Jottings

by J. Miller | Category: Jottings | Jan 1956

In Matthew 18. the Lord deals with the matters of humbling and stumbling. He was asked by His disciples as to who was the greatest (or greater) in the kingdom of heaven. He did not reply immediately to the question, but firstly dealt with who are in the kingdom of heaven. "Verily I say unto you, Except ye turn (be converted, A.V. which is the correct rendering), and become as little children, ye shall in no wise enter into the kingdom of heaven" (verse 3). "Turn" or " be converted" is the passive voice in the Greek which shows that the person does not turn himself but is turned by another that is he is converted as the A.V. shows. Moreover the verb is Aorist 2 which also shows that this being converted is one act not a continuous act or series of acts. This being converted is when a person is born again at which time he is as a new-born babe This childlike state at the beginning of one's spiritual life is to continue, for the greatest in the kingdom of heaven is the person who is most childlike, childlike to all pride, malice and all kinds of sin but at the same time to be men in mind. In malice be ye babes, but in mind be men (of full age) (1 Corinthians 14. 20). Putting away therefore all wickedness (or malice) and all guile and hypocrisies and envies, and all evil speakings, as new born babes, long for the spiritual milk which is without guile, that ye may grow thereby unto salvation" (1 Peter 2. 1, 2) This childlike state of mind before God is of the utmost importance if we are going to make progress in divine things. God is greatly displeased with proud people even with such as are proud of their supposed humility

After this introduction in Matthew 18. the Lord passes O;1 to the matter of stumbling little ones who believe on Him Should we not covet to have a lowly and godly mind that gives no occasion of stumbling to Jew or Greek or to the church of God, and also to young believers in Christ? Of the man who stumbles one of the Lord's little ones, the Lord says that it is profitable for him that a millstone be hanged about his neck and that he be cast into the sea. He pronounced evil on the world for its occasions of stumbling and woe on the particular man through whom the occasion should come.

Then He deals with particular members of the human body, the hand, the foot, and the eye, which are causes of stumbling. I judge the Lord does not mean the amputation of the hand or the foot, or the casting out of an eye. Why should one eye offend more than the other? The sin which the hand, foot or eye may commit is in the will, not in the particular offending member, for though the hand were cut off, the sin of the will which caused the hand to sin would still lodge in the will though the hand was gone. The Lord quite evidently is indicating sin which the hand may do, the sin in which the foot may walk, and the sin of seeing what the eye should not see. Such sins are to be cut off and cast away, for such sins have brought and are bringing men down to endless perdition. This teaching is what Paul in Romans and elsewhere associates with the flesh. "In me," he says, "that is, in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing" (Romans 7.18).

How precious are little ones, and especially little ones that believe on Him, to the Lord! " See," said He, "that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, that in heaven their angels do always behold the face of My Father which is in heaven" (verse 10). Who are "these little ones," are they the "little ones which believe on Me"? (verse 6), or little ones, as the child whom the Lord set in the midst? I am disposed to think that they are the little ones that believe on Him, though it may have a wider application. Hebrews 1.14 would strengthen the view that believers are in view in the Lord's words. This provision of God for believers, in that they are the objects of angelic care, is truly wonderful. How wondrous is the conception of angels beholding the face of G3d and the faces of believers! What a difference! How they must long to see that moral change in them, from glory to glory, as spoken of by Paul in 2 Corinthians 3.18 !

Forgiveness is a very precious truth to the believer in Christ, in that for Christ's sake God has forgiven all his sins. But I am not so sure that we who have been forgiven are as ready to forgive others as we are to accept God's forgiveness. The words of Paul in Ephesians 4.82-5.1, 2 would be profitable to us if we memorized them and repeated them each morning.

"And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other, even as God also in Christ forgave you. Be ye therefore imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, even as Christ also loved you."

Peter tells us that "love covereth a multitude of sins" (1 Peter 4.8). Peter, a man of many failings, a true type of all the rest of the apostles and of all saints, knew the sweetness of divine love, and knew too how necessary love is in this matter of forgiveness. A mother sees few faults in her own children, and where defects are, love covers these, as did Shem and Japheth when they walked backwards and let the garment fall on their father's nakedness. Love had its place then, as seen in this action, bringing blessing to these sons of Noah, blessing which flows on through their descendants to this very day.

"Pay what thou owest" (Matthew 18.28) is oftentimes the exaction of those who have themselves been forgiven.

A brief story is told of Mr. John Wesley which is as follows :-" When Mr. Wesley was on his voyage with General Oglethorpe to Georgia, the general threatened revenge upon an offending servant, saying, 'I never forgive.'-' Then I hope, sir,' said Mr. Wesley, 'you never sin.' The general felt the force of the rebuke, and modified his action towards the servant."

The Lord's teaching in Matthew 18.21-35 arose from the question of Peter on this matter of forgiveness. Peter asked, "Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? until seven times?" The Lord's answer was that brethren should forgive their brethren until seventy times seven.

Then the Lord drew the picture of how God deals with His children, and how God's children may deal with each other. The largeness of our Father's forgiveness and the refusal of our forgiving each other, even in the most trivial matters, are clearly outlined. Let it be noted by all who have considered or may be considering the subject of the kingdom of heaven, that we have here one of the parables of the kingdom of heaven. The words of the Lord are, "Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would make a reckoning with his servants." One was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. Many years ago when precious metals were not as costly as they are today, the equivalent in English money was �1,875,000. All this vast sum of debt was forgiven by the king. But when this same servant had been forgiven, he forthwith tackled one of his fellow-servants who owed him the equivalent in past times of �3 2s. Od., took him by the throat and would have throttled him, saying, "Pay what thou owest," and forthwith cast him into prison until he had paid all. This was reported to the king by much-grieved fellow-servants. We should be very careful of our actions lest the prayers of fellow-saints land us in trouble. The king called this loveless, unforgiving servant before him, he withdrew his forgiveness and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due. The application of the parable is this

"So shall also My heavenly Father do unto you, if ye forgive not every one his brother from your hearts."

This is a picture of the kingdom of heaven which signifies God's dealing with men on the earth and His carrying out His purposes therein. Who can doubt the application of this parable today? Who can fail to be moved with the fearsomeness of the application of the truth here stated in regard to forgiveness? If there is no forgiveness for the unforgiving, then there is no communion, for communion is based on forgiveness (see 1 John 1), and if there is no communion then we are abandoned to a life of spiritual misery. Let us hear and fear.

J. Miller | Jan 1956
Jottings