Frameworks:
Matthew's Gospel, chapter 18
(The
objective of these ‘Frameworks' is to provide an easy-to-read
layout of the text in order then to use these individual verses
for verse-by-verse study or meditation. To focus each
verse we have also added in italic a description of what is happening)
FRAMEWORKS:
Matthew, chapter 18
v.1-5
The Greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven
v.6-9
Causing to Stumble
v.10-14
The Parable of the Wandering Sheep
v.15-20
Dealing with Sin in the Church
v.21-25
The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant
v.1-5
The Greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven
v.1
(the disciples
ask about seniority in the kingdom) At
that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is
the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”
v.2
(Jesus took
a small child as an example ) He
called a little child to him and placed the child among them.
v.3
(unless you
become childlike you can't enter the kingdom) And
he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like
little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
v.4
(therefore,
step down and become great) Therefore,
whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest
in the kingdom of heaven.
v.5
(welcoming such
a one welcomes me) And whoever
welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.
v.6-9
Causing to Stumble
v.6
(if anyone hinders
these little ones from knowing me, they'll be in big trouble)
“If anyone causes one of these little
ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for
them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be
drowned in the depths of the sea.
v.7
(people who
bring such hindrances will be in big trouble) Woe
to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble!
Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they
come!
v.8
(you'd do better
to cut off part of your life than stumble and be excluded from
God's kingdom) If your hand
or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away.
It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to
have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire.
v.9
(seriously,
chop it off, cut it out!) And
if your eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away.
It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two
eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.
v.10-14
The Parable of the Wandering Sheep
v.10
(don't despise
the young in faith, Gd loves them) “See
that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you
that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in
heaven.
v.12
(consider a
shepherd who loses one sheep, won't he go off looking for that
lost one) “What do you think?
If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will
he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the
one that wandered off?
v.13
(and when he
finds it, what rejoicing!) And
if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one
sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off.
v.14
(similarly my
Father wants none of these lost) In
the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of
these little ones should perish.
v.15-20
Dealing with Sin in the Church
v.15
(look, in someone
close to you sins, just go by yourself and talk to them about
it) “If your brother or sister
sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you.
If they listen to you, you have won them over.
v.16
(if they won't
listen, take along one or two others – you know the law about
two witnesses) But if they will
not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter
may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.
' [Deut. 19:15]
v.17
(if they still
refuse, tell the church so if they then continue, they can be
put out) If they still refuse
to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen
even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.
v.18
(as God's servants
you have authority to bind or loose as He leads you because that
will then mean you're only doing what heaven already dictates)
“Truly I tell you, whatever you bind
on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth
will be loosed in heaven.
v.19
(if two of you
agree in the Spirit, it will be done by heaven) “Again,
truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything
they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.
v.20
(for two or
three coming in my name mean I'll be there) For
where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”
v.21-25
The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant
v.21
(Peter asked
how many times he needed to forgive someone) Then
Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive
my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”
v.22
(so many times
you stop counting) Jesus answered,
“I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.
v.23
(think of it
like a king who needs to settle accounts) “Therefore,
the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts
with his servants.
v.24
(a man with
a big debt comes to him) As
he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags
of gold was brought to him.
v.25
(he's going
to be punished because he can't pay) Since
he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife
and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.
v.26
(he begs for
mercy) “At this the servant
fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,' he begged,
‘and I will pay back everything.'
v.27
(so the king
cancels the debt) The servant's
master took pity on him, cancelled the debt and let him go.
v.28
(but now that
man finds another who owes him and treats him harshly) “But
when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants
who owed him a hundred silver coins. He grabbed him and began
to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!' he demanded.
v.29
(the man pleads
with him) “His fellow servant
fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will
pay it back.'
v.30
(but he is merciless)
“But he refused. Instead, he went
off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the
debt.
v.31
(and so word
gets back to the king, the master) When
the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and
went and told their master everything that had happened.
v.32
(who confronts
him) “Then the master called
the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,' he said, ‘I cancelled all
that debt of yours because you begged me to.
v.33
(you should
have been merciful as I was to you) Shouldn't
you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?'
v.34
(so he has him
thrown into jail) In anger his
master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he
should pay back all he owed.
v.35
(get the message?)
“This is how my heavenly Father will
treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from
your heart.”