allows one condition for divorce and that is sexual immorality. To the heart of the issue is the greatest conclusion about the will of the Lord and nothing is more important for us than His will.

In v.11-12 of today's passage we read, "11 But He said to them, 'All cannot accept this saying, but only those to whom it has been given: 12 For there are eunuchs who were born thus from their mother’s womb, and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven’s sake. He who is able to accept it, let him accept it.'"

The kind of human love and intimacy we all yearn for is best experienced in a lifelong, faithful, monogamous union with one person of the opposite gender. The idea of having an affair may seem exciting, but the excitement of unfaithfulness is short-lived, and the pain that follows lasts a long, long time. Interestingly, marriage provides a means toward discipleship. As we have noted, the Lord Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem, teaching His disciples about denying themselves, taking up their cross and following Him. Marriage requires enormous quantities of selflessness and self-denial. In fact, if we make it a habit to die to ourselves, we will be positioned to experience the best of marriages.

The Lord Jesus yet again used this opportunity to teach us another aspect of what it looks like to be His disciple. To be disciples of the Lord Jesus we must not serve self, but we must serve those with whom we have relationship, particularly our spouse. As fathers and mothers who are learning to be defined by God, we train our children best on what it looks like to have a meaningful and personal, and faithful relationship with Christ through the way we treat one another.

Marriage isn’t for everybody. And yes, from the biblical point of view there’s a lot to be said for the advantages of single life. Being married doesn't mean we are second-class or that being single is the ideal. There is a clear reason God said from the very beginning that it’s not good for man to be alone. But, God did purposely make us male and female. All of this is to say, marriage is vital to the design of creation. It’s central to the Lord’s original intentions for the human race. Along these lines, there’s an important difference between being single and being called to celibacy. We have to be careful not to confuse the two.

Being single is circumstantial. It happens to people for all kinds of reasons: not being able to find a mate, death of a spouse, difficult family situations, medical or financial difficulties. Celibacy, according to 1 Corinthians 7:7, is a rare gift that God grants only to a few people. Those who are single but not given to celibacy should not give up on marriage. One thing is abundantly clear though: It is better to be single and want to be married than to be married and want to be single.

The word eunuch means one who does not engage in sexual activity with the opposite gender. And some were born as eunuchs. Then there are some eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men through castration. And then there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs and this is not by some physical surgery. They have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven’s sake. This means there are some people who are single for God’s sake. The word "accept" in v.12 means to have room or space for something. It means to embrace something with heart and mind. The desire to remain single is a gift from the Lord but God doesn't just give this gift to just anyone.

Matthew 19:1-9

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1 Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these sayings, that He departed from Galilee and came to the region of Judea beyond the Jordan. 2 And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them there. 3 The Pharisees also came to Him, testing Him, and saying to Him, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason?" 4 And He answered and said to them, "Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning 'made them male and female,' 5 and said, 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh?' 6 So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate." 7 They said to Him, "Why then did Moses command to give a certificate of divorce, and to put her away?" 8 He said to them, "Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, permitted you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. 9 And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery." ~ Matthew 19:1-9

Today, we transition into Matthew 19 where the Lord Jesus along with His disciples were on the move from north to south. From Galilee, they went down to Judea, leaving the place which had been the headquarters for their ministry for three and a half years. The Lord Jesus had completed His Galilean ministry, and, He and His disciples were on His way to Jerusalem. The eventual goal of the Lord Jesus was to die on the cross of Calvary.

In v.1-2 of today's passage we read, "1 Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these sayings, that He departed from Galilee and came to the region of Judea beyond the Jordan. 2 And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them there."

According to the other gospel accounts, after having spoken at that Feast of Dedication in Jerusalem, the Lord Jesus then traveled with His disciples to the area on the eastern side of the Jordan River, the region called Perea. It was there that the Lord Jesus taught the large crowds and He healed the sick. His ministry of teaching and healing and delivering people from the clutches of the devil was consistent throughout the three and a half years that He ministered. As a result, many followed Him.

