Matthew Henry Commentary Matthew 18
Matthew Henry Commentary
Matthew 18
Matthew Henry Commentary
Matthew 18
"In that hour came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven? And he called to him a little child, and set him in the midst of them, and said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye turn, and become as little children, ye shall in no wise enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me: But whoso shall cause one of these little ones that believe on me to stumble, it is profitable for him that a great millstone should be hanged about his neck, and [that] he should be sunk in the depth of the sea." — Matthew 18:1-6 (ASV)
Christ spoke many words of his sufferings, but only one of his glory; yet the disciples focus on that, and overlook the others. Many love to hear and speak of privileges and glory, who are willing to ignore work and trouble. Our Lord set a little child before them, solemnly assuring them that unless they were converted and made like little children, they could not enter his kingdom.
Children, when very young, do not desire authority, are not concerned with outward distinctions, are free from malice, are teachable, and willingly dependent on their parents. It is true that they soon begin to show other tendencies, and other ideas are taught them at an early age; but these are marks of childhood, and make them fitting emblems of the humble minds of true Christians.
Surely we need to be daily renewed in the spirit of our minds, that we may become simple and humble, as little children, and willing to be the least of all. Let us daily study this subject and examine our own spirits.
"Woe unto the world because of occasions of stumbling! for it must needs be that the occasions come; but woe to that man through whom the occasion cometh! And if thy hand or thy foot causeth thee to stumble, cut it off, and cast it from thee: it is good for thee to enter into life maimed or halt, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into the eternal fire. And if thine eye causeth thee to stumble, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is good for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into the hell of fire. See that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, that in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven. [For the Son of man came to save that which was lost.] How think ye? if any man have a hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and go unto the mountains, and seek that which goeth astray? And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth over it more than over the ninety and nine which have not gone astray. Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish." — Matthew 18:7-14 (ASV)
Considering the cunning and malice of Satan, and the weakness and depravity of human hearts, it is inevitable that offences will occur. God permits them for wise and holy purposes, so that those who are sincere, and those who are not, may be revealed. Since we have been warned that there will be seducers, tempters, persecutors, and bad examples, let us be on our guard.
We must, as far as we lawfully can, part with what we cannot keep without being entangled by it in sin. The outward occasions of sin must be avoided. If we live after the flesh, we must die. If we, through the Spirit, mortify the deeds of the body, we shall live.
Christ came into the world to save souls, and He will reckon severely with those who hinder the progress of others who are setting their faces heavenward. And should any of us refuse attention to those whom the Son of God came to seek and to save? A father takes care of all his children, but is particularly tender toward the little ones.
"And if thy brother sin against thee, go, show him his fault between thee and him alone: if he hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. But if he hear [thee] not, take with thee one or two more, that at the mouth of two witnesses or three every word may be established. And if he refuse to hear them, tell it unto the church: and if he refuse to hear the church also, let him be unto thee as the Gentile and the publican. Verily I say unto you, what things soever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and what things soever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say unto you, that if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father who is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." — Matthew 18:15-20 (ASV)
If a professed Christian is wronged by another, he ought not to complain about it to others, as is often done based merely on reports, but should go to the offender privately, state the matter kindly, and show him his conduct. This would generally have the desired effect with a true Christian, and the parties would be reconciled.
The principles of these rules may be practiced everywhere and under all circumstances, though they are too often neglected by everyone. But how few try the method which Christ has expressly enjoined upon all his disciples!
In all our proceedings, we should seek direction in prayer; we cannot prize the promises of God too highly. Wherever and whenever we meet in the name of Christ, we should consider him as present in our midst.
"Then came Peter and said to him, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? until seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times; but, Until seventy times seven. Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, who would make a reckoning with his servants. And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, that owed him ten thousand talents. But forasmuch as he had not [wherewith] to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. The servant therefore fell down and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. And the lord of that servant, being moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt. But that servant went out, and found one of his fellow-servants, who owed him a hundred shillings: and he laid hold on him, and took [him] by the throat, saying, Pay what thou owest. So his fellow-servant fell down and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee. And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay that which was due. So when his fellow-servants saw what was done, they were exceeding sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done. Then his lord called him unto him, and saith to him, Thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou besoughtest me: shouldest not thou also have had mercy on thy fellow-servant, even as I had mercy on thee? And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due. So shall also my heavenly Father do unto you, if ye forgive not every one his brother from your hearts." — Matthew 18:21-35 (ASV)
Although we live entirely on mercy and forgiveness, we are reluctant to forgive the offenses of our brothers and sisters. This parable shows how much provocation God receives from His family on earth, and how disobedient His servants are. There are three things in the parable:
The master's wonderful mercy. The debt of sin is so great that we are not able to pay it. See here what every sin deserves; this is the wages of sin: to be sold as a slave. It is the folly of many who are under strong convictions of their sins to imagine they can make satisfaction to God for the wrong they have done Him.
The servant's unreasonable severity toward his fellow servant, despite his lord's mercy toward him. This does not mean we may take lightly wronging our neighbor, for that is also a sin against God. However, we should not exaggerate the wrongs our neighbor does to us, nor seek revenge. Let our complaints, both about the wickedness of the wicked and the afflictions of the afflicted, be brought to God and left with Him.
The master rebuked his servant's cruelty. The greatness of sin magnifies the riches of pardoning mercy, and the comforting awareness of pardoning mercy greatly disposes our hearts to forgive our brothers and sisters.
We should not suppose that God actually forgives people and afterwards counts their guilt against them to condemn them. Instead, this latter part of the parable shows the false conclusions many draw regarding their sins being pardoned, though their subsequent conduct shows that they never entered into the spirit or experienced the sanctifying grace of the gospel.
We do not forgive our offending brother properly if we do not forgive from the heart. Yet this is not enough; we must also seek the welfare of even those who offend us.
How justly will those be condemned who, though they bear the Christian name, persist in unmerciful treatment of their brothers and sisters! The humbled sinner relies only on free, abounding mercy, through the ransom of the death of Christ.
Let us seek more and more for the renewing grace of God, to teach us to forgive others as we hope for forgiveness from Him.
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