READ:
Matthew 18
Deep within our souls is the desire to be great. This
desire has been planted in us by God! Many misunderstand this because the world
has redefined and idolized greatness. Jesus takes the question of the disciples
– “who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven” and provides us with God’s
thoughts on true greatness.
He says, “I tell you the truth, unless you change and
become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the
kingdom of heaven.” True greatness involves humility! This is the primary mark
of what Jesus is looking for! A child knows
their limitations. A child knows that
they need their parents. Is this our attitude? The disciples (and us!) often
want to flaunt our strength, our abilities, our talents. Jesus is suggesting
that we will be great when we humbly admit who we are and who God is.
Jesus also makes it VERY clear that sin is an issue to
be taken very seriously. This greatness isn’t just about being like “sweet,
innocent children” who laugh off or ignore one’s failures. Instead, we should
aggressively deal with anything in our lives that lead us OR others to sin.
Jesus emphasizes this by noting the, “fire of hell”. Great people, Jesus is
declaring, are humble AND holy. And anyone who is like this – child or
otherwise. Rather than looking down on them, we should realize that God is with
them! Sometimes when we’re struggling, don’t we resent the holy and humble
ones?
This chapter continues on by highlighting how we should
view the sin of others. There’s so much that we can take from this teaching!
First, the lost sheep stuck in sin are loved very much by God. In fact, He
pursues them and is thrilled when they allow themselves to be found! We need to
have the same heart! Second, if a brother is stuck in sin, a process exists
where we take their sin seriously in a way that allows for gentle
confrontation, with escalating consequences if no repentance occurs. Finally,
when one has sinned, we need to forgive as
God has forgiven us. God’s bar of forgiveness is as high as the heavens!
Jesus’ story about the unmerciful servant emphasizes that we are to aim for
this bar or else we may find God’s mercy to be cut off in our own lives.
Brothers and sisters – let’s seek forgiveness, as we don’t want to get to this
place at all!
JOURNALING
AND PRAYER
1.
Spend some time considering your life. Do you have a dependency on God,
like a little child does towards their parents? It’s very likely that the
answer is “yes” in some areas, “no” in others. Let God show you where you
depend on Him and where you do not. Thank God for what He’s already done in
your life. Then make a commitment to depend on Him in areas where you’ve been
taking charge.
2.
Sometimes we have sins which we either perceive as big or small that
stick around in our lives. Often this happens because we aren’t aggressive
enough in dealing with them or seeing how dangerous they are to our souls. Do
you have any sin like this in your life? Make a commitment to be more
aggressive! Ask God for a strategy that will result in real change!
3.
Are there brothers- or sisters-in Christ that you know who have any
patterns of sin in their lives? IF you
have a relationship with them, read over the final chapter of today’s
devotional again, along with chapter 18 of Matthew. Ask God to give you
direction on what to do with your fellow believer. Pray for wisdom, truth and
gentleness!