In v.3 of today's passage we read, "The Pharisees also came to Him, testing Him, and saying to Him, 'Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason?'" 

Once again, the religious leaders challenged the Lord Jesus with yet another trick question. The Greek word used here for "testing" reveals these supposed leaders were trying to trip up the Lord Jesus with deception. They desperately wanted to nullify Him and His teaching, even though He was teaching the truth and the needy benefitted. Had they been totally successful, salvation would have never come to you and me. But, the Lord Jesus persisted and even though the religious leaders convinced Pilate to later crucify Him, the Lord Jesus prevailed and became our Savior.

The largest group of miracles performed by the Lord Jesus mentioned in the Gospels involved healing people who were ill, infirmed or disabled. In fact, He performed so many miracles that, according to John 21:25, "If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written." 

These miracles prove the compassion of God toward people who hurt. Sadly, there has and will always be those people who no matter how much truth they are given, they will not believe in the Lord Jesus as their Savior. And the reason they will not believe is due to the stubbornness of their heart. Fallen man wants to run his own life, knowing that if he yields his life to Christ, he cannot keep on living the way he once did. Quite frankly, these religious leaders of Israel loved their sin much more than they loved the truth. 

In v.4-6 of today's passage we read, "4 And He answered and said to them, 'Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning made them male and female,' 5 and said, 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh?' 6 So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate."

In His response to the question of the religious leaders, the Lord Jesus took them back to the beginning of time because in doing so, He revealed God's view of marriage from the beginning. God defined marriage between a man and a woman. As pointed out by the Apostle Paul in Romans 1, any other combination of a couple is not natural. As Paul notes, it is not natural for a man to be with a man and a woman to be with a woman. For us to believe marriage should be two people of the same gender is to undermine God's definition of marriage and is dangerous. 

We will never understand God's view of divorce until we understand God's view of marriage. God intended marriage to be intimate and permanent, enjoyed in the context of commitment. God used the phrase "one flesh" which underscores the vulnerability involved in the relationship. God's definition of marriage is the commitment between a husband and a wife. Underscored here is discovered a very important principle which is: We must be defined by God. What we believe to be true is revealed through our thoughts and our words which are spelled out best by our choices. When God's word defines what we believe, it is then that we are being defined by Him. The real issue with all humans is to be found in our hearts. If we truly want to walk in the truth, we will be defined accordingly. If we have a softened heart toward the truth and we therefore desire to be defined by God, we will obey the Word of God. For those who really do not want to be defined by God, their hearts will be hardened to the truth.  

The word "joined" used in v.5-6 in the Hebrew means to be glued permanently together. When we try to separate what God has joined together, we make a bigger mess out of it. God's intention in marriage in the first place was to create a bond that would serve the fabric of the family which provides the infrastructure for a good society. Children are most healthy when they grow up in a home where their mother and their father are being defined by God.

In v.8-9 of today's passage we read, "8 He said to them, 'Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, permitted you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. 9 And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery.'"

Before the Fall of Man when there was no hardness in the human heart, sin had not entered into the world at that time. As a result, no man had the right to separate the union between a man and a woman. In answering the religious leaders' question the way He did, the Lord Jesus did not speak against the Law of Moses. As a result, the Pharisees couldn’t trap Him. It is also important to note that the Lord Jesus spoke in favor of marriage, not against divorce. His emphasis was not on what God permitted due to the hard heart of fallen man. His emphasis was not on what was lawful, His emphasis was on what is wise and of God.

We read in Deuteronomy 24:1 that Moses allowed divorce if there was some "uncleanness" found in a man's wife. The key to understand this is understanding what the word "uncleanness" means. God led Moses to use the word uncleanness which means sexual immorality. The religious leaders of Israel had come to falsely believe uncleanness meant anything dissatisfying in the wife. So, the religious leaders tried to trick the Lord Jesus with this question hoping that His answer would minimize Him in the eyes of the people. Interestingly, marriage provides a means toward discipleship. As we have noted, the Lord Jesus taught His disciples about denying themselves, taking up their cross and following Him. Marriage requires enormous quantities of selflessness and self-denial. In fact, if we make it a habit to die to ourselves, we will be best positioned to experience the best of marriages. The answer to all of life's ills are found in our obedience to God's definitions of all things as found in the Bible.

