Matthew 18:21-34 The Third Essential For Unity And Harmony

The third essential for unity and harmony is forgiveness.  "Unless humility and honesty result in forgiveness, relationships cannot be mended and strengthened.  Peter recognized the risks involved and asked Jesus how he should handle them in the future," my commentary began.  "But Peter made some serious mistakes.  To begin with, he lacked humility himself.  He was sure his brother would sin against him, but not he against his brother.  Peter's second mistake was in asking for limits and measures.  Where there is love, there can be no limits or dimensions (Eph 3:17-19).  Peter thought he was showing great faith and love when he offered to forgive at least seven times.  After all, the rabbis taught that three times was sufficient.  Our Lord's reply, 'Until seventy times seven' (490 times) must have startled Peter.  Who could keep count for that many offenses?  But that was exactly the point Jesus was making:  Love keeps no record of wrongs (1 Cor 13:5).  By the time we have forgiven a brother that many times, we are in the habit of forgiving."

"If a brother is guilty of a repeated sin, no doubt he would find strength and power to conquer that sin through the encouragement of his loving and forgiving brethren.  If we condemn a brother, we bring out the worst in him.  But if we create an atmosphere of love and forgiveness, we can help God bring out the best in him."

Father God, help me to be in the habit of forgiving, and use that forgiveness to encourage and change for the better those I come in contact with.

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

Matthew 18: 15-20 The Second Essential for Unity And Harmony

Jesus' second essential for unity and harmony was honesty.  Sometimes, my commentary says, we offend others and hurt them, either deliberately or unconsciously.  These times could probably be included in the "sins of ignorance" of Numbers 15:22.  In Psalms 19:12, David had prayed to be delivered from "secret faults", meaning "faults that are even hidden from my own eyes."  When another Christian sins against us, or causes us to stumble, Jesus gives us here several instructions.

#1  "Keep the matter private.  Approach the person who sinned and speak with him alone.  It's possible that he does not even realize what he has done.  Or, even if he did it deliberately, your own attitude of submission and love will help him to repent and apologize.  Above all else, go to him with the idea of winning your brother, not winning an argument."

#2  "Ask for help from others.  If the offender refuses to make things right, then we may feel free to share the burden with one or two dependable believers.  Share the facts (as we see them) and ask for prayerful counsel.  It may be that we are wrong.  If warranted, then go to the offender and try once again to win him ... When sin isn't dealt with honestly, it always spreads."

#3  "Ask the church for help.  What started as a private problem between two people is now out in the open for all to see ... Just as children in the home need discipline, so God's children in the church need discipline.  If by the time the matter comes to the whole church, the offender has not yet changed his mind and repented, then he must be disciplined.  He cannot be treated as a spiritual brother, for he has forfeited that position."

#4  Keep the local church spiritual.  It is important that the local assembly be at its best spiritually before it seeks to discipline a member ... It is actually examining itself and disciplining itself ... We cannot disciple others if we ourselves are not disciplined."

"Keep in mind that humility must come before honesty.  A proud Christian cannot speak the truth in love."

Father, please help me and my Christian brothers and sisters to be in Your will so we will not have to go through this.  But if we do, please guide and direct all of us to hear Your voice.

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

Matthew 18:1-24 First of Three Essentials For Unity and Harmony

My commentary says that with so much division and dissension among professing Christians these days, we desperately need what Matthew 18 has to teach.  "Jesus rebuked His disciples for their pride and desire for worldly greatness, and He taught them three essentials for unity and harmony."

First was humility -- "That grace that, when you know you have it, you've lost it."  It continued, "When Christians are living for themselves and not for others, then there is bound to be conflict and division ... True humility means knowing yourself, accepting yourself, and being yourself -- you BEST self -- to the glory of God ... The truly humble person does not deny the gifts God has given him, but uses them to the glory of God ... The truly humble person helps to build others up, not to tear them down.  He is a stepping-stone, not a stumbling block.  Therefore, anything that makes me stumble must be removed from my life, for if it is not, I cause others to stumble."

The other two essentials are covered in the next parts of the chapter.

Father, the last few years have been times where I feel You have truly been working on this in my life.  Thank You for telling me in these verses not to deny the gifts You've given me, but to use them to Your glory.  Help me to do that.

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

Matthew 17: 22-27 A Different Miracle

"For a second time, Jesus mentioned His death and resurrection.  The disciples were deeply grieved and were afraid to ask Him about it.  In fact, the disciples did not believe the reports of His resurrection because they had forgotten His promises," my commentary began.

We read about a miracle unlike any other Christ performed next.  My commentary said it is recorded only in Matthew, it was the only miracle He performed to meet His own needs,  It was the only miracle using money, and it was the only miracle that does not have the results recorded. 

We're asked to consider the complexity of this miracle, where Peter was to go fishing to pay the temple tax.  "First, someone had to lose a coin in the water.  Then, a fish had to take that coin in its mouth and retain it.  That same fish then had to bite on Peter's hook -- with an impediment in its mouth -- and be caught.  You cannot explain all of this in a natural way.  It is too complex for an accident, and too difficult for human management."

Peter had entered the house originally to tell Jesus they were being dunned by the temple tax collectors and how he proposed to solve the problem.  "But before he could tell Jesus what to do, Jesus told him what to do!  God the Father had interrupted Peter on the mountain, and now God the Son interrupted him in the house.  If only we would let Jesus give the direction, we would see Him meet our needs for His glory."

Help me to wait on You, Father, and not to try to figure everything out myself.  Your answer will always be the best one!

