Mat 18 | MHM | STEP | The Importance of Humility Jesus is the greatest example and teacher of humility. He always taught his disciples to be humble and used every opportunity to show them why it is important. In this passage, Jesus addresses the issue of pride among his disciples and teaches them that true greatness in God’s kingdom comes from being humble like a child. v. 1 : The disciples came to Jesus and asked, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? They were thinking about positions and honor in what they imagined to be an earthly kingdom. They wanted to know who among them would have the highest rank. This question showed they were more interested in glory than in serving or suffering for Jesus. Many people think about rewards and status, but forget about the work and challenges that come first.

‏ Matthew 18

The Importance of Humility

Jesus is the greatest example and teacher of humility. He always taught his disciples to be humble and used every opportunity to show them why it is important. In this passage, Jesus addresses the issue of pride among his disciples and teaches them that true greatness in God’s kingdom comes from being humble like a child.

v. 1: The disciples came to Jesus and asked, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? They were thinking about positions and honor in what they imagined to be an earthly kingdom. They wanted to know who among them would have the highest rank. This question showed they were more interested in glory than in serving or suffering for Jesus. Many people think about rewards and status, but forget about the work and challenges that come first.

v. 2: Jesus responded by calling a little child to himself and placing the child among them. This was a living example to teach them. Jesus often used visual lessons to help his followers understand spiritual truths. He wanted the disciples to learn from the child’s attitude and behavior, reminding them that humility is something they must learn and practice.

v. 3: Jesus said, Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. He explained that to be part of God’s kingdom, people must change and become humble like children. Children do not worry about being important or getting special treatment. They are simple, dependent, and willing to learn. Jesus showed that pride and ambition have no place in his kingdom (Psalm 131:1-2 ^a).

v. 4: Jesus continued, Whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. God values humility more than worldly success or power. The most humble followers of Jesus are the ones God honors the most. Humility makes us ready to receive God’s grace and to serve others with love.

v. 5: Jesus said, Whoever receives one such little child in my name receives me. He promises that whoever welcomes and cares for humble believers, even the least important, is really welcoming Jesus himself. Every act of kindness to a humble Christian is counted as an act of love to Jesus (Matthew 25:40 ^b).

v. 6: Jesus warned that anyone who causes one of these little ones who believe in him to stumble or fall into sin would face terrible judgment. He said, It would be better for him to have a large millstone tied around his neck and be drowned in the depths of the sea. Hurting or leading humble believers astray is a very serious sin. Jesus cares deeply for every one of his followers, no matter how small or weak they seem, and he will protect them from harm (Luke 17:2 ^c).

Woe to the World Because of Offenses

This section addresses serious warnings about causing others to sin. Jesus teaches about the dangers of stumbling blocks—things that lead people to do wrong—and the severe consequences for those who cause others, especially believers, to fall into sin. The passage emphasizes the importance of taking sin seriously and doing whatever it takes to avoid it, both for ourselves and for others.

v. 7: Jesus says, “Woe to the world because of offenses!” Offenses are things that make people stumble or sin. Jesus knows that temptations and bad influences will always exist in the world. It is impossible to avoid all temptation because of human weakness and the influence of evil. However, Jesus warns that there is great trouble for the person through whom these offenses come. Causing others to sin is a very serious matter. Anyone who tempts, persuades, or leads another to do wrong brings guilt and danger upon themselves.

v. 8: Jesus teaches that if your hand or foot causes you to sin, you should “cut it off” and throw it away. Of course, Jesus does not mean this literally. He is using strong language to show how important it is to get rid of anything in your life that leads you to sin. It is better to enter life crippled than to be thrown into eternal fire with both hands or feet. This means we must be willing to give up things that are precious to us if they keep us from following God, because eternal life is more important than anything else (Matthew 5:29-30 ^d).

v. 9: Jesus repeats the point using the example of the eye. If your eye causes you to sin, it is better to lose it than to be cast into the fire of hell with both eyes. Again, Jesus is not talking about harming your body, but about taking extreme measures to avoid sin. We must not let anything—even something valuable—keep us from obeying God. The danger of sin is so serious that we must do whatever it takes to avoid it.

