Matthew 18:2 - Forerunner Commentary

Matthew 18:2

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Articles, Bible studies, and sermons that contain The Gospel According to Matthew 18:2:

Matthew 18:1-4
Excerpted from: Truth (Part 4)

God's responsibility in this is clear. That is to bring about in us (those that He is calling) an attitude of acceptance of truth. Or we might say that God, by His Spirit, leads us to a recognition of truth and this, of course, then leads us to repentance, and repentance is change, or the beginning of change.

I do not think I need to carry it any further—"unless we turn." In life what we do is pretty much determined by what we are aiming at. If you aim to be a pilot you do in your life things that will enable you to become a pilot. If you want to be an engineer, you do the things that will make you become an engineer. You get the principle.

If we really want to be in the Kingdom of God, then we will do what is necessary to be in the Kingdom of God. We just got a true principle from Jesus Christ about how to be there. He said, "Unless you are converted [unless you turn, unless you change your aim in life] and become like a little child."

Look at the illustration. How much power does a kid have? As far as society is concerned, a kid has no power at all. A child has no conscious thought of being great. He may act like he is great because he has not been well-trained, well-raised, but he does not have the capacity to think of himself as being great. That is the point here. The point here is: what do we think about ourselves? What we think about ourselves is going to determine very greatly whether or not we are headed toward the Kingdom of God. That is what Jesus is talking about.

The most insignificant member of society is a child. What can they do? What can they produce? They are not trained for anything. Their intellect is not developed. They are not even in school yet. They have not learned their numbers. They do not know how to read or write. They cannot produce a thing as far as society is concerned. They are nothing more than, let us say, a necessary evil because they are the next generation.

We understand that what we are talking about here is not possible of and by ourselves. See, God by His grace, by His Spirit, by the gift of leading us and guiding us, puts us into the position where we can make the proper choices. He gives us hints along the way, like this one about being a child. Make yourself insignificant.

If you are insignificant you think of yourself as essentially weak, in the right kind of way, and therefore you are willing to cooperate. You do not compete, you cooperate. You are not trying to be the head; you are trying to serve.

This begins to have very interesting practical ramifications and it is the key to the right kind of fellowship—what we think of ourselves in relation to others. A person who is childlike is not going to try to take over. He is not going to exert his will against others. You begin to understand that what this childlike person does is he uses all of his efforts and energies to clear the way so that others will be able to grow in grace and knowledge. He will clear the path, as it were, for the spiritual growth of others, and he will not be getting in the way, trying to cut them off.

Jesus is saying that unless we are prepared to be insignificant like a child, we are aiming at the wrong thing because from the kingdom of heaven those who are proudly self-sufficient are excluded.

One more thing. Notice it is a choice. He is not telling us that this is something that happens by magic (this turning, this conversion), ". . . unless you are converted." We know that He is talking in principle here about humility. James 4:7 and I Peter 5:5-6 show very clearly that humility is a choice.

Matthew 18:1-5
Excerpted from: Turning the Hearts of the Fathers to the Children

Let us break it down. The question from the disciples reflects their worldliness at this time. Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven? They are expecting a Messiah who is here to set up His kingdom, and they want in. The question implies status, prominence, and power. They want to see where they are going to fit into that structure.

Jesus then states three simple instructions from that same quote. 1) The goal of your conversion is to become like little children. Study the best of them, seek the ways in which they naturally portray godly characteristics. How? By observing, meditating on it, and imitating it.

2) One obvious characteristic of children is self-evident. They are humble. I know what you are saying you parents. Jesus uses this characteristic to redefine greatness as humility. Children do not generally think they are God's gift to mankind yet. And Jesus has given us one attribute of many that He could have listed.

3) Receive them. What on earth could that mean? Sit down with them, talk to them, listen to their tales and voices, love and absorb the innocence they have to offer, and then do what they do when you are with Christ.

Matthew 18:1-4
Excerpted from: Passover (Part 6)

We have a big key here. This is what impresses God—being like a little child. The child is being held up here, by Christ, as being the ideal. But "the ideal" of what? Innocence? I do not think so. Purity? I do not think so. Faith? No, I do not think so. I am not saying that a child cannot be innocent, and pure, and also express kinds of faith. I do not think that fits, though, into this context. Since the word "humble" appears there, I think it is unconcern for status.

Articles
Fully Accepting God's Sovereignty, Part Three: The Fruits
The Sovereignty of God and Human Responsibility: Part Eleven
The Sovereignty of God: Introduction

Bible Studies
Parables of the Millstone and the Lost Sheep
Parables of the Millstone and the Lost Sheep

Essays
Turning the Fathers' Hearts to the Children (Part One)
Turning the Fathers' Hearts to the Children (Part Two)

Sermons
Knowing God: Formality and Customs (Part 6)
Matthew (Part Twenty-Three)
Who Then Is In The Kingdom Of Heaven?
Who Then Is In The Kingdom Of Heaven?
Who Then Is In The Kingdom Of Heaven?
Matthew (Part Twenty-Four)
Seeing Sanctification as an Exciting Adventure
Fully Accepting God's Sovereignty (Part Four)
Conversion: Turning to God
Is the United States a Christian Nation? (Part 6)
The Father's Promise of Power!
Willingness to Believe
Sow for Yourself
Snares
From Pride to Humility
The Sovereignty of God (Part 12)
Childlike
Seeks Not Its Own

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