The eighteenth chapter of Matthew’s gospel account records yet another significant teaching session from the Lord Jesus Christ. Whereas he has already described the ethical standard of the kingdom (chs. 5–7), sent his disciples out to declare the nearness of the kingdom (ch. 10), and parabolically introduced novel details about the kingdom (ch. 13), Jesus here explains a defining characteristic of greatness in the kingdom—that of childlike humility. While the world clamours for status and significance through self-promotion and applauds celebrity and influence, God’s economy celebrates and rewards meekness, selfless service, submission, and sacrifice. It is after true humility that God’s people are to pursue and, in this lesson, Jesus illustrates three things that happen when they do.

SERMON MANUSCRIPT

As we come to Matthew 18 today, we arrive at another major teaching of Jesus recorded for us in this gospel account. Whereas he has already described the ethical standard of the kingdom (chs. 5–7), sent his disciples out to declare the nearness of the kingdom (ch. 10), and introduced new details about the kingdom (ch. 13), Jesus here, in chapter 18, explains a defining characteristic of greatness in the kingdom—that of humility.

While the world clamours for status and significance through self-promotion and applauds celebrity and influence, God’s economy celebrates and rewards meekness, selfless service, submission, and sacrifice. It’s humility that God’s people are to pursue and, in this lesson, Jesus illustrates three things that happen when they do.

What We’re Called To Pursue

The lesson is introduced in the first four verses against a backdrop of pride (v. 1). When the kingdom comes, who’s going to be the CEO and who’s going to be in the mailroom? Kingdoms have hierarchies, right? Well, the disciples want to know, when it comes, who’s going to be closest to the throne. 

Jesus recognizes a teachable moment (vv. 2–4). There we see the title subject of the lesson ahead: childlike humility. This is what we’re called to pursue. Now, let’s be clear: Jesus is not telling them how to be saved. They are saved. The issue is status, not salvation. They didn’t ask how to enter the kingdom but about rank within the kingdom.

And, based on the Lord’s response, they assumed that kingdom greatness is proportionate to present greatness; that ruling then is for those who rule now, that authority then is for those who wield it now, that reward then is for those who succeed now. So, they’re asking to see the scoreboard.

We do this today. Common advice is to dress for the job you want not the one you have. The disciples know where they want to be so they’re asking the King how they should dress now.

And faced with this prideful self-sufficiency and self-promotion, Jesus explains that just as humility is necessary to enter the kingdom (v. 3), so humility will be rewarded in the kingdom (v. 4).

You want to talk about true greatness, that which is applaudable and admirable from God’s perspective? Jesus says it’s the one who humbles himself as this child. The gold medalists in the coming kingdom are the people characterized by the pursuit of childlike humility in this life. An awareness and acceptance of the reality that we are as socially bankrupt, helpless, and needy as that child sitting with Jesus. On our own we have no assets or power, no experience or influence, no standing or status. We need our heavenly Father, our Saviour, his Spirit. And learning to live in light of that reality is childlike humility. That’s what we’re called to pursue.

When we grow in this way, becoming more like children, speaking with God in prayer becomes as desperate as breathing—“I need so many things, God!” Hearing from God in his word becomes as essential as putting food in our bodies—“I’m so hungry, Lord!” Being with other believers becomes as urgent as having a roof over our heads—“I’m so vulnerable, Father!” Confessing sin becomes as crucial as clothing—“Cover me with forgiveness, Jesus!” 

As we pursue childlike humility, these elements of the Christian life move increasingly from ornamental to foundational, from optional to obligatory. That’s what true greatness looks like in kingdom economy.

What It Looks Like When We Do

So, the question naturally becomes, how do we pursue this childlike humility and what does it look like when it’s growing in our lives? Well, that’s what Jesus describes next. He shifts from what we’re called to pursue to examples of what it looks like when we do.

A zealous fellowship with all believers

And there are three of them. The first is a zealous fellowship with all believers. When we pursue childlike humility we will experience rich relationships with God’s people (v. 5).

Remember, the child represents believers and to receive one—or, welcome them in hospitality—is like welcoming Jesus. That’s good! 

But the other side is bad (vv. 6–10). To cause stumbling means to stop someone walking the road of righteousness, steering them away from godly living and toward sin, doubt, confusion, worldliness, and, ultimately, bondage. Jesus is pretty concerned about his children. Anyone who leads them astray is in danger of eternal trouble. “Do anything, no matter how temporally inconvenient or painful it is, to avoid causing stumbling.”

“Don’t you dare cause believers to stray from the truth. Don’t you dare cause believers, even yourself, to doubt or sin. God’s children are so important to him that he has angels in his presence responsible for ministering to them” (see Heb 1:14).

His children are important to God, they need to be important to God’s people as well. When we pursue childlike humility, we will not cause one another to stumble. We will not lead one another astray. We will not discourage one another, slander one another, sin against one another. Instead, we will be eager to do everything we can to accept, encourage, and love the other children around us as though it’s like we’re accepting Jesus himself (v. 5). That’s a characteristic of childlike humility: a zealous fellowship with all believers.