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

Matthew 17: 14-21 Little Faith

A distraught father had brought his demon-possessed son to the other nine disciples while Jesus and the three were on the mountaintop.  Those other disciples weren't able to cast out the demon and heal the boy.  The father rushed to Jesus' feet as He returned.

"Our Lord's first response was one of sorrow ... He groaned inwardly and said, 'How long shall I be with you, and put up with you?'" my commentary said.  If He said that about those closest to Him, then what must He think of us today?

Jesus had given His disciples the power to cast out demons, and He told them their failure was due to their lack of faith (Matt. 17:20), their lack of prayer (Mark 9:20), and their lack of discipline (Matt. 17:21).  Those who'd not seen the Transfiguration were perhaps jealous.  Maybe the'd grown self-indulgent and neglected prayer, weakening their faith, my commentary suggested.

"Faith as a grain of mustard seed suggests not only size (God will honor even a little faith), but also life and growth.  Faith like a mustard seed is living faith that is nurtured and caused to grow.  Faith must be cultivated so that it grows and does even greater exploits for God.  Had the nine disciples been praying, disciplining themselves, and meditating on the Word, they would have been able to cast out the demon and rescue the boy," it concluded.

Father, grow and nurture my living faith.  Cultivate it and show me what You have for me to do.

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

Matthew 17: 1-13 The Transfiguration

"The Transfiguration revealed four aspects of the glory of Jesus Christ the King," my commentary said.  

First was the glory of His person.  When Jesus left Heaven to come to earth as a man, He willingly hid His glory.  "As far as the record is concerned, this is the only time Jesus revealed His glory in this way while He was on the earth ... Our Lord's glory was not reflected but radiated from within.  There was a change on the outside that came from within as He allowed His essential glory to shine forth."

The glory of His kingdom:  "One day when Jesus returns to this earth, there will be a glorious kingdom for 1,000 years with Jesus Christ reigning as King.  Those who have trusted Him shall reign on the earth with Him," my commentary said.

The glory of His cross:  "The disciples had to learn that suffering and glory go together.  Peter had opposed His going to Jerusalem to die, so Jesus had to teach him that, apart from His suffering and death, there could be no glory."

The glory of His submission:  "Peter couldn't understand why the Son of God would submit to evil men and willingly suffer.  The Transfiguration was God's way of teaching Peter that Jesus is glorified when we deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Him ... Jesus proved to the disciples that surrender always leads to glory.  First the suffering, then the glory; first the cross, then the crown," my commentary said.

Father, I am so thankful that we have these verses to show us how Your ways are higher than our ways.  What is madness to the world fits exactly into Your plans.

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

Matthew 16:21-28 He Details His Mission Here

Jesus finally tells His disciples about His full mission here, including His death to pay for our sins.  Peter pulled Him aside and chastised Him for talking that way!  Suddenly Jesus was calling Peter "Satan" or "the adversary" when just moments before He was praising him for his faith and insight!  Peter had been thinking as men think, not as God thinks.

In my commentary, it says Jesus presented His disciples with two approaches to life:

1)  "Deny yourself, take up your cross, follow Christ, lose your life for His sake, forsake the world, keep Your soul, and share His reward and glory."

or

2)  "Live for yourself, ignore the cross, follow the world, save your life for your own sake, gain the world, lose your soul, and lose His reward and glory."

I've chosen option #1, Father.  Help those I love to do the same!  Remove Satan's deception from their eyes and their hearts so that they may see Your love for them!

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

Matthew 16:13-20 A Confession And A Clarification

When Jesus asked, "And who do you say I am?", He was asking the most important question that we as humans will be asked.  He is either "the Christ, the Son of the Living God" or nothing, and our response determines where we will spend eternity.

My commentary noted that there had been other confessions of faith prior to this one.  "Nathanael had confessed Christ as the Son of God (John 1:49), and the disciples had declared Him God's Son after He stilled the storm (Matt. 14:33).  Peter had given a confession of faith when the crowds left Jesus after His sermon on the Bread of Life (John 6:68-69).  In fact, when Andrew had brought his brother Simon to Jesus, it was on the basis of this belief (John 1:41)."

It said that this confession differed from those because Jesus explicitly asked for it, and it was "a studied and sincere statement of a man who had been taught by God," not an emotional response.  Jesus also accepted this confession, it said.

In regards to Jesus' words to Peter, where He called Peter a rock, it said, "the total teaching of Scripture is that the church, God's temple, is built on Jesus Christ -- not on Peter ... Later, the same Peter who confessed Christ became an adversary and entertained Satan's thoughts."  The keys to the kingdom were not the keys to heaven and the gates of hell.  "Peter was given the privilege of opening the door of faith to the Jews at Pentecost, to the Samaritans, and to the Gentiles.  But the other apostles shared his authority (Matt 18:18), and Paul had the privilege of "opening the door of faith" to the Gentiles outside of Palestine (Acts 14:27).  "Nowhere in this passage, or in the rest of the New Testament, are we told that Peter or his successors had any special position or privilege in the church.  Certainly, Peter in his two epistles claimed to be nothing more than an apostle (1 Peter 1:1), an elder (1 Peter 5:1), and a servant of Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1:1)."

When binding and loosing is mentioned, "the Greek verbs in Matthew 16:19 are most important."  The Expanded Translation reads, "And whatever you bind on earth (forbid to be done), shall have been already bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth (permit to be done), shall have already been loosed in heaven."  "Jesus did not say that God would obey what they did on earth, but that they should do on earth whatever God had already willed.  The church does not get man's will done in heaven; it obeys God's will on earth."

Father, I thank You for teaching me that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God, and my Savior.  Please help me not to entertain Satan's thoughts as Peter did.  I don't want You to ever stop being enough for me!

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford