Wednesday Evening
Adult Bible Study
This chapter begins the fourth discourse of the five that
make up Matthew’s construction. This
discourse centers upon the teaching of Jesus regarding greatness in the
Even after Jesus’ numerous attempts to teach the disciples about “greatness” in the kingdom, even to his role as the Messiah who must go to Jerusalem, suffer at the hands of those in both civil and religious authority, be handed over to crucifixion, and rise again, the disciples did not allow Jesus’ message to penetrate. It speaks volumes about our human capacity to avoid what is unpleasant. We will do anything to escape what is painful and unpleasant. Human attempts to become great are the attempts to remain untouched and impenetrate by adversity. We want to guarantee our safety by strength.
Jesus redefines strength, however. Taking a child, he placed it before them and indicated that such child-like weakness is strength. The value of being like a child is their capacity to know that they need help from those around them. Children have a sense of their dependency upon parents and adults. A child-like faith begins now that we realize that we are dependent upon God for everything. The knowledge of dependency upon God is the beginning of faith. Jesus indicates that he is present and fully associated with such little ones. Jesus has a soft spot for the weak and the little ones of the world.
We have turned again to consider “stumbling blocks,” (scandolon in Greek). We recognize the words scandal. As we consider the word, thing about the effect of what a scandal can do. A scandal can turn a persons thinking completely around and can cause a change of mind and heart. I am completely convinced that one of the foremost reasons for people’s withdrawal from Christianity and the church is that the Church has scandalized itself into incredulity. We have not done what we said we believed. Christianity has come to represent many things other than the open arms of Jesus Christ inviting all people to him. The “organized church” is something that people have simply decided that they do not need in their lives. Jesus’ concern is that scandalous actions can damage the faith and push away the little ones who come to Jesus for help. The church can push people away that Jesus is drawing and inviting to come. Beware such actions. In Jesus’ words, “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.” That is very harsh, but truly reflexive of the value that Jesus places upon the lives of these little ones who come because he calls.
Jesus turns up the volume of “stumbling blocks.” His words on cutting off offending feet that cause a stumble; or plucking out the offending eye that cause you stumble are drastic examples of depth of concern that Jesus expresses over such stumbling. Jesus was not being literal; however, he was being as alarming as possible to bring home the seriousness of these charges against the little one of the world. They are not to be harmed, nor are they to be tampered with. Those whom Jesus has invited in must be cared for and nurtured to know the savior who called them.
This teaching continues with talk of despising little ones. Beware; they have representatives before the Father in heaven. Some of these little ones are the lost ones. They are represented in heaven before God. Jesus represents the stance that God is looking for with regard to those who are lost. Find them! Leave the rest behind, the easy cases, those that are easy to love, and go out and find those who are lost so that you can bring them back. Jesus holds out a proactive stance toward them. Go and find them. Do not leave them out there wandering and lost. Find them and bring them back to the community of the flock.
That includes especially those who have sinned against us. Matthew 18:15-20 appears in every church constitution of the ELCA and other church bodies. It is the Biblical treatment of what to do incase of serious disputes among the children of God. This is Jesus’ model for solving person disputes. Go to them. Talk to them. Attempt to mend the dispute and only as a last resort sever the ties. Jesus restates for the disciples that they have power to bind and loose both here and in God’s eternal kingdom. The entreaty, however, is to bind the body together into one. To end the scandals of dispute and separation in the family of God’s people.
The settling of disputes relates to the central issue of forgiveness. Peter wanted Jesus to put a limitation on the number of the times that someone needs to forgive. Jesus would not do it. There is no limitation on forgiveness. As many times as necessary, that is how many times a person needs to forgive someone who sins against them.
Jesus uses a parable to teach the lesson. The parable of the king reckoning accounts
with the several of his slaves. The
first slave is forgiven a debt equal to more than 15 years wages for the
laborer. He in turn refuses to forgive
the debt of one who owes him the equivalent of a day’s wage. The story became one of retribution. The slave denied his fellow slave mercy for
the debt and in term the mercy first show that slave was withdrawn and
retribution exacted. Jesus urges us in
the course of dealings with our sisters and brother to forgive after taking
count of the forgiveness that we have been given.
© The Rev. Dr. Kipp W. Zimmermann,