ONEFamily
Outreach exists to "Connect
Kids to Community and Communities to Kids."
I originally began posting these studies as a service to the jails and shelters where I was a Chaplain. They are available for free. If you can make a donation (no donation is too small), that would help defray some of the costs and support our work. If you are unable to support us at this time -- it's okay, I've been there too -- God bless you in your ministry and I pray this study can be a blessing to you.
ONEFamily
Outreach is primarily
supported by your donations and by trainings, workshops, retreats and concerts.
[Mt 18:15] “If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. [16] “But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that BY THE MOUTH OF TWO OR THREE WITNESSES EVERY FACT MAY BE CONFIRMED. [17] “If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. [18] “Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.
[19] “Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven. [20] “For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.”
Matthew 18:15
[Mt 18:15] “If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother.”
“You have won your brother.”
Do you remember Christ’s aim in these latter chapters of Matthew? Repeatedly, he is refining the disciple’s view of the Messiah from the cultural viewpoint of global conqueror to God’s viewpoint of suffering servant. If we understand Christ’s perspective than we can understand his teaching.
Let’s begin by looking at where Matthew tells us this discussion began:
Matthew 18:1
At that time the disciples came to Jesus and said, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”
Mark is a little more explanatory; this is where the episode begins for him:
Mark 9:33-34
They came to Capernaum; and when He was in the house, He began to question them, “What were you discussing on the way?” But they kept silent, for on the way they had discussed with one another which of them was the greatest.”
Does it sound like the apostles had caught the heart of Jesus’ message?
Matthew 16:24-27
[Mt 16:24] Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. [25] “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. [26] “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? [27] “For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and WILL THEN REPAY EVERY MAN ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS.”
Would the disciples have scrambled for the preeminent position if they knew it meant standing by a beaten Jesus in Herod’s courtyard?
Jesus is still working to unshackle his disciples from a delusional faith. He sent them into the harvest [Mt 10], let them feel the sting of the Pharisee’s prejudice and then confronted them in their prejudgment against the Canaanite woman [Mt 16]. He revealed himself on the Sea of Galilee [Mt 15] and on Mt. Tabor during the transfiguration [Mt 17]. Jesus stated he was not the political Messiah preached by the religious leaders as he revealed in Matthew 17:24-27 when our Lord pays taxes to the earthly king. Yet the apostles still did not understand the role of God’s Messiah. He was Savior to little one’s [v5] and lost sheep [v11-12]. To follow him is to serve those who are most neglected:
Against the background of that larger context Jesus frames the issue of the “brother who sins.” It is against the background of seeking power, forgetting the lost child, and seeking personal aggrandizement that our Lord preaches about treating our own “brother” as though they were a “Gentile or a tax-gatherer” (a foreigner or a traitor).
It is when the disciples seek to be positioned above one another that Jesus speaks of sin within the body. It is when the disciples seek privileged titles rather than graceful humility that Jesus speaks of how to oust a “brother” from the church. Jesus—who welcomed Gentiles and tax-gatherers—will not tolerate pride and within these verses he gives a three-point plan for driving that sin from your midst.
This is the “stumbling block” that must be cut off:
Matthew 18:7-10
[Mt 18:7] “Woe to the world because of its stumbling blocks! For it is inevitable that stumbling blocks come; but woe to that man through whom the stumbling block comes!
[8] “If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; it is better for you to enter life crippled or lame, than to have two hands or two feet and be cast into the eternal fire. [9] “If your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and throw it from you. It is better for you to enter life with one eye, than to have two eyes and be cast into the fiery hell.
[10] “See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven continually see the face of My Father who is in heaven.”
Jesus doesn’t speak of cutting off a stumbling block in verses 8 and 9 then lose his train of thought and switch to talking about “these little ones” in verse 10. The stumbling block is the pride that James and John displayed when they argued about: “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”
Cast that man out! Cast that sin away! Better to burn away your eyes or hands than to try and be greater than your brother or sister in Christ.
Let’s quit seeking to be great, greater, or greatest. Seek instead to be less, lesser, or least.
Matthew 25:40
“The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’
Matthew 18:16-17
[16] “But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that BY THE MOUTH OF TWO OR THREE WITNESSES EVERY FACT MAY BE CONFIRMED. [17] “If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.”
“If he refuses to listen...”
Here is the process that Jesus lays forth to deal with the “brother (sister)” who has placed his/her own needs above those of others. It is important to keep in mind how this process is primarily directed towards James and John (the Beloved no less) for trying to “pull rank” on the other disciples. The life or death of a church—indeed any relationship—hinges on the words; “What about me?” When any member of a relationship begins to say, “What about me?” the relationship begins to die.
