As A Child FOR DISCUSSION

Transcription

1 As A Child I t had been a long day on Capitol Hill for Senator John Stennis. He was looking forward to a bit of relaxation when he got home. After parking the car, he began to walk toward his front door. Then it happened. Two people came out of the darkness, robbed him, and shot him twice. News of the shooting of Senator Stennis, the chairman of the powerful Armed Forces Committee, shocked Washington and the nation. For nearly seven hours, Senator Stennis was on the operating table at Walter Reed Hospital. Less than two hours later, another politician was driving home when he heard about the shooting. He turned his car around and drove directly to the hospital. In the hospital, he noticed that the staff was swamped and could not keep up with the incoming calls about the Senator's condition. He spotted an unattended switchboard, sat down, and voluntarily went to work. He continued taking calls until daylight. Sometime during that next day, he stood up, stretched, put on his overcoat, and just before leaving, he introduced himself quietly to the other operator, "I'm Mark Hatfield. Happy to help out." Then Senator Mark Hatfield unobtrusively walked out. The press could hardly handle that story. There seemed to be no way for a conservative Republican to give a liberal Democrat a tip of the hat, let alone spend hours doing a menial task and be "happy to help out." (Knofel Stanton, Heaven Bound Living, Standard, 1989, p. 35) FOR DISCUSSION Does humility mean you think less of yourself than the other person, or more of the other person than yourself, or is it something else all together? ENCOUNTER Read God s word so that He can speak to you. Matthew 18: At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" 2 He called a little child and had him stand among them. 3 And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 "And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me. 6 But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. 7 "Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to sin! Such things must come, but woe to the man through whom they come! 8 If your hand or your foot causes you to sin cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. 9 And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell. 10 "See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven. 12 "What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the

2 one that wandered off? 13 And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. 14 In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost. 15 "If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. 16 But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that 'every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.' 17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector. 18 "I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. 19 "Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them." EXAMINE what the passage says before you decide what it means. Underline little child, like little children, like this child, little child like this, one of these little ones, any of these little ones Circle every if Put brackets [ ] around it is better (in verses 8-9), and in the same way (verse 14); and the phrases that logically give the then to the other conditional ifs (e.g., If he sins, [ go and show ] verse 15). Draw a box around I tell you the truth EXPLORE God s Word by asking questions of what you saw. The notes which follow may help you to think through these questions. 1) Why is it so important to Jesus that we be humble? If the same thing happened to you if you actually saw and heard everything that happened then - what would be going through your mind? What would you want to say? 2) In what ways do we create stumbling blocks for others? What things might somebody miss out on if they stumble? 3) What does Matthew 18:7-10 say about the seriousness of not causing someone to stumble? Do these verses also give any preventive? 4) What is the relationship between the Father s care for a wandering sheep and Jesus instructions concerning church discipline?

3 5) Even the first step (one-on-one) is church discipline, since we are the church. If you can, share some examples of this process working to bring restoration; or perhaps examples where the person chose sin over repentance. What were the outcomes? How did this affect believers or affect the church? 6) How does Peter s question about forgiveness connect with the preceding sections? What is Jesus saying to us in His parable about forgiveness? 7) How are you doing with forgiveness? What has made it possible for you to do it? What is making it hard? NOTES ON THE PASSAGE (Partly adapted from Thomas Constable, Expository Notes) Paying the temple tax demonstrates the humility of the King and His disciples. (17:24-27) The origin of the temple tax: This was not a tax required by Rome, nor one commanded by Scripture. This was a Jewish tax levied on every male between years of age to support the temple and its services. Exodus 30 first mentions it in regard to covering the costs of building the Tabernacle, but by the time of Jesus it was merely a voluntary contribution to continue the temple services. Why did Jesus say He did not have to pay? To not pay would not violate the Law or traditions, but it would be a basis for offense against Him. In other words people could interpret it that Jesus is against the Temple and Judaism. Refusal to pay would not be a sin, but could cause a stumbling block to faith. vv Jesus is Son of God, so He is not required to support the house of God (according to their traditions). Disciples, with their new relationship to God as Father, are also not obligated to support the Old Covenant Temple which is coming to an end. Interestingly, the Temple actually belongs to Jesus (Mal 3:1). Why, then, did He and the disciples pay? v.27- They pay, not to compromise with traditions, but to keep from offending. Jesus permitted no obstacle that would keep them from coming to Him; the only obstacle would be their own refusal to accept. He fulfills all righteousness (3:15; 8:4; 22:21). What an impression this miracle must have made on Peter as a fisherman and on his fellow fishermen disciples! Imagine, not only catching a fish but a fish with money in its mouth. This was one of many miracles that Jesus performed for Peter. He healed Peter's mother-in-law (1:29-34), helped him catch fish (Luke 5:1-9), enabled him to walk on water (14:22-33), healed Malchus' ear (26:47-56), and delivered him from prison (Acts 12). No wonder Peter could write, "Casting all your

4 anxiety upon Him, because He cares for you" (1 Pet. 5:7). Jesus alone could obtain the stater (shekel) as He did. Even though He was free from the Law's demands, being God's Son, He submitted to them and miraculously provided for His disciples to do so. This demonstration of humility and power is even more impressive following as it does an announcement of Jesus' passion. The King instructs His disciples concerning the character of those in the Kingdom. (18:1--19:2) I) Humility is the necessary mark of the child of the kingdom. (18:1-4) The background to this teaching is found in Mark 9:33-34 and Luke 9: The disciples were arguing concerning rank in the Kingdom. Jesus had implied a difference of rank in the kingdom ( least/greatest 5:19); Peter, James, and John were gaining prominence above the other disciples (17:1-9) (especially Peter [16:18]). So they were arguing. Jesus hadn't heard them but knew their thoughts and challenged them. They became silent, but then suddenly one blurts out the question (18:1). Jesus was not commending childish thinking, but used a child to illustrate the total trust and dependence of a child s humility. Based on this simile ( as/like ) Jesus gives three lessons on humility learned from a child: ("child" = all true believers [see vv. 3, 4], especially the insignificant ones) of Jesus' disciples, not because that one is personally superior, influential, or prominent. The person who welcomes one of Jesus' humble disciples simply for Jesus' sake virtually welcomes Jesus Himself (cf. 10:42). II) Love, not offense, is the necessary mark of the disciple of the kingdom. (18:5-14) v. 7 - stumbling blocks from the world are inevitable, but should never come from other believers. What is the point of verses 8-9? These statements come in the context of an indictment against the world for offenses caused to believers (v.7). Lack of humility can even cause a believer to offend himself (vv.8-9). Jesus is dealing with seriousness of the offense (cf. 5:29-30). The problem is not in the physical member (hand/eye, but in the heart (15:18-20). The same example of a serious response is found in Jesus teaching about lust (Matt 5:27-30). The radical surgery needed is humility, not self mutilation. Also, Jesus is not speaking of losing salvation, but the endpoint of sin which is the destination of the world. As a believer, why follow that path? vv Seeking the lost is the loving heart of the Father. See the three parables teaching the true heart of God for the lost in Luke 15:1-32. Shouldn't this also be the heart of those who belong to the Father and to His Kingdom? a. entry into the kingdom requires humility (v. 3) - emphatic! (cf. 5:3; 7:14) b. greatness in the kingdom requires humility (v. 4) - cf. 20:26-28 c. the entire lifestyle of a Kingdom person should be marked by humility (v. 5) - because of the danger of offending other believers. Welcome others not because of what they can do for you, but because they belong to Jesus. Jesus was speaking of receiving a humble disciple of His in verse 5. (Jesus taught the importance of receiving a little child in Mark 9:36-37 and Luke 9:48.) Whoever does this "in Jesus' name" welcomes the disciple because he or she is one III) Discipline for the purpose of restoration is the necessary mark of the church. (18:15-20) This teaching follows right after Jesus explanation of the Father s heart for wandering sheep He does whatever is necessary to seek and restore. That sets the tone for how we are to understand church discipline. We do it with the same heart as our Father for the same purpose: to seek and restore; not to punish. Instructions on church discipline are found in the context of love, forgiveness and restoration. The purpose of church discipline is not punishment, but restoration through repentance. And it is no more optional for us than seeking the wandering sheep is optional for the Father.

5 The three steps of discipline in the church: (1) The disciple must take the initiative and confront (cf. Gal. 6:1). The verb "reprove" or "show him his fault" (Gr. elencho) means "to convict" in the sense of producing an awareness of guilt, not in the sense of lording it over someone (cf. 1 Cor. 9:19-22; 1 Pet. 3:1). (2) The Mosaic Law had also advocated the second step that Jesus taught (Deut. 19:15). Probably the function of the witnesses is to witness to the erring disciple's reaction to the confrontation. Their presence would be an added inducement to repent and return. These seem to be witnesses to the confrontation, not to the sin. If the brother or sister proved unrepentant and the initiator needed to take the third step (v. 17), witnesses to the confrontation might be necessary. 3) The third step, if necessary, is to report the situation to the "church." In most situations the scope of public announcement would be a local church congregation, the particular collection of disciples of which the wayward brother or sister is a part. If the erring disciple does not respond to the church's encouragement to return to the Shepherd, Jesus said the disciples should treat such a person as a Gentile and a tax gatherer. This does not mean the disciples should receive him or her warmly as Jesus received such people (8:1-11; 9:9-13; 15:21-28). The context, as well as the New Testament parallels to this exhortation, shows that Jesus had exclusion in mind (cf. Rom. 16:17; 2 Thess. 3:14). Jesus probably used Gentiles and tax gatherers as examples because the Jews typically withdrew from them. That is what He wanted His disciples to do regarding the erring brother or sister. Is 18:19-20 teaching us about prayer? No. The context is discipline in the believing community (church), not prayer in general. This verse promises divine direction in the exercise of authority given for making decisions relating to church discipline. The binding/loosing concerns the pronouncement of discipline or restoration because of repentance; a pronouncement which has heaven s authority behind it. Heaven s authority is given for the church to declare whether sin is forgiven or the basis for judgment, both for those outside the Kingdom (Matt 16:19) and for believers in the church. Gathered together in my name refers to the delegated divine authority of the church in carrying out discipline (cf. 1 Cor 5:4), not to prayer. "Two or three of you agreeing" is in reference to the witnesses of v. 16. For prayer in general, God s response is not dependent on the added power of a group request, but on an individual promise based on a personal relationship to the Father (6:6; 7:7-11). IV) Unconditional forgiveness is the necessary mark of the forgiven servant of the kingdom. (18:21-35) According to the Rabbis, righteousness demanded you forgive a brother two times for the same offense; but to show yourself very righteous, you should forgive three times. Peter, knowing what the King was like, doubled it and added one. But it still was not enough! Point of this parable - In order for one to be able to enter the kingdom he must be forgiven an infinite amount by God; the debt cannot be repaid. Therefore all who are anticipating entrance are under obligation to show every possible consideration to others in the matter of forgiveness. If you have experienced God s heart of mercy, you must show that same heart to others. This is another expression of humility. In both the church age and the kingdom, humility is an absolute necessity. GOING FURTHER One thing we can do to train ourselves to remember, is to memorize a part of what our Father has said to us. The Holy Spirit can use this to change our thinking so that our heads are more like Jesus. This week, memorize Matthew 18:14.