Matthew 18:1-2

Guidance For The New Congregation (18:1-19:2).

This chapter has been compared with the Manual of Discipline found at Qumran which was intended to regulate a specific community, and has been seen as similarly giving instructions concerning the regulating of the new community of disciples. As a general comparison that may be seen as acceptable, but it is not strictly accurate. For it must be noted that this is not really a Manual of Discipline at all, nor is it set out as such, it is rather a warm and vibrant series of teachings which demonstrate the concern that all His disciples must have for those within their wider group (the ‘congregation' or open community built on the truth of His Messiahship - Matthew 16:18) because they have all been united within the forgiving love and compassion of the Father, and have entered under the Kingly Rule of God.

It commences when the disciples, some having their families with them, are gathered in Galilee, preparatory to going to Jerusalem for what is to be Jesus' last Passover. At this point Jesus brings two things home to them:

1) That He is shortly to be betrayed and executed, after which He will rise again. This had had a deep impact on them and had filled them with sorrow (Matthew 17:22).

2) That, as Peter has no doubt passed on to them, Jesus and His disciples (both male and female) are not really under Temple Law but are sons of the Father, even though in the meanwhile they pay the Temple Tax from God provided resources (Matthew 17:24).

From what follows later we know that the disciples did not see these things as we see them. They had mainly grown up with the idea that although the Jews were at present in bondage to the Romans, one day a Messiah would arise who would sweep the Romans out of the land, and establish the Law and the Temple, finally bringing about the Jews' worldwide rule and judgment on the wicked. In one way or another this was the common belief of the day in Palestine.

This was in general what John the Baptist had believed (Matthew 3:11), which was why he had been puzzled at the fact that Jesus had not demonstrated a desire for a positive move forward, or shown any inclination towards political power (Matthew 11:2). This was, with embellishments, what the Qumran community believed, although restricting many of its benefits to themselves as the holy seed, and refusing to have anything to do with the present Temple. This was in general what the Pharisees believed, although they anticipated that he would necessarily support their views, and some saw the forward movement as occurring through his powerful teaching of the Law. This was why after the miracle of the loaves some in the crowds had sought to crown Jesus as their king, convinced that if He could do that God was powerfully on His side, so that defeating the Romans should be no problem to Him (John 6:14).

So to His disciples what Jesus was saying would appear to them to be pointers to the fact that the moment when they must rise up against their enemies was approaching. They were confident that He had come to ‘restore the kingship to Israel' (Acts 1:6). So His talk about coming betrayal and death, followed by resurrection, probably suggested to them that there was shortly to be an uprising, during which Jesus would be betrayed to the enemy and put to death, followed by His vindication as God raised Him up from the dead, no doubt then to reveal His divine power and destroy the enemy. And, as they late revealed, they were ready to fight to this end, whenever called on, whatever the odds might be (Matthew 26:51). For they knew from many examples in the Scriptures that God could save by many or by few. His words about their being God's sons and therefore exempt from Temple tax (as the priests also were) appeared to be a clear indication that they would all then share unique privileges in the new set up as ‘sons' and not servants.

That this was their view of things is further confirmed by Matthew 20:20 where James and John sought to pre-empt their fellow disciples by booking the seats of prime authority in the coming period of Kingly Rule. Thus as their anticipation rose at these indicators that He was about to begin His decisive action, so did their expectancy of future privilege. And that as what had caused their recent discussions amongst themselves as to who would be the greatest among them (Mark 9:34). And that was why, when Jesus broached them with it, they came back with the question. ‘Who is the greatest within the Kingly Rule of Heaven?' It is clear from this that they did not accept that Peter was their leader, or that with James and John he was specially privileged. They still clearly felt that the matter was undecided. But what is important in respect of what follows is that they all had their eyes set on being ‘great'. In spite of all that Jesus had taught them they saw ahead of them a rosy future of privilege and superior status. And that was what they were looking forward to.

