Scripture Reading:

Matthew 18

Please comment below with your conversation with God and/or insights from today’s Scriptures.

You can answer the following:

1. What are your overall thoughts about the chapter?

2. What is your impressions about what Jesus teaches about forgiveness?

3. What is your prayer to God brought on by this chapter?

Don’t forget to join us Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7pm on FB.com/waterschurchnyc. Join the conversation about the Scriptures and topic at hand.

Chapter Notables:

1. The spirit of a child is the spirit of the Kingdom - verses 1-5

2. How to deal with stumbling blocks - verses 6-9

3. Leaving the 99 to find the 1 - verses 10-14

4. Dealing with issues with each other - verses 15-19

5. The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant - verses 21-35

Like Children | Lemuel Ayudtud

Listening is a real art, right? It’s not only because one has to have the ability to hear, but to actually pause and consider what is being said. And at times we don’t want to hear. Why? Because maybe in those times we feel correct and there’s no need for us to hear anything that is different. The issue with it is that in those times we allow ourselves the right to be however we want to be because we have our sense of rightness and therefore no one else has a right to speak. The shutdown method can be our way of defending ourselves instead of being open to listen.

This chapter opens with Jesus teaching that the greatest in the Kingdom has the spirit of a child. Is it a child due to their immaturity or lack of knowledge? When we review the the rest of the chapter we can kind that it’s not about lack of maturity as a child or even lack of knowledge, but in the spirit of humility and acceptance of people and forgetfulness of wrongs. Children are good at that, right? They can yell at their friend and even look to hurt them when they feel maligned, but after a few minutes they are playing again as though nothing ever happened. We the adults are not like that, right?

As adults we hold on to hurts and offenses. We mur’nate (intended misspelling) over someone’s wrong against us as a product of our adulthood. Maybe because we have learned through experience that there have been people who do things against us with malice and carelessness, and so we have learned to defend ourselves against that experience. Or maybe it’s just that we have had times when we have not been respected or cared for and so we deal with people in that same way. It’s hard to tell sometimes exactly why we operate this way, but we know one thing’s for sure: we find it hard to treat people as children.

Jesus holds a strong stance against actions that are intentionally offensive. Jesus says that if anyone causes other people to trip—knowing exactly that a person would be offended by their action—God is highly displeased. Jesus uses incredibly strong words in regards to the spirit offense that’s intended just to “set people off”. He says it’s better for that person to be sentenced to death for being intentionally offensive. He taught His disciples to know that offenses are going to come, and that there’s judgment against those from whom it comes.

Here are a few things we can find in this chapter in regards to dealing with actions towards us whether directly wrong or can be perceived as wrong:

1. Receive offenses, miscommunication, hurts, etc and extend forgiveness in the spirit of a child who holds no grudges. You can get upset, but to hold on to it is inconsistent with the ethos of Scripture.

2. Let’s not be a provocateur—as believers we should distance ourselves from behaviors that incite offenses against each other. We should do our best not to make our brother or sister stumble or fall. Meaning, if we’re going to engage someone in disagreement, don’t egg people on to the point they will sin against God because of you. Maybe Jesus’ teaching about plucking our eyes out, cutting our hands off or maiming ourselves is not about sins against Him but it’s about us not using any member of our bodies to cause an offense.

3. If someone is offended, find that person and bring them back. What’s the use of hanging out with 99 people that think like you when there is someone who has been offended? Best to find the one that has been offended than to rejoice with the 99 that is not. Consider that!

   • How often do we think “as long as we’re good, what’s the loss of one person”? To God there is a loss even with just one person.

   • We’re not going to agree with everyone at all times and in that moment, it’s best we find a way to continue conversation with that one. Rather than sighing and thanking God that a person that has disagreed with you has left, best to pray to God to help you speak to that person so as to bring them back into community.

   • God is not willing that anyone should perish so we should take the Lord’s lead and be concerned about the one that has been offended—offended enough to get lost. (We should never advice anyone to “get lost” because, if that’s the case, Jesus is seeking the lost.)

4. Now, there will be times that people will not understand you on a one to one level, if such is the case, then we are called to bring others to the conversation.

   • If it’s a grievous sin or error, the issue is not to make the sin greater (since God is greater than any sin) but to win the person who has sinned back to God and to the fellowship.

   • If they’re not hearing you in a one to one conversation, then invite someone else into the conversation.

   • And if they allow you to have a conversation between two or three people, then God will be in it.

5. Forgiveness is not limited and sin is not limiting. God’s forgiveness is abundant and rampant. Remember that it’s a forgiveness that we all desire to receive. So when we are met with people who’s found themselves going sideways or have fallen—especially when it is against us personally—let’s understand the love and mercy of God first for us so that we can extend that grace for to them.

Seventy-times-seven is the answer of Jesus to Peter when he asked how many times should he forgive. In the vernacular of that day it means countless—or endless. In a sense Jesus is teaching to not be about counting how many times you forgive, why? because we shouldn’t count how many times we’ve been offended—like children.

Lord, teach me to love like You. I know it’s hard but it’s relentless. Your love has never failed me nor will it ever fail. And Your forgiveness, Lord, is encompassing, You never stop forgiving. So, Lord, I pray that You will help me to forgive as You do. Give me the grace to be as gracious as a child. Help me with my memories. Help me not to hold on to things that others have done to me knowing that You have not held onto things that I’ve done to You. In Your Name, Jesus, I pray. Amen.