However, as Jesus points out, when selfishness is at the expense of the littlest ones then it is time for action. Here are the steps Jesus lays forth:
First of all, there is the purpose of all confrontation, not to destroy but to restore. Christ uses the term: “you have won your brother.” To win [NT2770 kerdaino] means to gain or profit. It is a loss to all of us when we lose any person to the selfishness of this culture and Satan’s malicious deceptions. We all gain when a brother or sister chooses Christ above self. That is the framework for all admonition.
Then there is the method. We take someone aside and tell them only what we have personally witnessed. Christian admonition should never begin with, “I’ve been hearing,” or, “someone told me.” As leaders we should play no part in this gossip mill. Especially when someone comes to us and whispers about a problem they are having with someone else. Our responsibility must always be to say; “You need to speak to him/her. I’ll be glad to help you set up an appointment if you wish.” If the person insists on continuing his/her gossip without the other individual present than we should warn them of their transgression and excuse ourselves. We do damage to the kingdom whenever we become an intermediary to gossip.
If we bring an issue to a brother or sister—that involves that person placing themself above community in a selfish manner—then we do so only with much prayer and humility. These aren’t issues of personal dislike or personality conflicts. The sin of James and John was pretty public. They wanted to be named the “greatest” of the apostle’s by Jesus—in front of the others. That’s pretty blatant.
If we are sure someone is undermining the community in a selfish manner AND a personal conversation has had no impact then it is time to see if anyone else has witnessed the behavior as well. However, we should check and recheck our own hearts to make sure we are not gossiping as well and truly have the community’s interest at heart.
How do we know? Are we just going to talk about someone or are we looking for ways to resolve a potentially dividing issue? Gossips don’t seek solutions in conversations; they find pleasure in talking about someone else’s faults. A true Christian will be overjoyed to be proved wrong in his/her assessment of a negative situation.
If a person is found to be selfishly manipulating a community (or its members) for personal purposes than there is only one possible alternative and that is absolute honesty. In contemporary terminology this would be called an intervention. Those directly hurt by this person’s behavior should have the opportunity to express their hurt directly to the perpetrator.
This doesn’t mean name-calling or denigrating someone; it means an honest statement; “When you ‘did this’ I felt hurt, betrayed, devastated.” There is no judgment to such a statement, nor is there position-taking. It is viscerally honest and completely personal.
If those steps do not bring about change; Christ gives us the last alternative: “Let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.” Still, before we go too far with this example, let us examine how Jesus treated Gentiles and tax collectors. How did he treat the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s Well, the Demoniac in the Geresene graveyard or the Canaanite woman in the region of Tyre and Sidon? How did Jesus treat Zaccheus and the author of this book; Matthew? He still loved them, he still called them, and when they made Jesus their Lord, he embraced them.
If a person was sinning Christ still loved them. He didn’t ask them for counsel or direction; he didn’t put them in positions of responsibility or leadership. But when there is change, when a heart is renewed and has found its way home, then Christ celebrates like the Prodigal Son’s father. He throws a party, kills the fatted calf and gives his son his own signet ring. Christ’s eye was ever on restoring the sinner to the family of God.
Do we follow this path when we have an issue involving selfishness in the community of believers? Are all of our statements focused on restoration? That is the heart of Christian correction according to Jesus.
Matthew 18:16
[18] “Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.”
“Loosed in heaven”
Jesus proved his authority in Matthew 9:6-7:
[Mt 9:6] “But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—then He *said to the paralytic, “Get up, pick up your bed and go home.” [7] And he got up and went home.
The authority of Jesus gave him power over sin and power over disease. Our Lord gave temporary authority to the disciples when he sent them out to the twelve tribes of Israel:
Matthew 10:1
[Mt 10:1] Jesus summoned His twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every kind of disease and every kind of sickness.
Again the authority of Christ gives his disciples the power to heal and restore:
The power over unclean spirits;
The power over every kind of disease; and
The power over very kind of sickness.
He then extends this same authority to Peter in Matthew 16:18-19:
[Mt 16:18] “I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. [19] “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.”
However, the power Jesus gives Peter is no longer a temporal power; it is a power on earth and in heaven. This is not temporal authority; it is eternal influence.
Here in Matthew 18, Jesus extends the same power to the other disciples: “Whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.”
He further defines that authority in Matthew 20:
Matthew 20:25-26
[Mt 20:25] But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. [26] “It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant.”
The authority of Jesus is defined in each circumstance. Its purpose is to set free and it is given to the greatest servant.
Matthew 18:3-5
[Mt 18:3] And said, “Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. [4] “Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. [5] “And whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me.”
