Down to Earth But Heavenly Minded

What Does Matthew Chapter 18 Mean?

Matthew 18 begins with a question from the disciples to Jesus: Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? Jesus’ surprising response becomes the foundation for the rest of the chapter.

Jesus calls a child to Him and puts that child in the middle of the group of disciples as they are talking. He tells them that unless they turn and become like children, they won’t even enter the kingdom of heaven. The greatest in the kingdom will be the one who humbles himself like this child. His point is not that Christians ought to be gullible, or naïve. Rather, they need to look to God with trusting faith, and acceptance of their own limitations. Those who support and guide other spiritual “children” are serving God. Those who lead believers astray can expect harsh judgment (Matthew 18:1–6).

Temptations are necessary, not because they are sent by God (James 1:13), but because they’re unavoidable parts of living in a fallen world. Using deliberate exaggeration, Jesus urges His disciples to go to extremes to avoid sin (Matthew 18:7–9).

At the same time, He warns against being overly judgmental towards those who fall into sin. Jesus reminds us that God values everyone highly. Like a shepherd when a single sheep wanders off, God will leave the rest to bring that sheep back. His will is that none of His own should die. If God values all of His children, and celebrates when one is restored, Christians ought to have the same attitude (Matthew 18:10–14).

That raises the question of what fellow believers should do when someone is caught up in sin. Jesus gives His disciples a process for confronting a sinful person. First, the one who is wronged should go to him privately to try to resolve the issue. If that is not received, the same person should go back with one or two witnesses to establish that the person is truly guilty of the sin. If he still refuses to repent, they should take the case to the church or assembly. Refusal to repent at that point should lead to that person being removed from the community and treated as an outsider. Speaking in that same context, Jesus expands His earlier words to Peter (Matthew 16:19) to all of His disciples: Anything they bind or loose on earth will be bound or loosed in heaven. If two of them agree about anything on earth, it will be done for them by God the Father. Anywhere two or three of them are gathered in Jesus’ name, He is present (Matthew 18:15–20).

Peter then continues this line of conversation by asking about forgiveness. He questions how many times he should forgive someone who repeatedly sins against him. He suggests seven times, which is more than double what the Judaism of his era would have suggested. Instead, Jesus implies that we ought to be ready to offer unlimited forgiveness (Matthew 18:21–22).

To illustrate this idea, Jesus tells a parable. A king is owed money by one of his servants. Each talent was roughly as much as a common worker could earn in twenty years. So, the amount of 10,000 talents is more than anyone could hope to pay back in thousands of lifetimes. When the king orders the man and his family to be sold into slavery for the debt, the servant begs the king for patience and promises to pay in time. The king takes pity on the man and forgives the full debt. This is indicative of God’s patience with our sin (Romans 2:4; 2 Peter 3:9), and His incredible mercy in being willing to forgive it (Matthew 18:23–27).

The servant leaves the king’s presence and immediately finds another servant who owes him money. This debt is not tiny—equivalent to perhaps a few month’s pay—but it’s nothing compared to what the first man was freed from. That servant also cannot pay it and begs for time. The forgiven servant refuses and has the man thrown in debtor’s prison. When the king hears this, he is furious that the servant who had been shown such great mercy did not also show mercy to his fellow servant. He has the man thrown into debtor’s prison until all is repaid—which, as we already know, means this is a permanent sentence (Matthew 18:28–34).

Jesus warns that His Father in heaven will do the same to those who do not forgive their brothers from the heart. This means that those who do not demonstrate a forgiving heart likely don’t have a forgiven relationship with Christ (John 14:15). No good things we do can earn salvation (Titus 3:5), but how we live strongly reflects our relationship with God (Matthew 18:35).

Chapter Context
Matthew 18 follows the action of the previous chapter with teaching from Jesus on several issues. These include humility, using the example of a child. Jesus also teaches about avoiding sin and offering forgiveness to others. Interestingly, the following chapter will also feature references to children and to wealth, as Christ continues to explain the will of God to His disciples.

Verse By Verse

Verse 1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”

Matthew skips the set-up to the question the disciples ask Jesus in this verse. Mark and Luke reveal that the disciples were disputing with each other about who among them was the greatest (Mark 9:33–34; Luke 9:46). It shouldn’t surprise us that the disciples would end up jockeying for position and pecking order among themselves. Not only is that human nature, but rank and honor were significant in the culture of the day.

