Matthew 18

Mt 18:1-9.

STRIFE AMONG THE

TWELVE

WHO

SHOULD

BE

GREATEST IN THE

KINGDOM OF

HEAVEN, WITH

RELATIVE

TEACHING.

Mr 9:33-50;

Lu 9:46-50).

For the exposition, see on

Mr 9:33-50.

Mt 18:10-35.

FURTHER

TEACHING ON THE

SAME

SUBJECT,

INCLUDING THE

PARABLE OF THE

UNMERCIFUL

DEBTOR.

Same Subject

(Mt 18:10-20).

10. Take heed that ye despise--stumble.

not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their

angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven--A

difficult verse; but perhaps the following may be more than an

illustration:--Among men, those who nurse and rear the royal children,

however humble in themselves, are allowed free entrance with their

charge, and a degree of familiarity which even the highest state

ministers dare not assume. Probably our Lord means that, in virtue of

their charge over His disciples

(Heb 1:13;

Joh 1:51),

the angels have errands to the throne, a welcome there,

and a dear familiarity in dealing with "His Father which is in

heaven," which on their own matters they could not assume.

11. For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost--or "is

lost." A golden saying, once and again repeated in different forms. Here

the connection seems to be, "Since the whole object and errand of the

Son of man into the world is to save the lost, take heed lest, by

causing offenses, ye lose the saved." That this is the idea intended we

may gather from

Mt 18:14.

12, 13. How think ye? If a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them

be gone astray, &c.--This is another of those pregnant sayings which

our Lord uttered more than once. See on the delightful parable of the

lost sheep in

Lu 15:4-7.

Only the object there is to show what the good Shepherd will do,

when even one of His sheep is lost, to find it; here the

object is to show, when found, how reluctant He is to lose it.

Accordingly, it is added,

14. Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven that

one of these little ones should perish--How, then, can He but visit

for those "offenses" which endanger the souls of these little ones?

15. Moreover, if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and

tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee,

thou hast gained thy brother, &c.--Probably our Lord had reference

still to the late dispute, Who should be the greatest? After the

rebuke--so gentle and captivating, yet so dignified and divine--under

which they would doubtless be smarting, perhaps each would be saying,

It was not I that began it, it was not I that threw out unworthy

and irritating insinuations against my brethren. Be it so, says our

Lord; but as such things will often arise, I will direct you how to

proceed. First, Neither harbor a grudge against your offending

brother, nor break forth upon him in presence of the unbelieving; but

take him aside, show him his fault, and if he own and make reparation

for it, you have done more service to him than even justice to

yourself. Next, If this fail, take two or three to witness how

just your complaint is, and how brotherly your spirit in dealing with

him. Again, If this fail, bring him before the Church or

congregation to which both belong. Lastly, If even this fail,

regard him as no longer a brother Christian, but as one "without"--as

the Jews did Gentiles and publicans.

18. Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall

be bound in heaven; and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be

loosed in heaven--Here, what had been granted but a short time

before to Peter only (see on

Mt 16:19)

is plainly extended to all the Twelve; so that whatever it means, it

means nothing peculiar to Peter, far less to his pretended successors

at Rome. It has to do with admission to and rejection from the

membership of the Church. But see on

Joh 20:23.

19. Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as

touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my

Father which is in heaven.

20. For where two or three are gathered together in my name--or "unto

my name."

there am I in the midst of them--On this passage--so full of sublime

encouragement to Christian union in action and prayer--observe, first,

the connection in which it stands. Our Lord had been speaking of church

meetings before which the obstinate perversity of a brother was in the

last resort to be brought, and whose decision was to be final--such

honor does the Lord of the Church put upon its lawful assemblies. But

not these assemblies only does He deign to countenance and honor. For

even two uniting to bring any matter before Him shall find that they are

not alone, for My Father is with them, says Jesus. Next, observe the

premium here put upon union in prayer. As this cannot exist with

fewer than two, so by letting it down so low as that number, He gives

the utmost conceivable encouragement to union in this exercise. But what

kind of union? Not an agreement merely to pray in concert, but to pray

for some definite thing. "As touching anything which they shall

ask," says our Lord--anything they shall agree to ask in concert. At

the same time, it is plain He had certain things at that moment in His

eye, as most fitting and needful subjects for such concerted prayer.