Matthew 18:28-35

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"28 But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, 'Pay me what you owe!' 29 So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, 'Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.' 30 And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt. 31 So when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they were very grieved, and came and told their master all that had been done. 32 Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, 'You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. 33 Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?' 34 And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him.
35 So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses." ~ Matthew 18:28-35

Today, we return to our study of Matthew 18 where the Lord Jesus is highlighting forgiveness as one of the most valued characteristics of greatness in the kingdom of God. In fact, the Lord Jesus had just told Peter a parable where a king forgave a servant who had a debt that he could never have been able to repay, even if he had been given an eternity to do so. This is the gospel, that we were ruined by sin and we had been assured of an eternity in Hell as a result. But, it was then that the Lord Jesus decided to leave heaven in order to be become a man so that He could rescue us from our ultimate misery. It is only those who from their heart ask God for forgiveness who realize true release from such bondage.

In v.28 of today's passage we read, "But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, 'Pay me what you owe!'"

After he had been forgiven his enormous debt, a debt totaling over a billion dollars, the forgiven servant left his master and confronted a fellow slave who owed him a few hundred dollars. The first servant grabbed the second servant with rage in his heart. Astonishing, since he had been forgiven so much, he lacked the will to forgive one who owed him so little. It was Martin Luther who once said, "We are all beggars before God." Forgiven people forgive people. Having been forgiven by God of the inexcusable equips us to forgive the inexcusable in others. We are all forgiven people and for us to refuse to extend forgiveness to others is the height of hypocrisy. It is hypocrisy that prevents us from greatness in the kingdom of God.

In v.29-30 of today's passage we read, "29 So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, 'Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.' 30 And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt."

The good part of this story is that the second servant was given the same great opportunity to realize forgiveness as the first servant. But, his ability to feel the enormity of forgiveness wasn't as great as the first servant. Even though the second servant's ability to forgive wasn't as great as the first, he still was exposed to forgiveness. We know forgiveness because God has demonstrated it for us. This is the case with all things good. We would not know the meaning of forgiveness if it weren't for God teaching it to us. Sadly, most of the time we do not learn of forgiveness until we are given a trial to stage the setting. Once the need for forgiveness arrives, it is then that we are positioned to learn its value. This is why the request for forgiveness is preceded in this story with one falling to his knees in worship before the one from who we seek forgiveness. It was Mark Twain who once said, "Forgiveness is the fragrance that the violet sheds on the heel that has crushed it."

In v.31-33 of today's passage we read, "31 So when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they were very grieved, and came and told their master all that had been done. 32 Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, 'You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. 33 Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?'"

Those who looked on and saw this story unfold were very grieved. As a result they went and told their master who then confronted the first servant. After his master had forgiven all of the debt the first servant owed, the first servant lacked the heart of his master. This is why he would not be the greatest in the kingdom of God. Those who experience the heart of forgiveness are marked by the very same forgiveness. Everyone could be forgiven due to the enormous efficacy of the cross of the Lord Jesus. But, only those with a sincere heart before God know the forgiveness of God. Once we experience God's forgiveness, we will be known as those who forgive.

In v.34-35 of today's passage we read, "34 And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him. 35 So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses."

Not all come to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ because they fail to be embraced by the forgiving heart of God. The Jews missed the heart of God even though God had given hint after hint throughout the Old Testament of the cross. Sadly, people refuse to believe that God loved us so much that He sent His Son to earth to become our substitute on the cross. In today's passage, the king’s servant was rebuked by the king because he lacked compassion in his heart for the servant who owed him. In reality, even though he had been extended forgiveness, the first servant never experienced it. As a result, the jailers of the servant became his "torturers." In stead of being defined by the compassion of God, he chose to be defined by the torture. Forgiveness never defined him. In order to be the greatest in God's kingdom we must first be forgiven by God, and those who have been forgiven forgive "from the heart."

