Discourses on Humility, Self-denial, the Young and Forgiveness

["Click here for Matthew's account"]
["Click here for Mark's account"]
["Click here for Luke's account"]

We are some two years into the ministry of Jesus and we find Him teaching the basics of Christian attitude toward one another. This discourse from Jesus came as the result of a question that the Disciples put to Him. "Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?" Was that a silly question? No. Every day someone declares themselves to be the "greatest". Most people strive to be great, it's the way of the world. So there was nothing wrong with the question only the motivation. In this case the motive seemed to be pride, thus Jesus felt it was time to spell out some basic Christian facts about humility, self-denial, the young and forgiveness. The event is somewhat abbreviated in Mark and Luke so we will use Matthews's account found in Chapter 18.

We will break it down into five parts:

  1. Humility, verses 1 thru 4.
  2. Adult responsibility, verses 5 thru 6.
  3. Self-denial, verses 7 thru 9.
  4. Love, verses 10 thru 35.

Humility

Let us remind ourselves of the question that started this dissertation. "Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?" Here we see that "humility" is the key to greatness. "childlike humility" "Whoever humbles himself like a child will be greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven."

What are those "childlike traits" that we should seek to acquire that speak of Humility? Jesus lists four. Faith, trust, love and forgiveness.

Adult Responsibility

Because of a child's trust, we, as adults, have a great responsibility. When we receive them, we receive Christ. When we offend them, we offend Christ. What is the punishment for this? Jesus doesn't say but He does say that it would be better for someone who does this to have a millstone tied around his neck and be drowned in the depth of the sea.

Self-denial

These verses always cause questions. Here Jesus established 5 bits of information about sin:

  1. It is necessary that we be tempted.
  2. There will be no excuse for those who yield to those temptations.
  3. The guilt will be laid at the door of the offender.
  4. They who may be caught up in your sin will be guilty also.
  5. Thus we will be accountable not only for our own sins but for for the fruit of those sins. These are stern facts, inescapable, yet Jesus gives us a way out. The answer lies in the removal of that which causes us to sin. An eye, a foot, a hand, whatever opens up the opportunity to sin must be done away with.

Love

"See to it that you do not despise one of these little ones." Many children are left homeless. Many are neglected and left to bring up themselves. Many experience no discipline on the excuse that they are loved. If you love your children, you will discipline them. Many receive no religious training. John writes in the Book of Revelation to the Church at Laodicea, "indifference and neglect is a form of hate."

Then Jesus tells then a parable similar to the Prodigal Son. A man had a hundred sheep and one became loss. He left the 99 and went and looked for the one that was lost. This is the kind of love that God has for us. It is not His will that one of the little ones should perish.

But notice what happens when the lost sheep is found. He rejoices over it more than the 99 that did not go astray. This, it would appear, is the way the father of the Prodigal Son felt over the return of his son. A question came into the mind of the brother of the Prodigal Son who had stayed home and did not spend his inheritance in riotous living, and surly it must come into ours, "Should we go astray in order to be appreciated?" The answer here is the same as the one the father gave to the faithful son, his "inheritance" was assured, his faithfulness was appreciated, not taken for granted. Feeling unappreciated causes us to be envious of the Father's joy when the lost returns.

Forgiveness

Jesus ends with a dissertation on forgiveness. I wonder if we really know what all the action involves. Webster defines forgiveness this way, "To cease to feel resentment against another, to pardon, to give up any claim to retribution." God's forgiveness includes all aspects of Webster's definition. Jesus says the Christian will forgive and forget, thus give up any resentment against another or expect any retribution.

There are two parts to this teaching:

  1. Seeking forgiveness. If a Brother of Sister in Christ sins against you, these are the steps that you are to take.
    1. Go to them in private, explain to him how you feel that they have sinned against you. If they listen and understand and asks for your forgiveness, you have gained a brother. But, if they do not, then you must go to step two.
    2. Take one or two people with you and go to speak to them again. This way, those who go with you can confirm what is said and done. But, if they still will not listen; take your grievance to the Church. Then if they still will not listen, you must go to step three.
    3. You must, then, let them be to you as a Gentile (heathen) and a tax collector (Publican). Let them be cast out of the communion of the Church. Those who do not obey the laws and rules of a society, forfeit the honors and privileges of it.

Now a word of caution. A Gentile was not unsaved because he was a Gentile any more than a tax collector. It would be well to note that it was a "tax collector" who wrote what we have been studying. We must continue to seek after such a person to restore them to the fellowship.

Then Jesus tells then that He will back up such action if it is justified. Verse 18, "Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in Heaven and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in Heaven." This verse should be read in conjunction with John 9:24-41, where the Jews cast out a man who had been blind and who had had his eye sight restored by Jesus. They cast him out because he would not say the Jesus was a sinner. When Jesus heard that they had cast him out, He went and found him and when the man declared that he believed that Jesus was the Christ, He was restored to his relationship with God.

So it appears to be the duty and responsibility of the Church to administer discipline to its members when needed. Thus Jesus placed a great honor upon His Church. He further agrees to bless their work if there is agreement amongst the brethren. Jesus will not bless a divided effort.

The second part of forgiveness had to do with granting it. The parable is told of the king who wanted to settle the accounts of his servants. One owed him $100,000. The servant could not pay. The king ordered that everything that the servant owned be sold to pay the debt. The servant fell o his knees and begged for more time to make the payment. Out of pity, the king agreed and forgave him the debt.

Now that same servant was owed $20.00 by another servant. The first servant demanded payment from the second servant. The second servant begged for more time so that he could pay what he owed, but the first servant had him put in prison. The sin is obvious, but the application is not obvious, at least that's the way it appears at first. Our debt to God is $100,000. Thru Christ, God forgives us our debt. Often we are owed, by one of our fellow men, a debt only a fraction of what we owed the Lord. Sense we have been forgiven much. how do we react to our Brother's debt? Do we extend time? Do we demand payment? Do we forgive? Do we forget? If we do not, God will deliver us to the jailers, till we pay all our debt.

Then Jesus ended with a description of the kind of forgiveness we must demonstrate. Forgiveness must be more than verbal; it must be from the heart. Humility, self denial, love and forgiveness, these are the characteristics of a Christian.


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