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God's Plan, Your Part
Discover God's plan for your life with this daily Bible reading podcast.
Ryan and Jenny Zook lead a valuable daily devotional bible study with historical background, theology, and practical applications. This year we will be covering the whole New Testament, one chapter at a time.
This podcast brings the word of God to life. Whether starting from the first episode or just jumping in, this is an inspiring and enlightening way to deepen your understanding of scripture. We delve into a different passage daily and share how its teachings can impact your daily life. Start listening right now.
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God's Plan, Your Part
Matthew 18 | Embracing Humility and the Power of Forgiveness
Embark on a transformative journey as we unwrap the spiritual gifts of humility and forgiveness, inspired by the profound lessons of Matthew 18. If you've ever grappled with the tug-of-war between embracing forgiveness and the challenge of offering it, this episode promises to enlighten and inspire. We delve into the heart of Jesus' teachings, placing a spotlight on the pure-hearted example set by children as a model for entering the kingdom of heaven. Together, we confront the stark realities of sin and the dangers of leading others astray, culminating in a powerful call to forgive with the same generosity with which we hope to be forgiven.
This episode is not just a reflection but a call to action--to mend, to heal, and to love in our relationships as Christ taught us. From the tender narrative of the lost sheep that underscores our duty to guide the wanderers back to the fold, to the imperative of tough love in the face of unrepentance, we explore the delicate dance between justice and grace. We dissect the paradoxical nature of forgiveness that is universally offered yet must be personally accepted, and how this mirrors our own journey through conflict and reconciliation. Join us in bridging the gap between understanding divine forgiveness and practicing it in our daily lives, as we discover our unique roles within the harmony of God's plan.
Matthew 18 opens with a poignant lesson on humility. The disciples, caught up in worldly ideas of power, ask Jesus who will be the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus responds by placing a child in their midst, highlighting the child's innocence and dependence as traits essential for entering the Kingdom. He emphasizes that true greatness lies not in earthly ambition, but in childlike humility and openness to God's grace. This theme sets the stage for the chapter's focus on relationships and interpersonal dynamics within the Christian community.
The chapter delves into the delicate issue of dealing with sin within the church. Jesus outlines a three-step process for addressing a brother or sister's sin: first, a private confrontation; second, involving witnesses if necessary; and finally, if all else fails, bringing the matter to the church community. This process emphasizes both private reconciliation and the importance of community accountability in maintaining healthy relationships and upholding Christian values.
The chapter concludes with uplifting promises about the power of unity and prayer within the Christian community. Jesus assures his followers that if two or more agree on anything they ask for, it will be granted by t
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-Ryan and Jenny
Hey everyone, welcome to God's Plan, your part, year two, where this year we're reading through and studying the entire New Testament one chapter at a time. Thanks again for joining us in discovering God's plan and your part in it.
Speaker 2:Today we are talking about humility and forgiveness, and I am actually excited for this conversation because I think it's applicable. I think that I can grow in this area. Those who are listening that are annoyed by me you probably think, yeah, you can grow in that area. I think, culturally, we can definitely grow in this area. I think the church can grow in this area. Today we are looking at Matthew, chapter 18, and you'll notice that as we go from the beginning of the chapter to the end of the chapter, jesus starts by teaching about humility and he ends by teaching about forgiveness, because the two of them kind of go hand in hand and they lend themselves to each other. And I think there's several things we can talk about here, just in how we see this play out in day-to-day life and how we handle these passages in Matthew 18.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I really appreciate how and I hadn't really thought about it until I went back and looked at each section again like, oh interesting, it's kind of like you get to see Jesus and his thought process just kind of woven out through how he teaches. So he does start talking about humility, like you said, ryan, and we do end up in a place where we're talking about forgiving each other no matter the cost, but in between it goes from who is the greatest right. That's the beginning where it's like talking about you need to humble yourself and shortly after that talks about like we will all be tempted by sin. Moving from there, some of us will actually fall away like that lost sheep because of the sin that we choose to partake in. After that, what to do if someone sins against you, and then, finally, what it's like to actually extend forgiveness if that happens.