Matthew 18:23-27

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23 Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. 25 But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made. 26 The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, "Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all." 27 Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt. ~ Matthew 18:23-27

Today, we return to our study of Matthew 18 where the Lord Jesus is describing greatness in His kingdom to Peter who had asked Him how often he must forgive a brother who has hurt him. The Lord Jesus told this story in order to accentuate the lesson He desired for Peter to know regarding forgiveness. It is the extremely dark background of sin that makes God's mercy and grace so astounding. The problem is that most do not see the severity of their sin and they seem to exist in order to protect their sin which is why they have become its prisoner.

In v.23 of today's passage we read, "Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants."

This story about the kingdom of heaven was told by the Lord Jesus in order to provide for the disciples more understanding about forgiveness. The subject is the kingdom of heaven or the rule of God. The only way that we realize the culture of God in our souls is if He is our king who is calling the shots regarding our daily lives. In order for the kingdom of God to be realized by you and me, we must have a servant king relationship with the Lord Jesus. The word "therefore" reveals this story was in response to the previous exchange Peter had with the Lord Jesus regarding forgiveness. 

God calls all of us to an accounting for our lives. According to Romans 1, before man rebelled against God in the Garden of Eden, God had deposited in us the knowledge of Himself. In Ecclesiastes 3:11 we read, "Also He has put eternity in their hearts." It is clear throughout the Bible that God has given to man the wherewithal, the intellectual capability to understand, and the reason, to see the truth about Him. And, the more man responds to the revelation God has given, the more revelation He will give. Since this is so, God holds all of mankind responsible regarding the response we give to Him. For those who reject His culture will be ruled by the culture of the evil one. They will spend their eternity in Hell with Lucifer because they have chosen his ways.

In v.24-25 of today's passage we read, "24 And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. 25 But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made."

When the accounts of the servants were considered, there was one who owed 10,000 talents which is the equivalent to more than a billion dollars today. It was an amount he could not possibly pay, but as was customary in the middle east, the servant, in polite reverence, prostrated himself before the master and begged him to have patience with him as he would try to repay his debt. Based on the amount owed, his promise would be impossible to keep, but his master, showing compassion, pitied him and released him with his family and forgave his debt. Amazingly, this is what God has done for us through the sacrifice of His Son. The difference is our debt was much more severe and far-reaching.

People go to Hell to pay for their sins, but an eternity in Hell will never provide the time needed. Realistically, the debt of sin that we owe is so vast that it is unpayable. When we sinned in the Garden of Eden, we tried to rip the glory of God from Him. The glory that we tried to steal from God could never be returned to God. There was no way that we could pay our debt off, even if we spent an eternity in Hell. People who reject the gracious gift of forgiveness from God go to Hell because sin must be atoned for if we are to be forgiven. God is just and sin must be atoned for in order for anyone to go free. Sin is an unpayable debt apart from the incredible accomplishments of Christ on Calvary's cross. 

Through this illustration, Peter was granted the understanding that as a fallen sinner, he could not pay for his sin before the Lord. Peter began to understand how much of an enemy his sin had made him before God. In John 16 we are informed that the Holy Spirit came to convict the world of sin, and righteousness, and judgment. It is the ministry of the Holy Spirit to call men, women, boys and girls to give an account for their sin. This is called conviction in the Bible. It makes sense that once we have come under the conviction of the Holy Spirit and we have realized we could not pay our enormous debt, that we turn to the only One who could fix it. Sadly, most do not do this. When we came to believe in the Lord Jesus as our God and Savior due to the Holy Spirit's convicting work, we experienced the relief of the enormous burden that our sin had created. It is that relief that fuels our reservoir of forgiveness toward others.

In v.26-27 of today's passage we read, "26 The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, 'Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.' 27 Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt."

