Matthew 18:1-14 – Humble Little Children and the Father’s Forgiveness

As we approach a new section of Matthew’s Gospel, let us take a look back and see how our previous study of Matthew’s Gospel helps us better understand each petition in the Lord’s Prayer.

• In Matthew 1-2, God’s power through history is a reason for praying, “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.”
• In Matthew 3-7, John’s and Jesus’s teaching introduce us to the kingdom of heaven for which we pray “Your kingdom come.”
• In Matthew 8-9, Jesus heals the sick and calls disciples showing us what is entailed in praying, “Your will be done.”
• In Matthew 10-14:12, the twelve disciples, citizens of the Father’s Kingdom and doers of the Father’s Will, preach the kingdom and heal the sick “on earth as it is in heaven.”
• In Matthew 14:13-17, we are shown the many ways the Father provides for us when we pray, “Give us this day our daily bread.”

And now, in Matthew 18, we find an emphasis on forgiveness, helping us comprehend the scope of the prayer, “forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” I must admit, however, that upon first reading this passage I was not convinced it was entirely about forgiveness. But, as I have spent more time in the passage, I have become convinced this chapter has been masterfully crafted — both by Jesus and Matthew — to help us more fully understand the nature of forgiveness. Matthew begins this chapter with a conversation between Jesus and the disciples. He writes,

1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”

Matthew 18:1

The keystone cops are at it again! If you remember, three of the disciples had just seen Jesus transfigured while the other nine were confronted by their lack of faith. Somehow, however, they moved past those events and began questioning who was the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Matthew doesn’t explicitly say the disciples had themselves in mind, but both Mark (Mark 9:33-34) and Luke (Luke 9:46-47) tell us they did. The sadly humorous and self-aggrandizing question hinges upon the single word, “greatest,” which in Greek is the word megas, (remember this word, it will become very important a bit later). Jesus, instead of directly answering their question, chooses to give them an illustration. Matthew writes,

2 And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them 3 and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 18:2-4

Jesus answers their question by saying that the greatest in the kingdom of heaven is the one who humbles themselves to the point of becoming the least important person in an earthly kingdom. Notice that the word “child” or its derivative, is used three times in these three verses. Jesus wants his disciples to know that the megas in the heavenly kingdom is the person who humbles themselves to become like a little child. Humility is the starting point for both the kingdom of heaven and the rest of Jesus’s teaching in this section. He continues and says,

5 “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, 6 but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.

Matthew 18:5-6

Jesus begins by using the word “child” but he quickly pulls a verbal switcheroo. For us in the English-speaking world, it may seem that Jesus is just choosing to refer to children as “these little ones,” but those who know Greek will see that Jesus is using the word mikros, which means, “small or little of rank or influence.” There may be a small child in their midst, but Jesus has shifted the conversation away from children and is now talking about those who have the smallest influence in the world. This might be a good time to recall that when the disciples asked who was the greatest, they used the Greek word megas. Jesus’s response pits two ends of the social spectrum against each other: the Megas vs the Mikros. Megas might be the greatest according to the world’s standards, but according to Jesus, the greatest is mikros.

Jesus says that when we receive the mikros of the world we are actually receiving Jesus. But if we don’t receive the mikros and then, as a result, cause them to stumble into sin, Jesus says that perhaps we should just jump into the middle of the ocean wearing a pair of concrete boots. To this, Jesus adds,

7 “Woe to the world for temptations to sin! For it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the one by whom the temptation comes!

Matthew 18:7

Jesus doesn’t suggest that we try to live in a world where no temptations exist; on the contrary, he says they will always be here. We might be a bit confused by this translation that says temptations are “necessary,” but the real meaning of the Greek word used here is closer to “inevitable.” Jesus isn’t saying temptations have to exist, but he is saying they are inevitable, and, since they are inevitable, it is best that the disciples are not the ones who bring temptations. The disciples asked Jesus about the greatest, but Jesus introduced them to humility, to the mikros of the world, and to temptations. Now Jesus says,

8 And if your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than with two hands or two feet to be thrown into the eternal fire. 9 And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into the hell of fire.

Matthew 18:8-9

If you thought that a child was mikros, just think about how mikros a crippled beggar might be. Jesus is certainly concerned that his disciples aren’t leading the mikros into temptations, but he is also concerned that his disciples don’t lead themselves there either. It is a far, far better thing that we could ever do to give up our own rights if by holding onto them we lead others or ourselves into sin. If that means giving up that which might make us megas and embrace a life of being mikros — crippled beggars — then so be it.