Speaker 1:Because we are all in situations where we are definitely seeking forgiveness and also where we are, I guess, giving forgiveness as well or asking for forgiveness as well. We've all been in those situations. But what is so, I guess, pointed in my mind is this idea of feeling wronged by someone, but on the same like, in the same thought, how frustrated I am when I feel like I am wronged and I almost like like demand forgiveness from someone but then can be so, so quick to be like I'm not saying sorry to them, like how crazy is it that our heart can be so driven towards what is right, that we need to be, we need to have like an apology, but at the same time we're so willing to just hold on to those, those grievances, to like no way am I forgiving you for what you did. It's just so crazy.
Speaker 2:There's. There's so much I want to talk about here. So first of all, just to do the chapter justice, these dang disciples. They're like Jesus, who is the greatest? Now think about this. These are actual people that have been following Jesus for some time at this point and we know from the other gospels that they love to fight about who is the greatest. So I don't think that this is an empty question. I think this is a loaded question.
Speaker 2:I think that the disciples are coming to Jesus and being like hey, so Jesus, who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? And I think their anticipated response is like well, peter, james and John. But he's like go find me a little kid, find me a little kid. And he holds up this little kid who would have had culturally no value at all, no voice at all, and he lifts them up saying like little children are valuable and we need to come to the father, like children come to the father. And so this is like an insane object lesson. And then he goes on to say like you better not cause a kid to fall into sin, like if you do, it'd be better if you had a millstone around your neck just flopping in the ocean. So that's pretty crazy.
Speaker 1:Well, and I think what's interesting too is that it is not, it was probably not just this conversation of well, jesus, which one of us is like the best you know, like I'm sure it was a lot of like Jesus knew their thoughts, their heart.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, he knew what was like driving them. And, just like in any situation, there's always like this dumb pecking order that we always find ourselves in and it always becomes like this real tension of who is the best, who does carry the most weight, who does have the most value. And when you're with someone like Jesus, I'm sure that is probably like even more amplified, which is probably even more frustrating to Jesus, like that's not the point, you're missing it entirely. So much so that he takes a child, like you were saying, whereas in past chat, like other chapters or other books that we have read in the past, like children didn't mean a whole lot even in the disciples eyes.
Speaker 1:So it's really, it's really interesting that he's just like knock it off. These guys like these guys even hold value in the kingdom.
Speaker 2:I am willing to stick my neck out and say I think that I would be one of the people that is falling into this problem Over and over, like, because it just like it means a lot to me.
Speaker 1:When.
Speaker 2:I'm recognized and validated and, like I know, I I feel like I have grown in this area. But I know how it is possible for me to try to like set up a scenario where I'm like Publicly praised and that is disgusting, like that's not good, it's not humble, it's not honorable, and I understand that. But what I'm saying is I'm assuming some of you would resonate with this like I know what it is like to be in a scenario like that, where you're hoping to get a pat on the back and Jesus Refuses to give that pat on the back and this is not the only time this happens and so he highlights this child and then moves into this situation of how to Handle sin and forgiveness, basically restoration and forgiveness. I'm interested in how that would have connected to the real-world situation. But this is so important to us today, these lessons on forgiveness, so important to us today.
Speaker 1:I think this gradual like I was talking about earlier this gradual thread that Jesus goes Through is worth kind of digging into in each section, so like, for instance, versus seven to nine, it's all talking about temptations to sin and I think what's really important is sometimes we can put people in our minds of who this could be like. Oh well, that person, like they, fell into that sin. But this is everyone. This talks about Literally every person, so the temptation to sin includes all of us.