As soon as he heard his master's words the servant fell down and worshiped his master. Brokenness is necessary for our worship of God. Through his devastation the servant bowed before his master. Out of the understanding that there was really no way he could have paid his debt, the servant turned in worship of his master. Had he not done this, he knew he would be bound in permanent bondage. Simply, he knew he could never pay off his debt. But, the shackles of Hell stand no match to the liberating freedom that comes from the One who laid down His life for us. 

So, here was Peter who didn't realize that he was just like that servant. So were you and I. Like Peter, we didn't understand that our sin under God’s perfect law placed us in the greatest debt. This is why conviction of sin is so necessary. This is why the Word of God must find us guilty. We would not be postured enough to be saved if it weren't so. We owed an amount to God that was so large we could never be able to pay it off. But, due to God's great love and compassion, He sent His Son to die on the cross as our perfect sacrifice to pay our debt. Overwhelmed by our sin debt, we turned to the Savior who Himself overwhelmed sin and death on our behalf. We pleaded for the mercy and grace of God to intervene and praise God that it did.

Matthew 18:21-22

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21 Then Peter came to Him and said, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?" 22 Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven." ~ Matthew 18:21-22

Today, we return to our study of Matthew 18 where the Lord Jesus is responding to His disciples about greatest in His kingdom. Greatness according to the world is in direct opposition to what God says about it and the default mode for most is in accordance with Lucifer's definitions of things, not God's. The late Jim Valvano once said, "What enables us to achieve our greatness contains the seeds of our destruction." There is a fine line between greatness God's way and that of this world that is ruled by Satan. The notable difference is motivation. The real question is why do we want to be great? Is it for our glory or for God's. Only that which is of and for God will endure.

In v.21 of today's passage we read, "Then Peter came to Him and said, 'Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?'"

Today's passage was in response to the question asked of the Lord Jesus by the disciples, "Who then is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" After the Lord Jesus highlighted several characteristics of greatness, Peter came to Him and asked how often he must forgive someone who has sinned against him. To the extent that we struggle with forgiveness, when it comes to relationships, it is absolutely necessary if we desire depth in the relationship. It has been said by many that "Bitterness is like drinking poison and then waiting on your enemy to die."  

Peter's question revealed that his understanding and appreciation of forgiveness was tainted. Peter wanted to know the bare minimum that God required of him. Peter didn't understand forgiveness at its core. Forgiveness in the Bible reflects the heart of God. It means to no longer hold sin against the person who has sinned against you. It’s not about forgetting what happened or pretending it didn’t hurt, it’s a choice to respond in mercy and grace rather than revenge. We must always be on guard against the flesh that recoils out of the desire to protect ourselves and to penalize those who have hurt us.

In v.22 of today's passage we read, "Jesus said to him, 'I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.'"

Biblical faith that is informed by God's forgiveness will always conform to the commands of Christ. The response the Lord Jesus provided Peter is not a counter offer of a literal amount of seventy-seven times. No, the Lord Jesus used a figure of speech here to declare that there should be no limit on how many times we are willing to pursue the spiritual well-being of our brother by pursuing them for the sake of forgiveness and reconciliation.

Forgiveness matters because it lies at the center of the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. In His final hour, the Lord Jesus looked upon those who condemned Him and said, "Father, forgive them." His death and suffering was the greatest expression of mercy and grace the world has ever witnessed. Through His sacrifice, God offers full forgiveness to those who trust in Him, washing away guilt and reconciling broken people to Himself. God's grace is more than something we believe, it’s a gift that changes everything. It lifts the weight of shame and guilt. It restores the relationship that sin robbed from us with our Creator. 

This kind of forgiveness isn’t meant to stop with us. God calls us to pass it on every chance we get. Due to the fact that the Lord Jesus gave up His life for us, we choose to lavish upon those who have hurt us the same mercy and grace that God showed to us at the cross. Forgiveness is not just something we receive from others, it’s something we’re called to share with others, especially those who should know better than to deliberately hurt us. Forgiveness is part of the resurrection story still being unfolded through the shaping our words and reactions toward those who have hurt us. This great expression of mercy and grace is God's greatest change agent. No-one should want to conceal that.