The Twelve had been "falling out by the way" about the miserable

question of precedence in their Master's kingdom, and this, as it

stirred their corruptions, had given rise--or at least was in danger of

giving rise--to "offenses" perilous to their souls. The Lord Himself

had been directing them how to deal with one another about such matters.

"But now shows He unto them a more excellent way." Let them bring all

such matters--yea, and everything whatsoever by which either their own

loving relationship to each other, or the good of His kingdom at large,

might be affected--to their Father in heaven; and if they be but agreed

in petitioning Him about that thing, it shall be done for them of His

Father which is in heaven. But further, it is not merely union in prayer

for the same thing--for that might be with very jarring ideas of the

thing to be desired--but it is to symphonious prayer, the prayer by

kindred spirits, members of one family, servants of one Lord,

constrained by the same love, fighting under one banner, cheered by

assurances of the same victory; a living and loving union, whose voice

in the divine ear is as the sound of many waters. Accordingly, what they

ask "on earth" is done for them, says Jesus, "of My Father which is

in heaven." Not for nothing does He say, "of

MY

FATHER"--not "YOUR

FATHER"; as is evident from what follows: "For where two or three are

gathered together unto My name"--the "My" is emphatic, "there am I in the midst of them." As His name would prove

a spell to draw together

many clusters of His dear disciples, so if there should be but two or

three, that will attract Himself down into the midst of them; and

related as He is to both the parties, the petitioners and the

Petitioned--to the one on earth by the tie of His assumed flesh, and to

the other in heaven by the tie of His eternal Spirit--their symphonious

prayers on earth would thrill upward through Him to heaven, be carried

the living Conductor of the prayer upward, and the answer downward.

Parable of the Unmerciful Debtor

(Mt 18:21-35).

21. Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother

sin against me, and I forgive him?--In the recent dispute, Peter had

probably been an object of special envy, and his forwardness in

continually answering for all the rest would likely be cast up to

him--and if so, probably by Judas--notwithstanding his Master's

commendations. And as such insinuations were perhaps made once and

again, he wished to know how often and how long he was to stand it.

till seven times?--This being the sacred and complete number, perhaps

his meaning was, Is there to be a limit at which the needful forbearance

will be full?

22. Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times;

but, Until seventy times seven--that is, so long as it shall be

needed and sought: you are never to come to the point of refusing

forgiveness sincerely asked. (See on

Lu 17:3, 4).

23. Therefore--"with reference to this matter."

is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take

account of his servants--or, would scrutinize the accounts of his

revenue collectors.

24. And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which

owed him ten thousand talents--If Attic talents are here

meant, 10,000 of them would amount to above a million and a half

sterling; if Jewish talents, to a much larger sum.

25. But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be

sold, and his wife and children, and all that he had, and payment to

be made--(See

2Ki 4:1;

Ne 5:8;

Le 25:39).

26. The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him--or did humble

obeisance to him.

saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all--This was

just an acknowledgment of the justice of the claim made against him, and

a piteous imploration of mercy.

27. Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and

loosed him, and forgave him the debt--Payment being hopeless, the

master is first moved with compassion; next, liberates his debtor from

prison; and then cancels the debt freely.

28. But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellow

servants--Mark the difference here. The first case is that of master

and servant; in this case, both are on a footing of equality. (See

Mt 18:33,

below.)

which owed him an hundred pence--If Jewish money is intended, this

debt was to the other less than one to a million.

and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat--he seized and

throttled him.

saying, Pay me that thou owest--Mark the mercilessness even of the

tone.

29. And his fellow servant fell down at his feet, and besought him,

saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all--The same

attitude, and the same words which drew compassion from his master, are

here employed towards himself by his fellow servant.

30. And he would not; but went and cast him into prison, till he

should pay the debt, &c.--Jesus here vividly conveys the intolerable

injustice and impudence which even the servants saw in this act on the

part of one so recently laid under the heaviest obligation to their

common master.

32, 33. Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O

thou wicked servant, &c.--Before bringing down his vengeance upon

him, he calmly points out to him how shamefully unreasonable and

heartless his conduct was; which would give the punishment inflicted on

him a double sting.

34. And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors--more

than jailers; denoting the severity of the treatment which he thought

such a case demanded.

till he should pay all that was due unto him.

35. So likewise--in this spirit, or on this principle.

shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts

forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.