Lesson 18 – The King’s Government Revealed
Read Matthew 18 – www.bible.com/bible/59/mat.18 

Perhaps because of the things that had happened in chapter 17, the disciples began to wonder what it took to be great in this Kingdom Jesus had been preaching. Jesus answered their question by telling them their faith and trust in Him had to be like that of a child. He gave them four examples of how a child-like faith and trust were to be demonstrated.

First was their reaction to temptation to sin. A child will go to any lengths to avoid things that hurt him. This was Jesus’ statement too – we must be willing to lose a part of our body if that part of our body leads us into sin. In 1 Corinthians the Apostle Paul says he disciplines his body to keep it under control so he doesn’t become disqualified to receive the rewards for the work he has done for God’s kingdom. We must master our bodies if we want to be useful in God’s kingdom.

Second, Jesus told a parable about a lost sheep, showing how just one lost person was worth the effort to find and bring into the kingdom. We are not to give up on anyone, no matter how hopeless we believe them to be. Every effort on our part is worth it to try to bring them into God’s kingdom.


Third, Jesus told about what efforts should be made when another member of the kingdom does wrong. Again, every effort is to be made to bring this person back into a right relationship with God and with other believers. We first go to the person to see if we can make the situation between them and us right, just between us. Gossip, or telling someone else first, makes us just as wrong as the person who has wronged us. If speaking to our friend doesn’t work, we still have no right to tell another person except for the purpose of having them come with us to talk to our friend to see if they can help us get it made right. Only then can we tell the church – but again only for the purpose of having the entire church help to reconcile this person to a good relationship. But if that person chooses not to be reconciled, then we as believers should not continue to treat them as if nothing is wrong – they need to be willing to forgive and be forgiven to be an active member of God’s kingdom.

Fourth is the subject of forgiveness. Jesus’ story was about someone who was forgiven much but was then unwilling to forgive another of a lesser offense. Remember the words of the prayer Jesus taught His disciples in Matthew 6? “Forgive us as we forgive those who trespass against us.” God asks the same mercy and grace of us that He’s given to us. If we refuse to forgive, we give God the right to not forgive us of our sins.

*Thought question – is there any sin that has been committed against you (that is worth holding onto as a debt owed you) great enough that God should not forgive you in the future?
* Thought question – Since God expects us to forgive those that sin against us at least 490 times (Mt. 18:22), do you think there is any limit to how many times God will forgive us?