When we hold onto bitterness, resentment, or anger, we allow those emotions to take root and to shape how we think, speak, and live. In Ephesians 4:31–32, we are told to "put away all bitterness and wrath and anger, be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you." Forgiveness breaks the cycle of Satan's destruction. It gives space for peace to settle in where hostility once lived. Forgiveness allows us to move forward in freedom, rather than staying stuck and stunted in the hurt. Choosing to forgive draws us closer to the heart of God. Every time we release an offender, we choose to trust God’s justice more than our own.

Matthew 18:18-20

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18 Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. 19 Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them. ~ Matthew 18:18-20

Today, we return to our study of Matthew 18 where the main topic is greatness. This subject was under consideration, because as they were walking along with the Lord Jesus, the disciples began to discuss which one of them would be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Greatness in the eyes of God is different than greatness in the eyes of man. Greatness according to God's economy is measured by servanthood. 

In Mark 10:42-43 we read, "42 And Jesus called them to him and said to them, 'You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. 43 But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant.'"

In v.18 of today's passage we read, "Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."

Literally, this verse reads, "Whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven. Whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven."  This is linked to the previous verses of dealing with sin exacted upon one believer by another. When we are truly being defined by God, we are granted His power and His authority. This authority rings true even in the hearts of those who disagree with. The moral authority always comes from the truth. The goal of such authority and subsequent power has as its purpose the upholding of the truth. It is out of this context that the hurt brother offers the brother who exacted the offense reconciliation. All of this is built upon the earlier mention principle by the Lord Jesus that He doesn't want any of these little ones to perish.

In Matthew 16:19 we read, "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." 

In this verse, the Lord Jesus’ words meant the disciples would have His power and authority as symbolized by the possession of the keys, to deliver the truth of God to the world. The unfolding of this process is seen in the book of Acts. Through his sermon on the day of Pentecost, Peter opened the door of the kingdom to his hearers. The words "bind" and "loose" were common Jewish legal phraseology meaning to declare something forbidden or allowed. The words "bind" and "loose" provide a picture of harmony due to the fact that together these words mean "to sound together," or "to harmonize." When two related notes are struck on any instrument, the result is harmony. The harmony is already there, it is simply brought out as the right notes are struck. This is where the power and the authority to communicate most profoundly is discovered, when we harmonize with the will of God.

In v.19-20 of today's passage we read, "19 Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them."

There are those who come to today's passage and conclude that if we ask God for anything that He will respond to it affirmatively. This is not that the teaching to be discovered here. We must always remember the context and the context is how to deal with a brother who has offended us and is not repentant. In addition to that, the Lord Jesus was describing greatness. We will be great in His kingdom as we are increasingly described by His word and His will. And, when this is the case, we will be committed to reconciliation with a brother who has hurt us.

This passage is important because it describes how many must be involved in order for us to arrive upon the will of God. The Lord Jesus clearly said the number needed is at least two which was the number He required in Deuteronomy 19:15. We must always remember that when we study a Bible passage, our goal is not to determine our personal meaning, our goal is to discover what the Holy Spirit meant when He gave those words. The key is that we are in submission to God's Word. And, this is the goal behind any message rendered from God by the believer. When we are submitted to God's truth, the Lord Jesus promises to honor us with His authority and His power as we deliver that truth. Today's passage clearly means that when believers gather together to deal with unrepentant sinners, they have the complete backing of heaven and the goal is forgiveness and reconciliation.