Speaker 2:I. I think what's interesting is what he says about temptation to sin, like if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out. If your arm causes you to sin, cut it off. It's better for you to walk into the kingdom of heaven like maimed and cut to pieces, then thrown into hell, complete and it. What I have seen happen, like in Christian circles, is that we kind of like devalue this passage is just hyperbole, like oh, jesus didn't really mean that, and I agree Jesus did not really mean that. But what I have also seen is that we tend to like reject it too far To where, well, jesus didn't mean we had to give up on that. Like I think. Like I think that if you have things in your life that cause you to sin, you should get rid of them.
Speaker 1:Didn't you know a guy in college that?
Speaker 2:really struggled with pornography.
Speaker 1:Okay, and he like went outside and smashed his phone. Yeah, so this is an issue.
Speaker 2:It's kind of like a pet peeve personal issue, but since you brought up I'll talk about it like that left a mark on me, like like I lived with this group of guys in college In this, in this one house. There was like four of us there and one night this dude came down the steps with his iPhone and a hammer and we're like what are you doing? He's like I'll be back and he came back in with a smashed up iPhone and a hammer.
Speaker 2:We're like what is wrong with you. He's like I am sick of watching porn on my phone all the time, so I smashed that thing to pieces and it like it like if you saw that happen, it would probably leave a mark on you. You'd be like huh. But I'm glad that that story stuck with me because I am astounded by how many people know that they are continually falling into sin because of their phones. But they have convinced themselves that they cannot do life without their phones. And I think this verse is applicable, like I think Jesus would say smash it up and throw it away.
Speaker 2:Will your life be harder? Yes, do you have a deeper sin issue? Obviously yes, but why not at least restrict your access? Like, restrict your access to it and be amazed at how much better your life is. And this is not applicable just to phones. So please don't think that if you have some kind of sin that you fall into regularly, you probably know already what you could be cutting out of your life. That would cause you to sin less. Ultimately, it's a heart issue, it's a mind issue, it's something you need to deal with, but I don't think it's a negative thing to create better habits and better scenarios to where you're not falling into sin.
Speaker 2:I think that honors this passage.
Speaker 1:So we go from there to the parable of the lost sheep, which I've always kind of just put in its own little box. But what's interesting is that we're coming off of this conversation about humbling yourself and being aware of sin to this idea that as Christians, we are like these sheep and we can wander, we can kind of get off track. So it's it's cool to put it in that perspective because, like I said, I can oftentimes box this up. But the next section, I think, is probably what hit home with me the most. If your brother sins against you, and there have been, like there has been, through this passage, many like very specific steps to take in order to, I guess, like take this problem head on.
Speaker 2:Yeah, there's. There's like a clear, step by step plan on how to handle restoration forgiveness that kind of stuff, but it does build on what's already established in Deuteronomy, like there's a clear progression of like having witnesses and confirming witnesses that Jesus is building on. So he's not pulling this out of nowhere.
Speaker 1:But what hit me most about this passage is that one that, like, if something has happened, you feel wronged by your brother, it says go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. Ok, that's the first verse. And if he listens to it, if he listens to you, it says you've gained a brother, and that to me is just like OK, that is like where we want to be.
Speaker 1:And the second part is if he doesn't listen to you, take two others along with you, that they may, or, excuse me, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. So like bringing those trusted people with you to approach this person. Then finally, it says if that doesn't work, then take the, take the issue to the church. And if that doesn't work, then this is the kicker. This is what got me the most. If he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a gentile and a tax collector.
Speaker 1:And it is weird to me because, like oftentimes, my mind would be like no, keep loving, keep loving, keep loving, keep loving. But loving doesn't always look like keep going back and keep going back and keep going back. What it looks like is OK, no, like you are an outsider now, like if you're not even willing to humble yourself about your sin, where I'm trying to like get to a like good common ground with you, then, like I'm not going to keep going and going and going, like I've stated what I feel like has been an offense to me. And if someone's not willing to like extend an apology or have common ground, then honestly, it's just like treating them like an outsider, unfortunately, is what's going to happen Now. That doesn't mean I'm going to like treat you like crap, yeah, but I think I will continue to pray for you and hope someday that you will come to a place of seeking reconciliation.
