Mat 18:1-5 | Clarke | STEP | The disciples inquiring who should be greatest in Christ's kingdom, . He takes occasion to recommend humility, simplicity, and disinterestedness, . Warns them against offenses, . Recommends mortification and self-denial. , . Charges them to avoid giving offense. , . Parable of him who had lost one sheep out of his flock consisting of one hundred, . How to deal with an offending brother, . A gracious promise to social prayer, , . How often an offending brother who expresses sorrow, and promises amendment, is to be forgiven, , . The parable of the king, who calls his servants to account, and finds one who owed him ten thousand talents, who, being unable to pay, and imploring mercy, is forgiven, . Of the same person, who treated his fellow-servant unmercifully, who owed him but a small sum, . Of the punishment inflicted on this unmerciful servant, . Verse 1 At the same time - Or hour; but ωρα is frequently used to signify some particular time: however, instead of ωρα, three MSS., all the Itala but four, and Origen, read ημερα, day. Origen says both readings were extant in MSS. in his time. Who is the greatest - Could these disciples have viewed the kingdom of Christ in any other light than that of a temporal one? Hence they wished to know whom he would make his prime minister - whom his general - whom his chief chancellor - whom supreme judge, etc., etc. Is it he who first became thy disciple, or he who is thy nearest relative, or he who has most frequently entertained thee, or he who is the oldest, merely as to years? Could this inquiry have proceeded from any but the nine disciples who had not witnessed our Lord's transfiguration? Peter, James, and John, were surely more spiritual in their views! And yet how soon did even these forget that his kingdom was not of this world! See , etc.; , etc. The disciples having lately seen the keys delivered to Peter, and found that he, with James and John, had been privileged with being present at the transfiguration, it is no wonder if a measure of jealousy and suspicion began to work in their minds. From this inquiry we may also learn, that the disciples had no notion of Peter's supremacy; nor did they understand, as the Roman Catholics will have it, that Christ had constituted him their head, either by the conversation mentioned , , or by the act mentioned in the conclusion of the preceding chapter. Had they thought that any such superiority had been designed, their present question must have been extremely impertinent. Let this be observed.

Matthew 18:1-5

Introduction

The disciples inquiring who should be greatest in Christ's kingdom, Mat 18:1. He takes occasion to recommend humility, simplicity, and disinterestedness, Mat 18:2-6. Warns them against offenses, Mat 18:7. Recommends mortification and self-denial. Mat 18:8, Mat 18:9. Charges them to avoid giving offense. Mat 18:10, Mat 18:11. Parable of him who had lost one sheep out of his flock consisting of one hundred, Mat 18:12-14. How to deal with an offending brother, Mat 18:15-18. A gracious promise to social prayer, Mat 18:19, Mat 18:20. How often an offending brother who expresses sorrow, and promises amendment, is to be forgiven, Mat 18:21, Mat 18:22. The parable of the king, who calls his servants to account, and finds one who owed him ten thousand talents, who, being unable to pay, and imploring mercy, is forgiven, Mat 18:23-27. Of the same person, who treated his fellow-servant unmercifully, who owed him but a small sum, Mat 18:28-30. Of the punishment inflicted on this unmerciful servant, Mat 18:31-35.

Verse 1

At the same time - Or hour; but ωρα is frequently used to signify some particular time: however, instead of ωρα, three MSS., all the Itala but four, and Origen, read ημερα, day. Origen says both readings were extant in MSS. in his time.

Who is the greatest - Could these disciples have viewed the kingdom of Christ in any other light than that of a temporal one? Hence they wished to know whom he would make his prime minister - whom his general - whom his chief chancellor - whom supreme judge, etc., etc. Is it he who first became thy disciple, or he who is thy nearest relative, or he who has most frequently entertained thee, or he who is the oldest, merely as to years? Could this inquiry have proceeded from any but the nine disciples who had not witnessed our Lord's transfiguration? Peter, James, and John, were surely more spiritual in their views! And yet how soon did even these forget that his kingdom was not of this world! See Mar 10:35, etc.; Joh 18:10, etc. The disciples having lately seen the keys delivered to Peter, and found that he, with James and John, had been privileged with being present at the transfiguration, it is no wonder if a measure of jealousy and suspicion began to work in their minds. From this inquiry we may also learn, that the disciples had no notion of Peter's supremacy; nor did they understand, as the Roman Catholics will have it, that Christ had constituted him their head, either by the conversation mentioned Mat 16:18, Mat 16:19, or by the act mentioned in the conclusion of the preceding chapter. Had they thought that any such superiority had been designed, their present question must have been extremely impertinent. Let this be observed. Verse 2

A little child - But this child could walk, for he called him to him. Nicephorus says, this was Ignatius, who was afterwards bishop of Antioch, and suffered martyrdom under, and by command of, the Roman Emperor Trojan, in the 107th year of our Lord. But this good father is not much to be depended on, being both weak and credulous. Verse 3

Except ye be converted - Unless ye be saved from those prejudices which are at present so baneful to your nation, (seeking a temporal and not a spiritual kingdom), unless ye be clothed with the spirit of humility, ye cannot enter into the spirit, design, and privileges of my spiritual and eternal kingdom. The name of this kingdom should put you in mind of its nature. -

1. The King is heavenly;

2. His Subjects are heavenly-minded;

3. Their Country is heavenly, for they are strangers and pilgrims upon earth;

4. The Government of this kingdom is wholly spiritual and divine.

See on Mat 3:2 (note).

And become as little children - i.e. Be as truly without worldly ambition, and the lust of power, as little children are, who act among themselves as if all were equal. The following saying from the Boostan of the poet Saady is very appropriate. "The hearts of infants being free from avarice, what care they for a handful of silver more than for a handful of dust?" Verse 4

Whosoever therefore shall humble himself - So great is the disparity between the kingdom of Christ and the kingdoms of this world, that there is no way of rising to honors in the former, but by humility of mind, and continual self-abasement.

The same is greatest - Thus our Lord shows them that they were all equal, and that there could be no superiority among them, but what must come from the deepest humility; he intimates also, that wherever this principle should be found, it would save its possessor from seeking worldly honors or earthly profits, and from seeking to be a ruler over his brethren, or a lord in God's heritage. Verse 5

One such little child - As our Lord in the preceding verses considers a little child an emblem of a genuine disciple, so by the term in this verse he means a disciple only. "Whosoever will receive, i.e. show unto such a child-like, unambitious disciple of mine, any act of kindness for my sake, I will consider it as done to myself."