Jesus replies by demonstrating that true greatness is found, not in being great or in having an ambition for greatness, but in disregarding the thought of greatness (Matthew 18:1), in seeking to serve others, in strengthening the lowly so as to prevent them from falling (Matthew 18:5), in avoiding sin (Matthew 18:8), in seeking out the erring (Matthew 18:12), in restoring the fallen (Matthew 18:15), and in being totally forgiving, as they themselves had been forgiven (Matthew 18:21). It is found in walking in accordance with the sermon on the mount, for the one who is great within the sphere of the Kingly Rule of Heaven is the one who observes every one of God's requirements in His Law and teaches men so (Matthew 5:19). This is also expressed in his concern to do the will of his Father (Matthew 7:23; Matthew 12:50). So Jesus is here seeking to alter the whole perspective that governs their thinking. That is why He elsewhere says, ‘The Kingly Rule of God does not come with outward observation, for the Kingly Rule of God is among (or within) you' (Luke 17:20). The Kingly Rule of God was already being built up in those who responded to His teaching, and yet they still could not see it.

During the course of this teaching in Matthew 18 Jesus therefore brings up the question of regulation among themselves as the new congregation of God's people, as those who are within God's Kingly Rule. For this will be necessary once He has gone. Following on the need to be concerned for every individual within the ‘congregation' including themselves (Matthew 18:1), this includes mutual self-regulation out of concern for each other (Matthew 18:15), and their responsibility to make clear, as revealed by God, what principles are to bind His people, and what principles can be relaxed (Matthew 18:18). For His Father will be with them in order to illuminate them (Matthew 18:19), and He Himself will be among them to guide them in His ways (Matthew 18:20). It is to be a community of love. They are to see themselves as debtors to God for the amazing forgiveness that they have received, and to remember that they are therefore to have that same attitude towards others who ‘owe' anything to them (Matthew 18:21). The one who is most conscious of the huge amount of sin for which he has been forgiven, will be the one who is most compassionate and caring and forgiving of others, and who will therefore the better serve Him.

This is the fourth of the so-called sayings sections of Matthew. In the overall pattern of the Gospel it parallels Jesus' words on sending out the disciples in chapter 10. Having evangelised men and brought them into His new congregation, they must now establish and build it up in a spirit of loving concern and compassion and unity.

Analysis of Matthew 18:1 to Matthew 19:1

a In that hour the disciples came to Jesus, saying, (Matthew 18:1 a).

b Those who have a humility on the same level as that of children are the greatest in the Kingly Rule of Heaven (Matthew 18:1).

c Those who receive these young believers receive Jesus, but those who cause believers, especially young believers, to stumble will face eternal destruction, for such believers are known in Heaven (Matthew 18:5).

d The young believers are His Father's sheep, and if they go astray He will seek them out and restore them, for it is not His will that any of them should perish (Matthew 18:10).

e How to deal with sin arising in the congregation, individually, at the hands of two or three, or at the hands of the whole congregation (Matthew 18:15).

f The authority given to the congregation through its leadership to bind and loose, to determine how the new congregation will be regulated and how the Law will be applied (Matthew 18:18).

e Where any two agree on earth concerning what shall be asked of the Father it shall be done for them, for two or three meeting together are sure of having Jesus in their midst (Matthew 18:19).

d Forgiveness to one who expresses repentance is to be offered seventy times sevenfold, because they are in the same position as the servant whose king forgave his servant a huge debt (Matthew 18:21).

c They are not to be like the one offered full forgiveness who then refused to forgive his fellow servant his comparatively small debt, thus causing him to stumble (Matthew 18:28).

b Those who are lacking in the humility to forgive will be brought to judgment, for His heavenly Father will severely chasten the unforgiving and require their debt of them (Matthew 18:31).

a And it came about that when Jesus had finished these words, He departed from Galilee, and came into the borders of Judaea beyond the Jordan, and great crowds followed Him, and He healed them there (Matthew 19:1).

Note how in ‘a' the disciples came to Him with questions and in the parallel the crowds follow Him. In ‘b' those who have the humility of little children are greatest in the Kingly Rule of Heaven, while in the parallel those who are lacking in that humility will be dealt with severely. In ‘c' those who cause believers to stumble will themselves be destroyed, and in the parallel the servant who made life difficult for his fellow servant will be severely punished. In ‘d' the straying young believer will be restored by the shepherd, and in the parallel the straying offender must be restored by forgiveness. In ‘e' a sinning member can be dealt with by two or three, and in the parallel the needs of the congregation can be solved by the prayers of two or three. Centrally in ‘f' the disciples are given the authority to regulate the worship of the people of God in the new congregation.