Speaker 2:I have heard this taught in a really compelling way by by man. I really respect that. Talked about how it is important to also have in your perspective on this particular passage, how Jesus treated those particular people. So Jesus made a point of seeking out Gentiles and tax collectors so that they could be brought in. Now what Jesus is teaching here is saying treat them as you the audience would treat Gentiles and tax collectors. There's no question that the audience did not have respect for Gentiles and tax collectors. They just plain didn't. But Jesus went out of his way to restore those people.
Speaker 2:So when I have taught these passages in the past, I think it clearly does teach that there is a step by step method here. Restoration is what you should desire, forgiveness is what you should desire. You should pursue forgiveness at all costs. There is a point where there is like okay, you're not with us anymore, like like you're not part of this thing anymore. The thing I like about adding to it the perspective on like how Jesus treated these groups of people is that I don't think we're supposed to ever be like hard, harded and against people.
Speaker 2:And when I have seen church discipline practice and I don't know if this is just a church discipline passage I think this is a passage that is applicable to all of us. But when I've seen church discipline practiced, oftentimes that like restoration piece is really missing, Like it's like hey, why does it seem like you actually just want me out of here and you're not interested in forgiveness? Why does it feel that way? And it's because a lot of times we're not handling this well. When I read over these passages about forgiveness and Jesus is going to go into like a lengthy parable about forgiveness, basically establishing you should read it for yourself. Read the text for yourself. Listen to the text. He's basically establishing like a lot has been forgiven of you. It is very silly for you not to forgive somebody else. So, like God has forgiven us a mountain of trespass, it is very silly for us not to forgive of someone else a very small hill of trespass.
Speaker 1:Well, isn't that interesting, though, too, because Jesus came, he ultimately forgave every sin, and there will be some that still reject that. Like I think there's a cool parallel to that too. Like Jesus is not like forcing anyone to accept him, but he has come, he has completely humbled himself, given all of himself, and, like the, the option is there, so you can. It's almost like a take it or leave it kind of thing. Like he came, he taught us, he died for us, like I don't know.
Speaker 2:I just feel like there's an interesting parallel to that, so I think there's two things that we can really grow in in these passages, why I was excited to talk about them. One is it's obvious from what Jesus is teaching that there's some level of like personal awareness, like within the community. There's this idea that you do know people and you're doing life with people and there is going to be times when you you need forgiveness. You need forgiven because you did something stupid or you did something offensive and you need forgiveness.
Speaker 2:So Jesus is teaching one this is kind of like an extension, but one like you are going to do life with people and there's going to be times that arise where forgiveness is necessary. So I think the second thing that we can take away from this that applies to us today is we kind of live in this like don't judge me culture, don't hold me to any kind of standard culture, even even I think within the church, sometimes like hey, don't be calling me out on stuff I don't need that.
Speaker 2:Um, but Jesus is applying this teaching to his disciples and to this audience, because forgiveness is going to be necessary. So if forgiveness is necessary, obviously there's like a mark we should be hitting because a conversation that has to be had. Yeah, like there's obviously judgment happening, because we're judging right or wrong and if forgiveness is necessary or not. Now Jesus has already established that you should not hypocritically judge somebody else. But when you can confidently judge somebody else, knowing that there's not hidden sin in your own life, you're allowed to call somebody out.
Speaker 1:And it goes both ways. I think it's always seen as like a one way street, but it is both ways.
Speaker 2:And, to be honest, I'm always nervous to teach a passage like this, because I'm always nervous that somebody's going to hear this and be like well, I still remember that time that he acted like a jerk to me and if that is happening, please tell me. Like I really do want to resolve those things. I'm just being honest. Like that is a thing that I think about, because in the course of my life I've offended many people and I regret it and I want to seek to honor other people and forgive other people, and that is what the passage is teaching.
