A Lamp Unto My Feet Bible Study Website
Matthew 18:1-14
Lesson #44
CHRISTIAN ATTITUDES
- Memory verse: Jam 4:10
- Overview:
- Chapter 18 is an important chapter in Christian ethics.
- It focuses on seven qualities that should guide the personal relationships of every Christian.
- Humility (verses 1-4)
- Responsibility (verses 5-7)
- Self-renunciation (verses 8-10)
- Individual care (verses 11-14). God cares for you as an individual, therefore, you should care for others individually.
- Discipline (verses 15-20). Guidance and correction must be part of Christian fellowship.
- Fellowship (verses 19,20)
- Forgiveness (verses 23-35). God has forgiven us, we need to forgive others.
- Discussion:
- Usually the kingdom of God works in ways opposite to human reasoning.
- There are several key principles in this chapter that demonstrate this truth.
| Human Reasoning | The Kingdom Principle |
| =1= To get ahead in life you must be aggressive and pretend that you know everything. | =1= To get ahead in the kingdom of God, you must trust in God as the authority and acknowledge that you know nothing. |
| =2= To get ahead in life you must promote yourself. | =2=To get ahead in the kingdom of God, you must humble yourself and let God promote you. |
| =3= To get ahead in life you must pay attention to the most important and influential people. | =3= To get ahead in the kingdom of God, you must pay attention to those who are weak and in need. |
| =4= To get ahead in life, you must cause your competitors to fail. | =4= To get ahead in the kingdom of God, you must not cause others to fall. |
| =5= To get ahead in life, you must hide your weaknesses and failures. | =5= To get ahead in the kingdom of God, you must acknowledge your weaknesses and failures and allow God to change them. |
| =6= To get ahead in life, you must pay attention only to thngs that are important to most people. | =6= To get ahead in the kingdom of God, you must pay attention to the things are important to God. |
- Read Mat 18:1-6 The mind of a child
- Jesus and the child
- There is a tradition that the child grew up to be Ignatius Theophoros of Antioch who became a great servant of the church.
- He was a writer and a martyr for Christ.
- His name, Theophoros, means = God carried.
- The tradition says that he received the name because Jesus carried him on his knee.
- Entering the kingdom:
- The phrase in verse 3, “enter the kingdom” does not mean salvation. It means entering into the fullness of God’s blessing in the kingdom. Remember that to enter the kingdom is by the grace of God and not by our works.
- Characteristics of a child that the Christian should have:
- Awe and wonder: We should live expecting God to surprise us with His love and His power in our daily lives.
- Forgive and forget: We should forgive and forget the disappointments and offenses of others.
- Innocence: We should expect the best in people.
- Humility: We should not be self conscious.
- Dependence: We should be dependent on our heavenly Father for everything.
- Trust: We should trust God and His control over our lives.
- Teachable: We should let God be our teacher.
- Parable of the millstone (Mat 18:6)
- Who is the parable spoken to? His disciples
- The question: “Who is greatest in the kingdom?”
- The reply: You first have to enter the kingdom, then, you must:
- Repent. (3) Repent means to turn around and go in the opposite direction.
- Become as children. (3)
- This means become child-like which means = to become trusting, teachable, humble in your relationship.
- Once you have a relationship with Christ, then He can teach you.
- Verse 5 and 6 means = receiving a child in Christ’s name
- Jesus and the child
To receive a person:
It can mean to give place or honor to a person.
It can mean to give care, love, and teaching to a person.
It can mean to see Christ in a person.
The child:
He could be talking about people who have a child-like humility, or he could be talking about people of young age, or He could be talking about new believers, or most probably all three.
We have a responsibility toward children and new believers to pray for them, encourage them, and help them.
To offend a little one:
To teach or encourage another person to sin is the greatest offense.
To bring another person into a situation or environment that will cause him to sin is equally as great an offense.
What does Jesus mean by hanging a millstone around one’s neck? (6)
The millstone:
The Jews ground corn by crushing it between two circular stones at home. The upper stone had a handle which a woman could turn to grind the corn.
However, Jesus refers to a grinding stone so big and heavy that a mule was used to turn it.
Drowned in the depth of the sea:
Drowning was sometimes a Roman punishment.
To the Jew it was the symbol of complete destruction.
It’s better to be dead than to despise, reject, neglect, abuse, deceive, entrap or discourage a child/new believer.
Why? Because it’s a responsibility that will be taken seriously by the Lord and judged.
- Read Mat 18:7-14 The great responsibility
- What does Jesus mean by cutting off a hand, a foot, or an eye that offends? (8-9)
- This is hyperbole (exaggerated speech) to make a point.
- He is telling his disciples that they have a serious responsibility to those who are weak physically or weak in faith.
- His disciples need to be simple and empty of pride, child-like.
- The hand of ambitious rudeness needs to be cut off.
- The eye of ambitious coveting should be plucked out.
- The foot of ambitious willfulness should be cut off.
- This passage could also be applied to the church. If there is someone evil in the church causing others to stumble, or being a bad influence to youth in the church, they need to be disciplined and cast out of the church if they do not repent.
- Vs. 10 “Their angels always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven”
- Every child has one or more guardian angels.
- These angels have direct access to the inner presence of God on behalf of that child.
- The Parable of the Lost Sheep (Mat 18:12-14)
- Background:
- In Jesus’ time, flocks of sheep were communal sheep that belonged to a village.
- There usually were 2 or 3 shepherds to care for this communal flock. Therefore, when one sheep strayed, one shepherd could retrieve it while the other shepherds stayed with the rest of the flock.
- What is the meaning of the 99 sheep? (13) The 99 sheep are believers that are safe and maturing.
- What is the meaning of the 1 lost sheep? (13)
- The one person who seems to be falling away from the Lord.
- Christ sought each of us out individually and called us to himself.
- So must we have this same attitude.
- This parable teaches us about God’s great love:
- The love of God is an individual love.
- The love of God is a patient love.
- The love of God is a seeking love. The shepherd did not wait until the sheep returned home. He went to look for it.
- The love of God is a rejoicing love.
- The love of God is a protecting love. Not only does He seek but He saves.
- The one person who seems to be falling away from the Lord.
- What is the central truth of the parable?
- Disciples of Jesus Christ need to be humble and take seriously their responsibility toward those who are weak, in need, and in danger of falling away just as God does with us.
- Ministering through proper Christian attitudes is the best way to serve the Lord.
- Background:
- What does Jesus mean by cutting off a hand, a foot, or an eye that offends? (8-9)
Homework
Mat 18:15-35
- Application of Mat 18:1-14
- Which characteristic of a child-like attitude do you need the most to work on in your life?
- Examine your attitude toward children. In what areas does your attitude toward children need to change?
- Examine your attitude toward new believers. In what areas can you help and encourage them?
- Which characteristic of a child-like attitude do you need the most to work on in your life?
- Preparation for Mat 18:15-35
- Read Mat 18:15-22
- What is the Biblical pattern for dealing with another Christian who offends you?
- What should be your attitude when another Christian offends you?
- Read Mat 18:23-35
- The parable of forgiveness and the unmerciful servant
- Who does the king represent?
- Who do the servants represent?
- What does the debt of the servants represent?
- What do you think the “inquisitors (tormentors)” represent?
- What is the central truth of the parable?
- Verse 35 says the Lord will do to us, likewise. Explain how the Lord does this today?
- Read Mat 18:15-22
- Memory verse: Eph 4:32
