In Matthew 18, we explore the various teachings and parables it presents. We begin by focusing on the disciples’ question about greatness in the kingdom of heaven and Jesus’ response that humility is key. He also emphasizes the importance of children and warns against causing them to sin. This leads to a discussion about the value of innocence and humility and how we should strive to maintain a childlike faith. We also discuss the issue of sin and temptation and Jesus’ strong words about the consequences of sin.
We then explore the parable of the lost sheep, discussing the lengths to which the shepherd will go to find and bring back a single lost sheep. This sparks a reflection on how Jesus always comes back for us and how we should have the same determination also to recover the lost sheep.
We also touch on how we treat children today and how it must make Jesus weep about our sins of how we treat children. The discussion then turns to the importance of forgiveness, with Peter asking how often one should forgive.
We then examine the parable of a servant forgiven a massive debt by a king, only to show no mercy to a fellow servant who owed him a much smaller amount. We discuss the hypocrisy of the servant and the king’s reaction when he learns of this. The takeaway is about the importance of mercy and forgiveness and how our forgiveness should mirror the boundless forgiveness we receive from God.