Speaker 2:There are times I don't know why this happens, but there are times when it's like well, you know Matthew 18, and like it seems like people quote Matthew 18 when they're in like a defensive posture. That doesn't seem to be helpful. It's a little bit weird. So the point of this passage is like admit when you're wrong, ask forgiveness when you do something wrong, don't be hard hearted. There are consequences for when you refuse to forgive and there's power in forgiveness. I guess we haven't even talked about how Peter then says like well, what if I forgive my brother seven times, which is double the Jewish standard, and Jesus basically says well, I think you should forgive 77 times, which was like mind blowing.
Speaker 1:Basically.
Speaker 2:Jesus is saying we live a life of forgiveness.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean again, just exactly as he is mirroring that to us in his, his life, his walk on this earth. So I would say today there is so much application in this entire chapter. So I would say for yourself, think about ways that you can constantly be seeking reconciliation with others. I know that sometimes it's really easy to find those and it's easy to talk to certain people about certain things, and other times there might be things that like grow really really deep, things that have gone for years without reconciliation.
Speaker 1:I would strongly encourage you today to ask God to help you to really navigate through those situations, seeking reconciliation, seeking humility and seeking forgiveness with those around you in order to reflect a life where others can say, oh yeah, I definitely can see Christ in that person because they are willing to forgive, they're willing to be humble and they're willing to reconcile situations with others. So thanks for joining us today for Matthew 18. We will be back again tomorrow with 19. Thanks for joining today's episode of God's plan, your part, as always. Please consider partnering with us, as we are a listener supported podcast that we hope to continue to grow with support from listeners just like you.
Speaker 2:We've made it super easy to partner with us, and you can support us by following the link in our show notes or our description. You can support us with as little as $3 a month.
Speaker 1:Every little bit of this helps so much, and we're so thankful for your support. With that in mind, here's today's reading.
Speaker 2:Matthew, chapter 18. At that time, the disciples came to Jesus saying who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? I'm calling to him a child. He put him in the midst of them and said truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me.
Speaker 2:But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. Woe to the world for the temptation to sin, for it is necessary that temptations come. But woe to the one by whom the temptation comes. And if your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than with two hands or two feet to be thrown into the eternal fire. And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into the hell of fire. See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father, who is in heaven. What do you think If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the 99 on the mountains and go in search of that one that went astray? And if he finds it, truly I say to you he rejoices over it more than over the 99 that never went astray. So it is not the will of my Father, who is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.
Speaker 2:If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 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 text collector. Truly, I say to you whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again. I say to you if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them. Then Peter came up and said to him Lord, how often will my brother sin against me? And I forgive him? As many as seven times. Jesus said to him I do not say to you seven times, but seventy seven times.
Speaker 2:Therefore, the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. When he began to settle, one who brought to him, who owed him ten thousand talents. And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold and his wife and his children and all that he had, and payment to be made. So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him have patience with me and I will pay you everything. And out of pity for him, the master of the servant released him and forgave him the debt.
Speaker 2:But when the same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii and, seizing him, he began to choke him, saying pay what you owe. So his servant fell down and pleaded with him have patience with me and I will pay you. He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. Then his master summoned him and said to him you, wicked servant, I forgave you for all the debt because you pleaded with me and should not. You have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you, and in anger, his master delivered him to the jailers until he should pay all his debt. So also my Heavenly Father will do to every one of you if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.
Speaker 2:Thank you so much for listening to today's episode of God's Plan your Part. Don't forget you can find us on just about every social media platform and YouTube. Let us know what you thought of today's episode and if you have any questions, go ahead and post them there. You can also reach out to us directly at God'splanyourpart at gmailcom, as always. If you don't have a Bible or if you'd like to use the one that we use, reach out to us via email and we'll be happy to send one to you. Thanks again for listening. We'll see you again tomorrow.
