Sermon Tone Analysis

May 9, 2007 at FBC, Comanche; */Expositional studies:/* Matthew

Text: *Matthew 18:1-20*

*      **7 *“/Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God./” [KJV]

*/“The Beauty of Peacemaking”/*

*Introduction*:

 

*Matthew 18*

*The Disciples Argue about Who Would Be the Greatest—**Matthew 18:1-6** ~/ **115*

The end of chapter 17 is the record of Jesus giving his disciples a glimpse of his new kingdom and himself as its king.

The special privileges and responsibilities of members of this kingdom led the disciples to question their status as special friends of the king.

All believers are presently part of the kingdom, yet the consummation of that kingdom is still in the future.

In the meantime, we must learn to live together in a way that pleases God.

In this chapter, Matthew included a fourth discourse that deals with life in the community of believers.

Matthew 18:1

*At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” (nrsv)* The opening phrase “at that time” ties this event to the previous teaching (17:24-27).

The disciples wondered about this coming kingdom of which Jesus would be the king.

In addition, Jesus’ talk of his coming death probably made them wonder how they were to run the kingdom in his absence.

In Jewish culture, a person’s rank was of considerable importance (see Luke 14:7-11 for an example); thus, the disciples were naturally curious about their position in the coming kingdom.

Jesus’ teaching in 5:19 had indicated that there would be distinctions (“least” and “great”) in the kingdom of heaven.

Mark explains that this question had caused an argument among the disciples (Mark 9:33-34).

This question also may have been fueled by the special privileges given to Peter, James, and John at various times, most recently their trip with Jesus to the mountain and then their silence about what had happened there (17:1-9).

Matthew characteristically abbreviates the story in order to focus on the teaching.

The situation became an occasion for Jesus to teach about true greatness and the role of competition in the coming kingdom.

*The Greatest*

At first glance, the answer to the disciples’ question “Who is the greatest?” is easy: God.

But that answer misses their point, which was: Among those who can compete for greatness (God and angels being above competition), who takes the top spot in heaven’s all-star rankings?

Now the question becomes much more complicated, since it involves motives contrary to heaven’s interests.

Many questions are like that.

Phrased simply, they hide attitudes that require an answer quite different from the one anticipated by the question itself.

As you listen to the questions of younger Christians, be sure to address matters of faith, of direction and motive, of pride and rebellion—matters implicit in many questions but too often bypassed for the easy answer.

Be a real listener.

Hear the heart.

Matthew 18:2-4

*He called a child, whom he put among them, and said, “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”

(nrsv)* To answer the disciples’ question, Jesus /called a child./

The Aramaic language has the same word for “child” and “servant.”

Thus, when Jesus took a little child into his arms, he made the explanation of greatness even more distinct—to be great, one must serve.

The disciples needed to /change and become like children./

What did Jesus want them to change?

In this instance, it was their attitude toward greatness.

The disciples had become so preoccupied with the organization of Jesus’ earthly kingdom that they had lost sight of its divine purpose.

Instead of seeking a place of service, they were seeking positions of advantage.

Jesus used a child to help his self-centered disciples get the point.

They were to have servant attitudes, not being “childish” (arguing over petty issues) but “childlike,” with /humble/ and sincere hearts.

As children depend on their parents, so people who come to God must be willing to wholly depend on him.

The kind of people whom Jesus described as “blessed” in the first four beatitudes (5:3-6) picture the complete dependence upon God that is needed in order to come to faith.

That Jesus called a child as his example of greatness in his kingdom reveals the nature of this kingdom.

God’s people are called to humility and unconcern for social status.

Those who persist in pride and “ladder climbing” for the sake of status in this world /will never enter the kingdom of heaven./

By contrast, those who, in humility, realize their need of a Savior, accept him, and move into the world to serve, not only enter the kingdom but will be /greatest in the kingdom of heaven./

Jesus would later explain: “Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (20:26-28 niv).

True humility means to deny oneself, to accept a position of servanthood, and to completely follow the Master.

*Like a Child*

What did Jesus mean?