Show me a church family where there’s backbiting, gossip, impatience, indifference, and a general coldness toward one another and I’ll show you a prideful church, an assembly where people are too concerned about themselves to care about those around them. Childlike humility means going out of our way to avoid causing stumbling and, instead, receiving one another, encouraging one another, and loving one another. Being humble enough to realize I don’t really matter as much as my flesh wants me to think I do. I want to care for God’s children as much as God cares for his children, which is obviously a lot.

One of the affects of childlike humility and an evidence that humility is being pursued is a growing zeal for fellowship with all believers. We love them because God loves them. We serve them because God serves them. We sacrifice for them because, well, God sacrificed for them, so loving the world he gave his only Son.

A restorative pursuit of sinning believers

The second example of what it looks like when we grow in childlike humility is a restorative pursuit of sinning believers. Not only do we grow in zealous fellowship with all believers, but we grow in our desire and willingness to go after believers caught in sin.

Jesus begins this section with a parable (vv. 12–14). Again, God cares for his children. If one is lost, wandered off the path, he goes after it and celebrates its return.

Then Jesus turns to the disciples, instructing us to do the same (vv. 15–17). If a brother or sister is sinning, and sin is as bad, destructive, poisonous as the Bible claims it is and as we know it to be, and if we love our brothers and sisters as much as Scripture says we should, and if we’re growing in childlike humility like this passage is insisting we must—a sign of true greatness in the coming kingdom—it is incumbent upon us to address that sin. Humility demands it! 

If we see another Christian in sin, they’re to be confronted one-on-one. It doesn’t have to be an elder, just a family member. “Sister, I’ve noticed something that concerns me. Maybe I’m missing something, but could you explain how this action is consistent with what you confess to be true?” If they listen, repent, you’ve won them back!

But if they don’t, it’s not over. You love them too much for it to be over. You bring support; other believers that can attest both to the sin, the zeal for fellowship, and the necessity of repentance and restoration. If that doesn’t work, you take it to the whole assembly. It becomes public. If that doesn’t work, treat them an outsider, a Gentile, a sinner. This is to protect the rest of the assembly from the power of the sin and the sinner from causing anyone else to stumble. We love this sinner too much to let them do that to others. But sin is too big of a deal to not ratchet up the consequences, praying that they will repent and come back into fellowship.

Some wrongly assume discipline is prideful. Wrong. Done right, the restorative pursuit of sinning believers is a mark of childlike humility (vv. 18–19).

The Lord is promising that God will guide the assembly in this exercise of humble discipline, causing the church’s actions to mirror what God has already decided. And what a promise that is for a church family that exercises discipline in this way; we need God’s guidance, God’s affirmation, and God’s presence.

The enemy of our souls is also the enemy of Christ’s church. Satan wants us to think and believe that calling one another out on sin is a mark of pride. That’s not true. The sinner is the prideful one.

One of the affects of childlike humility and proof that humility is being pursued is the restorative pursuit of sinning believers. We go after that one sheep because, first, we acknowledge that we all like sheep have gone astray, and God came after us. He loved us enough to do that and if we’re growing in humility, we will lay down our discomfort to do the same. We also want others to do it for us should we ever stray. Pulling us back from danger.

A boundless forgiving of indebted believers

The third example of what it looks like when we grow in childlike humility is a boundless forgiving of indebted believers. Not only is there a growing zeal for fellowship with all believers and a restorative pursuit of sinning believers, but, as we grow in humility, there will be no end to the amount we will be willing to forgive those who wrong us.

The rest of this chapter really speaks for itself (vv. 21–35). An important facet of growing in childlike humility is a growing understanding of the debt we were forgiven when we trusted Jesus Christ. An infinite, insurmountable, damnable debt. But, moved by compassion, we were freed from that crushing weight.

How silly it is, how prideful it is, if we turn around and refuse to forgive those who owe us so much less. I’m not saying we’re never wronged significantly. Some of us have been. But we haven’t been wronged as much as we wrong God. As we grow in humility, we become a people characterized by a boundless forgiving of indebted believers.

Who’s going to be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? Those who humble themselves like children—no status, power, wisdom; no chip on the shoulder, no presumption.

And that humility is chased after and its growth is displayed in fellowship with all believers, the pursuit of sinning believers, and the forgiving of indebted believers.

Imagine how that type of humility can impact any group of Christians, people accepting one another, chasing those who are straying, and inexhaustibly pardoning one another when wronged. That’s a church that will weather all storms, a church that will be effective in its God-given mission, and a church in which its members thrive.

Grow Down, Not Up

I want to be part of a church like that. So do you. We want to be part of a church family that is committed to childlikeness. To growing down, not up. We want to mature toward humility. To grow up from adulthood to childhood in our meekness. We want to grow down, not up.

Greatness in the kingdom economy is not the same as in our world. We’re to give up rights to judge, rights to comfort. We’re to give up self-sufficiency and the pursuit of status here. Instead, we’re to be for one another—accepting, welcoming, encouraging, pursuing, confronting, praying, loving, forgiving, and reconciling. A prideful Christian can’t do those things. A prideful family won’t be characterized by those things. A prideful church will not stand.

Let’s keep this in mind as a body. Perhaps each week, when the tidal wave of little feet run out of this room like prisoners when the cell door pops open, when you hear their shuffle and see the slide that dismisses them, each week just use that as a reminder that we’re to be more like them. We’re to be childlike. We’re to grow down, not up. We need to pursue childlike humility. Let’s ask God to help us do that now.

 

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