June 2, 2024
Please use the comment section on this page to share insights from today’s reading OR your own personal Bible reading.
Reading along with us in Matthew? Here’s today’s reading:
Matthew 18 (NIV)
The Greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven
1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”
2 He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. 3 And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.……Continue Reading
Matthew 18:8-9 & Mark 9:42-48
I tell you what, if there was a material, physical thing that causes sin, it should be cut off! Eternal fire is no place to be!
For example, I have been waiting for years for any one of my firearms to load themselves, go out the door, and shoot somebody. Hasn’t happened yet. So, it is not the weapon that causes all the murders in the community, nor my knives. No use destroying all guns, we can keep them.
The prescription drugs I have, not once has one opened the container lid, and jumped into my mouth, to over stimulate me. Hasn’t happened. Drugs aren’t the problem of addiction, sin and despair either. BTW, I haven’t seen a syringe of heroine stabbing people against their will on the streets, or bottles of alcohol forcing themselves to be drunk either…sarcastically.
I would like to agree with Jesus, that cutting off a part of my body might stop me from sin, and perhaps if an object was not there, guns, drugs, a hand, well, that will stop sin; sin is a very serious matter, and demands action. But cutting out things does not cure, or do they cause sin, because the source of sin has not in things, and Jesus knows it.
Wanna stop sin? Cut out your heart. Yea, rather, take out that stony heart, and exchange it for a fleshy heart, which only God can give, through Christ. Time to let the chains fall. -reb
Ezekiel 36:26 “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.”
Matthew 17-18
Jesus heard His disciples arguing about who is the greatest in the kingdom of Heaven? For they had a lot of pride among themselves of who is greatest. James and John were called sons of thunder. Simon the Zealot was a warrior. Matthew was probably considered by the others at the bottom for he was a despised tax collector. He also could have thought he was better for he knew money. They did humble themselves to follow Jesus and with all that went with it such as sleeping on the road, very little means, people finding fault with them, etc. But they had a long way to go in their spiritual walk. John even becoming known as the Apostle of love. But here Jesus is telling them that they must be humble as a little child to be saved. This is why the Pharisees and teachers of the law couldn`t get saved because of their pride. At least most of them. For we have in scripture two Pharisees that did get saved. They were Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea. John 19:38-42. Jesus wants all people to come to Him and that is why He tells the parable of the lost sheep. This is why He came to earth. Matthew 18:11 { For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.} Then Jesus teaches about being in right relationships with each other and the needed steps if necessary. I am sure that among themselves after Jesus teaching to be humble and their own pride that some healing had to be done. Making things right with each other and forgiving each other. How could the Lord bless and use them for His ministry about winning souls unless they were right with each other? The last parable is about forgiveness. As the Lord has forgiven us; we should forgive others.
Humility, child-like humility and innocence. We certainly know that we deal more sensitively with children, we appreciate the delicate nature of their minds and hearts. Not ony is Jesus showing us we should be more childlike but also treat each other with more delicacy as if we are all children.
Offenses happen and there is a proper way to handle them. Sin happens and we should never be allowing or assisting anyone in their sin. We have a responsibility to care for each other, protect each other, encourage and instruct each other just the same way God has done that for us.
So be humble and caring not just in our own behaviors but in our treatment of others as well giving back from all the love and forgivenes God has given us.
20 “For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”
”“Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe to the world because of offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes! “If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the everlasting fire. And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire.“
Matthew 18:6-9
When we enter eternity, the flesh will matter for nothing. While we live in our flesh, it is best to “mortify the flesh, its passions and desires”. Do we believe that our flesh is dead? That it died with Christ on the cross? If the flesh is dead, it has no power.
”For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin.“
Romans 6:5-7 NKJV
Children trust so readily, so that is why Jesus holds them out as a standard of what all believers would become, and to compromise one so innocent with the perversion of sin is unconscionable. In fact Jesus prioritizes if just one believer is lost, He seeks them out to find them. But none of us are perfect and so we need each other for correction. And the more someone rejects right counsel, the more people get involved to provide more conviction to change their ways and a united voice to say what the person had done is wrong. And even though disciplining someone is appropriate to correct sin, forgiveness from us should flow freely and consistently. And if we need a model of what that forgiveness looks like, it is how GOD forgives us. And if we receive that forgiveness from God and then don’t reflect it to others, we will find ourselves in a bad place before God.
Matthew 18
Many life lessons
Faith like a little child, compforting
Woes to them that cause people to sin
Calling out sin against you and gaining a brother if they have repetint heart.
God is among us when 2 or more are gathered in His name.
Celebrations in heaven when even 1 sinner repents
Just as Jesus has forgiven us, we too aught to forgive others.
Matthew 18
Let us never forget why we are saved – because Jesus took the punishment for our sins, so all who believe in him are forgiven and made righteous by his precious blood. Therefore, forgive others as God has forgiven you.
Amy, I believe my flesh, my old creature was crucified on the cross 2,000 years ago, and that I am a new creature. Old Gordy is dead. Took me 45 years to believe it.
Matthew 19