Notice that Jesus doesn’t tell his disciples to find some way to redeem the thing that makes them megas, rather he tells them to step back, release it, and live in humility; embrace being mikros. This is consistent with Jesus’s words in Matthew 16:26 where he said, “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?” If we must live as humble crippled beggars instead of pridefully holding onto all of our faculties, position, and wealth, then so be it. Humility, not pride, is the key to becoming the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Jesus then adds,

10 “See that you do not despise one of these little ones.

Matthew 18:10a

To despise means to hold someone in contempt, but it also means to look down on someone as being lesser than us. It is easy to have pity for the humbled crippled beggars of the world — the mikros of the world — but it is also easy to look at the mikros of the world and say to ourselves, “I’m glad I’m not like them.” When we view the mikros as a different sort of person than we are, we are despising them; we are thinking of them as being lesser than us. The sin of pride looks at the mikros and can’t wait to get to the safety and comfort of its home while humility looks at the mikros and finds a way to feed, clothe, house, visit, help, and rescue them.

To further explain the importance of not despising the mikros of the world, Jesus added,

For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven.

Matthew 18:10b

Perhaps this means, as some may believe, that every child has an angel in heaven, but remember, Jesus is talking about the mikros of the world, not just little children. Jesus is saying that the angels — God’s messengers — protect the mikros of the world and bring them to the Father’s attention. Furthermore, Jesus tells his disciples that the Father is not willing that even one of the least on earth will perish. Jesus says,

12 What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? 13 And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. 14 So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.

Matthew 18:12-14

In the context of this passage, Jesus is telling his disciples that even the Father, the greatest being in the universe, is concerned with the well-being of the mikros of this world. This is a show of absolute humility. What king, president, or leader do we know that is concerned primarily with the mikros of their nation? What king, president, or leader leaves their castle, house, or bastion to seek out the mikros of their nation?

Okay. I realize you are probably on board with most, if not all, that I have written thus far, but remember I said this section of Matthew is about forgiveness and how it helps us better pray, “forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” If you are wondering what little children, mikros and megas, millstones, temptations, crippled beggars, angels, and 100 sheep have to do with forgiveness, you are in good company. I must admit I wondered all of that too, but when I got to Jesus’s next words, it all seemed to fall into place. Jesus said,

15 “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. 16 But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.

Matthew 18:15-17

These words were spoken immediately after Jesus spoke about lost sheep, temptations, and the question of who is the greatest. These verses are of immense practical value for believers in Jesus, but they only make real sense when we read them in the context of that which has come before them. When read in context, I think Jesus was telling his disciples that humility is the starting point for all acts of forgiveness. Reserving the right to hold another person’s sins over their head and maintaining the right to judge that person are both acts of pride. Forgiveness begins when we become mikros by releasing those things that make us megas. Pride blocks our ability to forgive, pride keeps us from being gentle and accepting, and pride leads others into sin. When we don’t forgive others, shame and guilt grow in their hearts and often produce bitterness and anger. Such a heart will often find itself in a downward spiral, continuing to sin and needing forgiveness.

When we don’t forgive others, two things tend to happen. First, our hearts swell with pride because we despise those who are sinful. We look down on them as someone who has not just done something we can’t forgive, but they themselves have become unforgivable in our eyes. This, in case you were wondering, can cause another person to continue sinning and leads to the second thing that can happen: the other person lives their life in shame and guilt, never finding a way of escape. To stop these things from happening, Jesus offers another way: we must become mikros. We must let go of our fantasies of becoming megas and embrace being the least in the community. Pride excludes, but humility actively seeks to remove whatever obstacles keep the mikros from receiving forgiveness. If that means we must “cut off our hands or feet” then so be it. It is better to live in such a way so that others are able to accept forgiveness than to pridefully hold onto those things we think make us megas. In fact, isn’t that what Jesus himself has done? He, as Paul wrote, “emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men” (Phil. 2:7). And why did Jesus do this? So as to forgive us of our sins. Jesus was not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance (II Pet. 3:9). Jesus did not talk about little children so as to encourage his disciples to provide good daycare centers; Jesus brought a humble little child into their midst to show them that even the greatest of all beings, the Megas of all megases, forgives even the mikros of the world.