How do we become like children?

Jesus never asks his disciples to be naive simpletons but to trust him with the settled confidence most typical of a child.

Here are some ways:

t    With your money, avoid schemes which play to your greed (get-rich-quick stock funds) and cooperate with programs that really help the poor, foreigners, and the sick (food pantries, ESL centers, cancer research).

t    With your mouth, avoid gossip, backbiting, and lying for advantage.

Be someone who tells the truth without exaggeration, who doesn’t bad-mouth friends.

t    With your mind, avoid teachers whose foundational commitments exclude the possibility of God, sin, or human freedom.

Learn all you can about science, the arts, history, literature, and foreign cultures from teachers who respect biblical ideas or, better yet, who embrace the Bible as true.

Matthew 18:5

*“And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me.” (niv)* In addition, Jesus taught the disciples to welcome children.

This was a new approach in a society where children were usually treated as second-class citizens.

Jesus equated the attitude of welcoming children with a willingness to receive him.

The principle, as often seen in Matthew, is that God and Christ will consider the way one treats others to be equal to (1) the way one will /be/ treated, or (2) the way one treats Jesus (for example, see 6:14-15; 25:31-46).

But the meaning here goes deeper, beyond simply welcoming children, as important as that is.

An attitude that /welcomes a little child like this in my name,/ readily welcomes and embraces believers of little worldly importance and low status.

This shows an attitude that also welcomes the Savior, for he too was of little worldly importance and of low status.

In God’s kingdom, greatness lies in acceptance of and dependence upon the Savior.

Together in the church, believers are to welcome and love one another, encourage one another, allow everyone a place to shine according to their gifts, and appreciate one another.

Matthew 18:6

*“If any of you put a stumbling block before one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for you if a great millstone were fastened around your neck and you were drowned in the depth of the sea.” (nrsv)* As in 18:5, /these little ones/ refers not just to children but to Jesus’ “little ones”—the disciples.

Children are trusting by nature.

They trust adults; and because of that trust, their capacity to trust in God grows.

God holds parents and other adults who influence young children accountable for how they affect these little ones’ ability to trust God.

To cause a child or any fellow disciple to sin or fall away from the faith means to purposely put a “stumbling block” in the way to make him or her trip and fall.

Jesus warned that anyone who turns believers away from him will receive severe punishment.

Jesus’ words warn believers that they must not only teach the truth, but live it.

If anyone causes young people or new Christians to doubt or fall back into sin, this is a grievous sin with terrible consequences.

If they stumble because of wrong teaching, that is a stumbling block as well.

Those guilty of such actions or attitudes are putting /a stumbling block before/ other believers.

Jesus graphically described the harsh consequences of such sin.

A /millstone/ was a heavy, flat stone used to grind grain.

There were two common kinds of millstones in use at this time.

One was relatively small and was operated by a person.

One was large and was connected to an ox or donkey that would walk in a circle, causing the stone to roll and crush the grain.

The Gospel writers used the word for the huge animal-operated millstone.

To have a millstone tied around one’s neck and then be dumped into the sea meant certain death by drowning.

Even the horror of such a death was minor compared to what this person would face in eternity.

With his staff officers around him, Napoleon Bonaparte once spread a large map on the table, put his finger on a country colored red, and said, “Messieurs, if it were not for that red spot I could conquer the world.”

That red spot was the British Isles.

The devil gathers his lieutenants about him, points his index finger at Calvary, where the blood of the Son of God is shed, and ruefully moans, “But for that red spot, I could conquer the world!”

Why should we surrender to Satan whom Jesus defeated on the cross?

—John Wesley White

*Jesus Warns against Temptation—**Matthew 18:7-9** ~/ **117*

Matthew 18:7

*“Woe to the world because of stumbling blocks!

Occasions for stumbling are bound to come, but woe to the one by whom the stumbling block comes!” (nrsv)* Verses 6-9 are linked together by the words /skandalizo/ (meaning “cause to sin”) and /skandalon/ (meaning “temptation to sin”).