18
Jesus showed that being great in God’s sight means being as humble as a child.
Matthew 18:1-5
1 About that time we disciples approached Jesus and said, “Who among us will be the most important when God [MTY/EUP] makes you king?” 2 Jesus called a child to come, and he placed that child in our midst. 3 He said, “Think about this: If you (pl) do not change the way you(pl) think and become as humble as little children, you (pl) will surely not go to the place where God [MTY/EUP] rules. 4 The people who become as humble as this child or any child is, will be the most important people among those over whom God rules. 5 Also, when those who, because they love me, welcome a child like this one, God considers that they are welcoming me.”
Jesus taught that we need to take severe measures to keep us from sinning when we are tempted.
Matthew 18:6-9
6 “If you cause someone who believes in me to sin, even if it is someone who is socially unimportant like this little child, God will severely punish you. If a heavy stone were fastened around your neck and you were thrown into the deep waters of the sea, people would consider that you had been severely punished. But God will punish you more severely than that if you cause someone to sin 7 It will be terrible for those [MTY] who cause others to stop believing in me. God will punish them eternally. It is inevitable that there will be those who cause others to stop believing in me. But it will be horrible for everyone who does that. 8 So, if you are wanting to use one of your hands or feet to sin, stop using that hand or foot! Even if you have to cut it off to avoid sinning, do it [MET]! It is good that you not sin and go where you will live with God eternally, even though while you are still here on earth you are maimed or lame and do not have a hand or a foot. But it is not good that you continue to have your two hands and two feet and do [MTY] the sinful things you want to, and as a result, you are thrown into hell, where there is eternal fire burning. 9 If what you see you makes you want to sin, stop looking at those things! Even if you have to gouge out one of your eyes and throw it away to avoid sinning, do it [HYP]! It is good that you not sin and go where you will live with God eternally, even though while you are still here on earth you have only one eye. But it is not good that you continue to have your two eyes and do the sinful things you want to, and as a result, you are thrown {God throws you} into hell where there is eternal fire burning.”
Jesus taught that God is deeply concerned if even one person goes astray from him.
Matthew 18:10-14
10-11 “Make an effort that you (pl) do not despise even one of these children. I tell you (pl) truly that since the angels live in heaven in the presence of my Father, they will report to him if you mistreat the children.* 12 What do you (pl) think you would do in the following situation? If you had 100 sheep and one of them got lost, you would surely leave the 99 sheep that are on the hill and go and search for the lost one [RHQ], would you not? 13 If you found it, I affirm to you (pl) that you would rejoice very much. You would be happy that 99 sheep did not stray away, but you would rejoice even more because you had found the sheep that had strayed away. 14 In the same way that shepherds do not want one of their sheep to stray away, so God, your Father in heaven, does not want even one of these children to go to hell.”
Jesus taught about what we should do if someone sins against us and about agreeing when we pray.
Matthew 18:15-20
15 “If a fellow believer sins against you, go to him, and when you two are alone, reprove him for sinning against you. If that person listens to you and feels sorry that he has sinned against you, you will have restored your friendship with that person. 16 If that person will not listen to you nor feel sorry that he has sinned against you, go get one or two other people who will listen to what you both have to say. Have them go with you so that what is written {Moses wrote} in the Scriptures might happen: ‘When one person accuses another in some matter, it should be confirmed by at least two or three people {at least two or three people should confirm it} before that person can be declared guilty {before they declare that person guilty}.’ 17 If the one who has sinned against you will not listen to them or does not feel sorry that he has sinned against you, tell that to the congregation so that they can rebuke him. If that person will not listen to the congregation or feel sorry that he has sinned against you, exclude him from being a member of your congregation, just like you would exclude pagans, tax collectors, and others who do not believe in God and sin greatly. 18 Keep this in mind: Whatever you decide on earth about punishing or not punishing a member of your congregation is what has also been decided by God in heaven {what God in heaven has also decided}. 19 Also note this: If at least two of you who live here on earth agree together about something you ask God for [DOU], God, my Father who is in heaven, will give you what you ask for. 20 This is true, because wherever at least two or three of you assemble because you believe in me [MTY], I am spiritually present with you. I will hear what you ask for and I will ask God to do it for you.”
Jesus told a parable to illustrate the need for forgiving others.
Matthew 18:21-35
21 Then Peter approached Jesus and said to him, “How many times must I forgive a fellow believer who keeps on sinning against me? If he keeps asking me to forgive him, must I forgive him as many as seven times?” 22 Jesus said to him, “I tell you that the number of times you must forgive someone is not just up to seven, but you must ◄forgive him 77 times/never stop forgiving him►. 23 In order to illustrate why you should do this, I will tell you a story in which God [MTY/EUP], who cares for the people whose lives he rules over, is compared {I compare God, who cares for the people whose lives he rules over} to a king and his officials. That king told some of his servants that he wanted his officials to pay what they owed him. 24 So those officials were brought to the king to settle their accounts with him. One of the officials who were brought owed the king several million dollars. 25 But because he did not have enough money to pay what he owed, the king demanded that he, his wife, his children and all he possessed be sold to someone else, and that the king be repaid with {receive} the money that was paid for them. 26 Then that official, knowing that he did not have the money to pay that huge debt, fell on his knees in front of the king and begged him saying, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you all of it, eventually.’ 27 The king, knowing that the official could never pay all that huge debt, felt sorry for him. So he canceled his debt and released him. 28 Then this official went to another one of the king’s officials who owed him a bit less than a year’s wages. He grabbed him by the throat, started choking him, and said to him, ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ 29 That official fell on his knees and begged him saying, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you all of it, eventually.’ 30 But this official kept refusing to cancel that small debt that the man owed him. Instead, he caused that official to be put in prison and to stay there until he could pay back all the money that he owed him. 31 When the other officials of the king learned that this had happened, they felt very distressed. So they went to the king and reported in detail what had happened. 32 Then the king summoned the official who had owed him several million dollars. He said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I canceled that huge debt that you owed me because you begged me to do so 33 You should have been merciful and canceled your fellow official’s debt, just like I was merciful to you and canceled your debt [RHQ]!’ 34 The king was very angry. He handed this official over to some jailers who would torture him severely until he paid all of the debt that he owed.” 35 Then Jesus continued by saying, “That is what my Father in heaven will do to you if you do not feel merciful and sincerely forgive a fellow believer who sins against you.”
* 18:10-11 Some Greek manuscripts add verse 11, ‘For the Son of Man came to seek the lost’.