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Dealing with Sin in the Church

This section teaches how Christians should handle situations when one believer sins against another. Jesus gives a process for reconciliation and discipline among his followers, showing the importance of restoring relationships, acting with love and humility, and keeping the unity of the church. The steps are meant to help people repent and bring healing, not just to punish or embarrass anyone.

v. 15: If your brother or sister sins against you, go and talk to them privately about it. Do not gossip or complain to others first. The goal is to help them see their mistake and to restore the relationship. If they listen and change, you have won them back as a friend and fellow believer (Matthew 18:15 ^e).

v. 16: But if the person does not listen, take one or two others with you and speak to them again. This is to make sure everything is fair, and that there are witnesses who can help confirm what is said and done. This follows the Old Testament teaching that “every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses” (Deuteronomy 19:15; Matthew 18:16 ^f).

v. 17: If the person still refuses to listen, tell the whole church. This means the church leaders and the local congregation should try to help. If the person will not listen even then, they are to be treated like an outsider, or as someone who does not belong to the church. This does not mean to hate them, but they are not to share in the special fellowship of believers until they repent (Matthew 18:17 ^g).

v. 18: Jesus gives authority to the church to make decisions about discipline and forgiveness. He says, “Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” This means that God supports the decisions of the church when they follow his ways, especially concerning forgiveness and restoration (Matthew 18:18; John 20:23 ^h).

v. 19: Jesus encourages believers to pray together. He says that if two of them agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by God the Father. This shows the power of united prayer and the importance of agreement and unity among Christians (Matthew 18:19 ⁱ).

v. 20: Jesus promises that whenever two or three gather in his name, he is with them. This means his presence is with even the smallest group of believers when they meet to pray and act in his name. It encourages Christians that Jesus is with them, especially when working through difficult situations in the church (Matthew 18:20 ^j).

The Unforgiving Servant

This section teaches about forgiveness. Jesus uses Peter’s question and a parable to show how important it is for Christians to keep forgiving others. Jesus explains that God has forgiven us so much, so we must also forgive those who have wronged us. If we refuse to forgive, we show that we do not understand or appreciate God’s mercy toward us.

v. 21: Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” (Matthew 18:21 ^k). Peter thought he was being generous by suggesting seven times, since the Jewish tradition usually taught three times. He wanted to know the limit for forgiving someone who keeps doing wrong.

v. 22: Jesus answered, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven” (Matthew 18:22 ^l). Jesus does not mean literally 490 times, but that forgiveness should have no limit. Christians should always be ready to forgive others, just as God always forgives us when we repent. Forgiveness is not about counting, but about having a merciful heart.

v. 23–27: Jesus tells a parable to explain his answer. He says the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants (Matthew 18:23 ^m). One servant owed him a huge debt—ten thousand talents, an amount impossible to pay. The king ordered that the servant, his family, and all he had be sold to repay the debt. The servant begged for mercy, promising to pay back everything. The king felt compassion, released him, and forgave the debt completely (Matthew 18:24-27 ⁿ). This shows how much God forgives us for our sins—far more than we could ever pay back ourselves.

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v. 28–30: But when this servant left, he found another servant who owed him a much smaller amount—a hundred denarii. He grabbed him and demanded payment. When the fellow servant begged for more time, using almost the same words as the first servant did, he refused and had him thrown into prison until the debt was paid (Matthew 18:28-30 ^o). This shows how wrong it is to be unforgiving, especially after receiving great mercy ourselves.

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v. 31–34: When the other servants saw what happened, they were very upset and told the king. The king called the first servant and said, “You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?” The king was angry and handed him over to be punished until he paid all he owed (Matthew 18:31-34 ^p). Jesus teaches that God expects us to show the same mercy to others that he has shown to us.

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v. 35: Jesus ends by saying, “So my heavenly Father will also do to you if each of you does not forgive his brother from his heart” (Matthew 18:35 ^q). Forgiveness must be real and come from the heart, not just words. If we do not forgive others, we cannot expect God to forgive us.

In summary, Jesus teaches that there should be no limit to our forgiveness. God has forgiven us an enormous debt, so we must also forgive others, no matter how often they sin against us. To refuse forgiveness is to reject God’s mercy and invite his judgment.