Matthew 18:15-17

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15 Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. 16 But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. 17 And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.  ~ Matthew 18:15-17

Today, we continue our study of Matthew 18 where the Lord Jesus described for His disciples what greatness looks like. This chapter is all in response to their earlier question about greatness. The Lord Jesus in this chapter highlighted characteristics like humility, dependency upon the Lord, encouraging the weak, and a heart for the struggling. Today, the Lord Jesus highlights the skill and beauty of reconciliation. The rooted of reconciliation is forgiveness. These principles given to us by God are a part of the overall fabric of the judicial system that we Americans have enjoyed since our founding. Greatness is granted to those who are most defined by the truth.

In v.15 of today's passage we read, "Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother."

Again, the Lord Jesus is painting a portrait of what it looks like to be great in His kingdom. He underscores the fact that when a rift has been created between two brothers, the Lord Jesus tells the one offended to go to his brother and have a conversation with him. Notice that the Lord Jesus said, "sins against you," not merely "annoys you" or "does something which you don’t like" or "has a political view different than yours." At the heart of the culture of the Lord Jesus Christ is love and being loved. This gets us to the heart of reconciliation. At the heart of reconciliation is forgiveness. 

In addition, the Lord Jesus said no one other than you and your brother is to know about the offense. And, if our brother hears us or owns his error, then we have reconciled with our brother. The Lord Jesus did not say if we win the argument we have won the fight. No, He said we have won our brother. Since we as believers in Christ have received forgiveness from God, He expects us to extend this forgiveness to others who have offended us. Believers in the Lord Jesus have been empowered by the Holy Spirit to forgive even the most horrible of offenses. 

In v.16 of today's passage we read, "But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established."

We must not lose sight of the main idea here which is reconciliation, for if we do, we will find ourselves on the slippery slope of being defined by hatred. So, if our brother does not hear us, we are to take one or two other brothers in the Lord and establish a witness of three. In the Old Testament book of Deuteronomy, Moses outlined God’s plan for Israel’s spiritual and community life. That chapter focuses in on the judicial process that upholds the truth. It teaches us that we do well to put certain steps in place to deal fairly and respectfully with those accused of crimes. It underscores the goal in any society, the endurance of the truth because the truth sets us free. One such procedure was to require two or three witnesses for a criminal conviction. Moses wrote in Deuteronomy 19:15, "You must not convict any one of a crime on the testimony of only one witness. The facts of the case must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses." Being witnesses, we are able to establish the truth and the charge by verifying the facts of the plaintiff’s accusation. And, if we endure in the truth which endures, we will endure.

In v.17 of today's passage we read, "And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector."

There are two common misunderstandings related to this verse. When the Lord Jesus said, "tell it to the church," He did not give us permission to share our brother’s sin with every member of the family of God. The right understanding is that we seek reconciliation and that peace is restored in every possible way. Peace is the goal and peace is only realized through the Prince of Peace. It is only through God's peace that we dwell together as believers in the Lord Jesus as brothers. When the peace of the Lord Jesus grips us in the midst of the most distressing circumstances, we will experience Him directly as He undergirds, sustains and strengthens us. It is then that we discover the peace of God that keeps us, guards our hearts from breaking free into thinking that stomps all over the truth. It is through His peace and truth that our hearts and minds are thus fortified against anxiety and inaccurate and potentially destructive ways of living.

A second misunderstanding of this verse pertains to the words "let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector." The Lord Jesus isn't telling us to wrongly treat believers as heathens and tax-collectors. He was telling us that if our brother takes the posture of the heathen and the tax-collector, we are let him. Many wrongly believe that since many Jews despised the Gentiles and the tax-collectors, believers in the Lord Jesus should also despise the brother who sinned against us. This is not the admonition of the Lord here. Matthew, a tax-collector, was chosen by the Lord to be His disciple and the writer of this gospel account. Furthermore, the Lord Jesus died on the cross for both Jews and Gentiles including tax-collectors. Practically speaking, to treat the brother who sinned against us as a Gentile or a tax collector would be inconsistent with the gospel. The goal will always be reconciliation, if we are to be great in the kingdom of God. But, greatness is not the goal. No, the goal is the Lord Jesus. The goal is His kingdom, His rule over our yielded lives. And, as this happens, His peace and truth endures.