Are we ready for the “authority of God?” Better to ask, “Are we ready to be the humblest servant?” To have the authority of Jesus we must move beyond self and into service. We must see Jesus as more than a personal savior; but also a universal redeemer. Yes, he died for me, but I won’t understand the fullness of the cross or Christ’s authority until I am willing to go out in his name. Look at the last time that Jesus uses the term “authority” in Matthew’s Gospel:
Matthew 28:18-20
[Mt 28:18] And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. [19] “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, [20] teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
The influence of Jesus will reach the world but it transforms us from the personal to the communal, from the myopic needs of the self to the telescopic ends of the earth. We are transformed by Christ’s power when we become humble servants and we are given Christ’s authority when we use that power to heal and restore others.
Matthew 18:19-20
[19] “Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven. [20] “For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.”
“I am there in their midst.”
What does church look like? Jesus wanted his disciples to know that it had nothing to do with buildings:
Matthew 24:1-2
[Mt 24:1] Jesus came out from the temple and was going away when His disciples came up to point out the temple buildings to Him. [2] And He said to them, “Do you not see all these things? Truly I say to you, not one stone here will be left upon another, which will not be torn down.”
It wasn’t ritual:
Matthew 9:13
[Mt 9:13] “But go and learn what this means: ‘I DESIRE COMPASSION, AND NOT SACRIFICE,’ for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Church, to Jesus, was two or three followers who agree to live in the name of the Lord. Church, to Jesus had three simple components:
Two or more people;
In agreement;
To live in the name of Jesus.
Take away any of those components and it is not church. To be church there must be community, unity in purpose, and purposeful action matching Christ’s character. What does it mean to live in the Lord’s name? In Greek, “Name [NT:3686 onoma]” meant more than your given appelate at birth; it was a calling! It was to act with someone’s authority and to uphold that person’s reputation. The name of Jesus is both what he is called and his calling:
Matthew 1:21
[Mt 1:21] “She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”
In Hebrew, “Name [NT:8034 shem]” means reputation, character or, in essence, “what you are renowned for doing.”
Exodus 3:14-15
[Ex 3:14] God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM”; and He said, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ “[15] God, furthermore, said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is My name forever, and this is My memorial-name to all generations.”
There is no greater honor—yet, no greater responsibility—than to act in someone’s name. To claim someone’s name and not live by his or her character was a grievous sin; that is what it means to take someone’s name in vain.
Exodus 20:7
[Ex 20:7] “You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain.”
To act in vain [OT:7723 shav] means to make someone’s name empty, worthless, or meaningless. It means to smear someone’s reputation or to lie about him or her. When do we smear God’s name? When we claim his name and do not act according to his character. What is the proof of God’s character? Look at what Jesus told John when the Baptist asked if he was “the Expected One.”
Matthew 11:2-6
[Mt 11:2] Now when John, while imprisoned, heard of the works of Christ, he sent word by his disciples [3] and said to Him, “Are You the Expected One, or shall we look for someone else?” [4] Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and report to John what you hear and see: [5] the BLIND RECEIVE SIGHT and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the POOR HAVE THE GOSPEL PREACHED TO THEM. [6] “And blessed is he who does not take offense at Me.”
Jesus proves his name by pointing to his acts of compassion! We act in our Lord’s name when our acts of compassion point towards him. Our faith is evident because; “The BLIND RECEIVE SIGHT and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the POOR HAVE THE GOSPEL PREACHED TO THEM.”
When a community—even if it is only two people—are united in Christ’s purpose then Jesus himself is “in their midst” and “anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven.”
Is my church united in his purpose? Are we seeking our Lord’s help to achieve God’s purposes? Is Jesus known throughout our city because we are acting in his compassion? That’s the basics of church to Jesus Christ. That’s the church that will receive the ultimate blessing: “It shall be done for them!”
About the Author
Jerry Goebel is a community organizer who started ONEFamily Outreach in response to gang violence and youth alienation in a rural community in Southeastern Washington. Since that time, Jerry has worked with communities around the globe to break the systemic hold of poverty by enhancing the strengths of the poor.
A primary philosophy of ONEFamily Outreach is to teach; “poverty is a lack of healthy relationships.” And, a primary focus of ONEFamily Outreach has been to break down the barriers of poverty through creating “cultures of intentional courtesy.”
As well as having developed ongoing mentoring outreaches in his own community, Jerry travels extensively to work with church leaders, community governments, and educators.
Jerry has received five popular music awards from the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers, a Best Educational Video Award from the National Catholic Education Association, and a lifetime achievement award from the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry for living Gospel Values.
To contact or book Jerry for a presentation in your area write or call:
The New Testament Greek Lexicon based on Thayer’s and
Smith’s Bible Dictionary plus others; this is keyed to the large Kittel and the
“Theological Dictionary of the New Testament.” These files are public domain.
The Old Testament Hebrew Lexicon is Brown, Driver,
Briggs, Gesenius Lexicon; this is keyed to the “Theological Word Book of the Old
Testament.” These files are considered public domain.