These verses might be the most practical advice Jesus ever gave. But what we often miss is the fact that the one initiating this process is the one who has been sinned against. The Father sent the Son to earth to offer forgiveness. He came not to judge the world but so that the world through him might be saved (John 3:17). In like manner, we don’t go to our debtors to pass judgment, we go so that we might offer forgiveness. But we must go to them in humility, giving up our supposed right of judgment and condemnation. We must approach them as mikros, not as megas. We must humble ourselves if we are to seek the opportunity to forgive.

Additionally, it is important to notice that this is the second occurrence of the word ekklesia in Matthew; its first usage was in Matthew 16:18 where Jesus said,

18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

Matthew 16:18

If you recall, I wrote that the rock upon which the church is founded is the confession that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. The church holds the power to bind or loose something both on earth and in heaven, but in Matthew 16, Jesus didn’t really explain what was bound or loosed. But now in Matthew 18, within the context of forgiveness, he says,

18 Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. 19 Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”

Matthew 18:18-20

When read in the context of Matthew 18, these words seem to say that the church — the gathering of those people who claim that “Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God” — becomes great (megas) when its people become small (mikros). Furthermore, when its people humble themselves and approach the sinner for the purpose of offering forgiveness, even if they are unwilling to admit their wrongdoing, then Jesus is present. The church — those who claim that “Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God” — holds the awesome and fearsome power of forgiveness in their hands, and it must not be withheld from any seeking it.

A quick look back to the Old Testament shows that the priests were God’s elect hand for offering his forgiveness. They stood in the tabernacle every day waiting for those who were willing to admit they were sinners. But it’s not just the Old Testament. If we look forward to the last book of the Bible, Revelation, we see something very interesting. When the lamb is being praised because he can open the sealed scroll, we read these words,

…by your blood you ransomed people for God
from every tribe and language and people and nation,
and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God

Revelation 5:9-10

The lamb has ransomed people from “every tribe language and people and nation” to become “a kingdom and priests to our God.” The Father’s kingdom is made up of priests who offer the Father’s forgiveness to those who will admit to their wrongdoing. Priests do not pronounce condemnation, rather they, just as the Son has done, become the mikros of the world so as to humbly offer them the Father’s forgiveness.

This all sounds really good, but Peter knew something we all know: it is difficult to forgive others, especially if they are constantly sinning and when they don’t seem to want to own up to their offense. This is why Peter asked the following question,

21 Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” 22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.

Matthew 18:21-22

I suppose it’s possible Jesus meant for us to count every time we forgive someone until we reach 70, but for some reason, I don’t think that’s what Jesus had in mind. At least, I hope God is not limiting my forgiveness to only 70 times, otherwise, I’m in big trouble! Jesus wants us to continue offering forgiveness even when it becomes tiresome. But in case we missed the point, Jesus gave this final illustration. He said,

23 “Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. 24 When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. 25 And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. 26 So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ 27 And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. 28 But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ 29 So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ 30 He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. 31 When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. 32 Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33 And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ 34 And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt.

Matthew 18:23-34

I hope you can now see that this whole chapter is about forgiveness. What began as a question about the greatest in the kingdom of heaven concludes with a parable about a person who receives forgiveness but is not willing to offer it. Our greatness in the kingdom of heaven is rooted in humility and finds its strength in the act of forgiveness: both receiving and giving. The Father is not willing that any — even the wayward 1-in-a-100 person — should perish, so he goes to them to offer forgiveness. But if that wayward 1-in-a-100 person is unwilling to forgive another — if their pride keeps them megas — then the Father allows the full weight of that wayward 1-in-a-100 person’s sin to fall upon them.

Jesus concluded his parable he said,

35 So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”

Matthew 18:35

Maybe there is a place where we work off our sins, but if there is, that is a frightening prospect. I don’t think any of us could ever work our way out of it. I’m not really sure about the technicalities of the theology of this section — I’ll leave that for the theologians to dissect — but I do know that we must not treat this section lightly, we must not soften Jesus’s words, and we must not minimize their import. Jesus taught that forgiveness was important, perhaps the most important thing in the kingdom of heaven. Thus, when Jesus instructed us to pray, “forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors” we are not only praying that the Father would forgive us, but we are praying that the Father would grant us the humility necessary to forgive others even when we don’t feel like it. Because if after receiving the Father’s forgiveness we are unwilling to forgive others, there may, in fact, be hell to pay.

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