Readings 2 Samuel 19; John 14

Hello Brothers and Sisters,

Matthew 18:1

At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"

There were a lot of things that had just happened where the disciples started feeling that they had rank in the Kingdom.  One of the things was the privilege of being at the transfiguration; another was because of the illustration that Jesus used in 17:24-27 regarding the temple tax.  It was implied to them that they were exempt from the temple tax since they were following the King.  It was only natural for them to carry the thought one step further and start wondering about rank.  Peter was obviously the leader, this is clear in both the stories and as an example where Peter took the Apostles fishing after Jesus' death, and then again the way that Peter assumed leadership of the Church in the beginning of Acts.  Peter felt that he was so much in leadership that he even rebuked Jesus, clearly stepping out of line, Matthew 16:22.  The natural leadership of Peter was not accepted at first by the other apostles, Matthew 18:1; 20:20-28; Luke 22:24. 

Matthew 18:2-6

And He called a child to Himself and set him before them, 3and said, "Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven. 4"Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5"And whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me; 6but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it is better for him that a heavy millstone be hung around his neck, and that he be drowned in the depth of the sea.

Jesus took  little child and brought him before the disciples as an example of how faith is required to be exercised in the Kingdom of Heaven.  That's right, required, in verse three, the "you will not enter" is in a double negative in the greek, meaning "you absolutely will not enter".  This tells us that this is very important to Jesus.  He is telling them that if they do not humble themselves, they will be unable to enter into the Kingdom, the jockying for rank was merely establishing a measure of pride.  This was the very thing that Jesus was fighting against with the Pharisees. 

Take the illustration of little children, they are absolutely trusting, and completely believing.  If you tell a child that Santa Claus is real, they believe it, tell them that Easter bunny is real, they believe that too, and now we tell them about Jesus, if the first two prove to be a lie, what are they to think?  Let's not go there.  The point is that little children believe what they are told and they act upon what they are told.  That child-like belief and faith is what is required to enter the Kingdom of heaven.  It reminds me of a quip I heard several years ago, "God Said it, I believe it, and that settles it."  Nothing else is required, repentance from our pride will cause us to admit that we must become like children in our faith. 

Quite literally Jesus said that the little child's faith is sacred, and woe to the man who destroys it.  Santa was just an example; the other ways that we destroy our children’s faith is by divorce, abuse, and double standards in our own lives.  I don't think many consider the impact that their lives are having on their kids, and the way that Jesus views this.

Matthew 18:7-9

"Woe to the world because of its stumbling blocks! For it is inevitable that stumbling blocks come; but woe to that man through whom the stumbling block comes! 8"And if your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; it is better for you to enter life crippled or lame, than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the eternal fire. 9"And if your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out, and throw it from you. It is better for you to enter life with one eye, than having two eyes, to be cast into the fiery hell.

Jesus continues His thoughts about Heaven. He expected everyone to make every effort to follow Him completely.  We often ignore commitment to purity in our Christian walk, claiming that we are no longer under the law, but under grace.  Jesus does not hold to that position, rather, He states that we should make every effort imaginable to eliminate the stumbling blocks in our lives.  One thing that we have that the Jews did not have is the Holy Spirit abiding in our lives.

Father, as we consider Your word this morning, I ask that you will impress on each of our hearts the importance of purity, and the faith of a child.

In Him,

Joe Turner.

 Note:  All Scripture's are from the New American Standard Bible.

Readings: 2 Samuel 20, John 15

Good Morning Brothers and Sisters,

I purposefully set the studies leading up to Christmas short so that all of us can enjoy the season. I hope that as all of you go through this season that you will be able to keep your minds set on Jesus, and on His love rather than the commercialism of the season.  It also worked out well because of the surgery that my wife went through today. The surgery went well.  I worked on this study in the waiting room, which proved to be difficult with the distractions.    I sent out a prayer request list recently, and would encourage you to pray for David Baccari, he has been on my mind a lot.  On with the study.

Matthew 18:10

"See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you, that their angels in heaven continually behold the face of My Father who is in heaven.

The Greek word for despise could also be translated "to think little of".  Referring back to verses 1-6, where it speaks of receiving a little child, the thought is to treat a child lightly, as in insignificant.  Look at some of the ways that this word is used further in the New Testament, Ro 2:4; 1 Cor 11:22; 1 Tim 4:12; 1 Tim 6:2; Mt 6:24; 2 Pet 2:10.  Even though Jesus was teaching about the new faith of the disciples, He still wanted them to understand that little children are very important to Him.  God has special consideration for children, so special that He has assigned angels to watch over and to intercede for each child.  God cares for us much more than we give Him credit for.  In the ancient Hebrew, the study of angels was much more focused upon.  A few of examples of this is found in Psalm 91:11; Acts 12:15; Hebrews 1:13-14.

Another thought on this passage, taking God at His word might seem to be a little foolish to some.  Paul addressed the faith which seemed foolish in 1 Corinthians 1:26-29.  This display's child-like faith and trust in God regardless what society thinks.

Please note: “[i]During one of Dwight L. Moody’s British campaigns he was repeatedly mocked in the press for his lack of proper English and his homey style. When asked to speak at Cambridge University, the epitome of British intellectualism and sophistication, Moody apparently decided to capitalize on that image in order to gain the attention of the audience. His comment no doubt also had the effect of pointing up the superficiality and irrelevance of the criticism of his grammar. He opened his message with the words, “Don’t let nobody never tell you God don’t love you, cause He do.”^[ii]

Matthew 18:11

["For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.]

This verse is a direct quote from Luke 19:10, it  is not included in the earliest manuscripts of Matthew.  Hard to say if it was later added by a scribe as he copied the scriptures, or whether God had intended for the verse to be inserted in this chapter.  Either way, it is still the inspired word of God. 

Matthew 18:12-14

"What do you think? If any man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go and search for the one that is straying? 13"And if it turns out that he finds it, truly I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine which have not gone astray. 14"Thus it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones perish.

The analogy of the sheep is given.  Considering the preceding verses and the way that God considers us to be so valuable that He has assigned angels to watch over us, this goes one step further in painting the picture of how much that He cares for us.  The parable of the prodigal son comes to mind as I read this.  It is not a matter of God preserving and only looking after those who are actively following Him, but rather He is actively looking to bring back those who have gone astray. 

Father, as we consider the way that You care for each one of us, I ask that during this season that You will return the lost sheep to Your fold.  Open the eyes of those who are sleeping spiritually and return them to the fold, into an intensely personal relationship with You.

In Him,

Joe Turner.

Readings: 2 Samuel 21; John 16

Hello Brothers and Sisters,

Matthew 18:15-17

"And if your brother sins, go and reprove him in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. 16"But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every FACT MAY BE CONFIRMED. 17"And if he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax-gatherer.

In the English we have the illusion that Jesus switches gears in the middle of the story here.  If you think about it, there wasn't a switch at all, rather, the thoughts are continuing.  How often have you seen an argument where the adults in the argument are acting like children?  Or another way to look at this is that when we sin, we are acting like little children by wanting our own way.  A child will go for what he values as important, as adults, when we choose sin we are telling God that this is what is more important to us than He is.  I am speaking of willful sin here, accidental sin is something else entirely.  Most sin is on the willful side of the scale, even if it seems to be accidental.  This passage focuses on sin that is willful, yet accidental.  It is accidental in that the brother is not aware that he is sinning.  In today's terminology, this sin is more often referred to as a blind spot rather than an intentional sin.  It is willful because the person makes a decision to continue in the sin, it is accidental because he doesn't realize that it is sin. 

The job of the church, or the fellowship of believers that surround him is to point out his sin and demand correction.  Notice the progression of rebuke, first it is done privately, second two or three witnesses are taken along, Deuteronomy 19:15, and third, the entire church body becomes involved.  This involves judging our brothers and sisters using the Word of God as our standard of rule.  It also involves the church becoming vulnerable by taking a stand on issues. 

Matthew 18:18-20

"Truly I say to you, whatever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. 19"Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven. 20"For where two or three have gathered together in My name, there I am in their midst."

I realize that the binding has been taught in other parts of the scriptures to show that we have power over the world through Christ.  Some claim that only Peter had this unique privilege, others say that it was only the apostles.  Jesus made it pretty clear that where two or three are gathered, or are in agreement on an issue, it will be bound or loosed on earth or in heaven.  In the context of the passage it is speaking of a fellow believer acting childishly and living in sin.  It is speaking of a fellow believer who refuses to repent of a sin that they are involved in.  It is important that we don't abuse this privilege.  This is addressing the case of an unwillingness to repent, a brother who flat refuses to bring his life into compliance with the Scriptures.

Matthew 18:21-22

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

Jesus now considers the brother who does repent of his sin, and ask for forgiveness.  Notice that Jesus does not say that we are only to forgive them the first time they repent of their sin; but in every case that they repent of their sin.  In this way we mirror Christ in our lives. How many times does Christ forgive us when we fail?  The answer is always; His blood covers all of our sin.  By refusing to forgive a brother, we are placing huge spiritual stumbling blocks directly in his path.  And we are taking ourselves out of the perfect will of God for our lives; forgiveness is essential for the Christian walk.

Matthew 18:23-35

"For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a certain king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. 24"And when he had begun to settle them, there was brought to him one who owed him ten thousand talents. 25"But since he did not have the means to repay, his lord commanded him to be sold, along with his wife and children and all that he had, and repayment to be made. 26"The slave therefore falling down, prostrated himself before him, saying, 'Have patience with me, and I will repay you everything.' 27"And the lord of that slave felt compassion and released him and forgave him the debt. 28"But that slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and he seized him and began to choke him, saying, 'Pay back what you owe.' 29"So his fellow slave fell down and began to entreat him, saying, 'Have patience with me and I will repay you.' 30"He was unwilling however, but went and threw him in prison until he should pay back what was owed. 31"So when his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were deeply grieved and came and reported to their lord all that had happened. 32"Then summoning him, his lord said to him, 'You wicked slave, I forgave you all that debt because you entreated me. 33'Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, even as I had mercy on you?' 34"And his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him. 35"So shall My heavenly Father also do to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart."

God feels pretty strongly about forgiveness.  According to the Bible Knowledge Commentary, the value of 10,000 talents came out to around 58 to 60 pounds of gold, which would equal several million dollars.  It makes you wonder how a slave could accrue so much debt.  The fellow servant's debt would come out to about 16 dollars.  The illustration is clear in it’s meaning, when we as God's children are forgiven for the massive amount of sin that we have accrued in our lives.  We need to follow suit and forgive those who wrong us.  He forgave us of an unbelievable amount of sin, the debt was so great that we can't even fathom the amount of sin we have committed.  Very few realize the impossibility of living life completely sinless.  The illustration is made by Paul that sin is missing the mark, Romans 3:23, the idea is that an archer misses the bull’s-eye.  Imagine, every little thing that we do that is not perfect is technically sin.  God forgave us for all of them through the blood of Jesus.  With that in mind, the insignificant wrongs that our brothers or fellow human beings commit against us should be forgiven instantly.  In the view of the immense debt that we have been forgiven, we should forgive others in the same way.  In closing I would like to quote from Paul on his take on the tremendous forgiveness that we received through Jesus:

Romans 3:9-31

What then? Are we better than they? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin; 10as it is written,

"There is none righteous, not even one;

11There is none who understands,

There is none who seeks for God;

12All have turned aside, together they have become useless;

There is none who does good,

There is not even one."

13"Their throat is an open grave,

With their tongues they keep deceiving,"

"The poison of asps is under their lips";

14"Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness";

15"Their feet are swift to shed blood,

16Destruction and misery are in their paths,

17And the path of peace have they not known."

18"There is no fear of God before their eyes."

19Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, that every mouth may be closed, and all the world may become accountable to God; 20because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.

21But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; 23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; 25whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; 26for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. 27Where then is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith. 28For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law. 29Or is God the God of Jews only? Is He not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, 30since indeed God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith is one.

31Do we then nullify the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law.

In short, God forgave us of tremendous debt, when others offend us; we are to forgive them every single time.  Remember, Jesus was speaking to children in this chapter; we all act like little children in many ways.  It is time to grow up, put away the childish things and forgive our brothers.  This chapter is so powerful that if we were to get a good handle on the concepts Jesus teaches, we would blow the lid off of our churches.  The Christian witness would draw people in once again because people would not see Christians living and wallowing in self righteousness, they would see them basking in true righteousness.

1 Cor. 13:11-13

When I was a child, I used to speak as a child, think as a child, reason as a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things. 12For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I shall know fully just as I also have been fully known. 13But now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

One parting thought, what good is it to read scripture like this, contemplate the platitudes of the thought and never put it into action?  On the railroad we are good at hating other people, we hold grudges and work hard at making sure that those who have wronged us will never do it again.  The employees are much like elephants, we never forget wrongs suffered, and eventually will pay back with vengeance.  When we are dealing with our employer, experience has taught us it is necessary for us not to forget contract violations, or they will run roughshod over us.  When dealing with fellow employees, isn't it time to shake off the bondages of hate, discontent and slighting others?  I can't count the number of times that I have heard fellow employees talked about because of their personality quirks.  I also can't help but wonder at how that the hostility which permeates the air at work is working on each and every employee.  We as Christians are to hold to a higher standard, and to set the example by forgiving our fellow employees.  Jesus taught that we are not to be a stumbling block to those who are of little faith.  I promise you that each one of you who are professing Christians is being carefully watched by the other employees.  They are watching your actions in the crew rooms as well as on the trains.  We are living epistles, and either we will demonstrate the gospel through our lives, or we will prove to be stumbling blocks to those who have not met Jesus yet.  Forgiveness is a very small part of what Christianity is all about, yet it is the most vital part.  It is time that we demonstrate this through each one of our lives.  I would encourage you as Christmas is coming up, spend the time talking to someone who you have been wronged by, make every effort to repair the relationship.  When you buy your Christmas gifts, ask yourself whom it is that you really don't want to buy anything for, and ask yourself why.  Let's make this season a healing season, time to restore relationships at home and at work.  Thanks for listening to me jabber.

2 Cor. 3:2-3

You are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read by all men; 3being manifested that you are a letter of Christ, cared for by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone, but on tablets of human hearts.

Father, as we consider Your word this morning, speak to each one of our hearts regarding forgiveness.  I ask that as we go into this Christmas season that You will show each one of us how to forgive our brothers and restore broken relationships.

In Him,

Joe Turner.

Note:  All Scripture is from the New American Standard Bible.