Perhaps it was apparent to all of them that Peter, James, and John were the preferred disciples. After all, they were selected to go with Jesus to the mountain to witness the transfiguration. Peter often appears to be their de-facto leader, but he is also the one who is most often called out by Jesus for blunders. In Matthew 20, the mother of James and John will attempt to manipulate Jesus into promising that her two boys will be the greatest in His kingdom, showing that neither she nor the disciples yet understand that Jesus has not come to establish a political kingdom on earth at this time.

Instead of revealing their selfish ambition, Matthew begins the story with a simple question from the disciples: Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? To modern ears, the idea that some are greater than others in heaven’s kingdom might seem unimportant. Jesus, though, will give a very specific and surprising answer.

Verse 2 And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them

The disciples have asked Jesus a very revealing question: Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? The very fact that they are asking the question and some of the events to follow show that they do not yet understand that Jesus has not come to set up His kingdom on earth at this time (John 18:36). It also shows that they do not yet understand how different Jesus’ kingdom will be from every other kingdom that has ever existed.

Jesus begins to answer their question by calling a little child to come over to Him. Some commentators speculate this scene is unfolding at Peter’s house so, perhaps, this is one of his children. Jesus sets the child in the middle of this group of disciples.

Children are the most powerless members of most societies. This was especially true in ancient times. Jewish people loved their children, but children had no rights under the law of Moses. They had no status in a very status-conscious culture. They were completely dependent on those who cared for them to provide everything they needed and to protect them from harm.

The very fact that Jesus focused the attention of this ambitious group of men on a child may have been remarkable. What He will say about children and the kingdom of heaven will be astounding (Matthew 18:3).

Verse 3 and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

It may be impossible for modern readers to understand how truly shocking Jesus’ statement in this and the following verse is. Little children had no status in the very status-conscious culture of the Jewish, Greek, and Roman worlds of this day. Children may be loved and valued and dearly cared for, but they had no say in the choices that impacted their lives. Compared to adults of any age, children were powerless.

The disciples had asked Jesus a question that came from their own disputes about who among them was the greatest. They wanted to know who would be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Jesus begins by telling them that they need to “turn” to become like children or they would not even enter the kingdom of heaven.

In other words, entrance into heaven’s kingdom cannot be gained by defeating all opponents or demonstrating personal accomplishment. Those who would enter must make themselves humble by recognizing that, like little children, they are powerless over the circumstances of their own lives. They are completely dependent on God to provide for them what they need and to protect them from harm. Only with that kind of honest humility and dependence on God can anyone come into His kingdom.

Jesus is not pointing to children as the ideal of maturity. He is not suggesting that they are sinless or innocent or noble, necessarily, only that they are without hope of providing for themselves and making themselves great. They understand that they are dependent. The disciples had not yet reached that level of humility in relationship to faith in Christ and their total dependence on Him to work through them to accomplish what was needed.

Verse 4 Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

The disciples have asked Jesus a question out of their own ambition for greatness (Matthew 18:1–3). They see themselves as twelve men on the ground floor of an organization that will soon explode into a kingdom. They seem to imagine themselves occupying the most significant positions in this new kingdom Jesus will establish on the earth and it is only a question of which one among them will be the most important. They do not understand yet that Jesus has not come to set up His political kingdom (John 18:36), but to suffer and die for the sins of humanity.

Jesus now offers His first direct answer to their question, and it must have baffled them in the moment. He points to the child He has placed in the midst of their group and says that whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

What does it mean to humble oneself like a child? Jesus is not saying that children are naturally wise, pure, innocent, and mature. We all know better than that. Children are humble in the sense that they recognize they are not in control of their own lives. They are dependent on others to receive everything they need and want. They have no power not granted by the adults in their lives. They have no status in society as a whole. They are, in reality, humble, no matter their attitude on any given day.

The greatest in the kingdom, then, is the one who is most humble, most aware of his or her lack of power, most dependent on God to provide all that is needed.

Verse 5 “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me,

Jesus is answering a question from the disciples with some shocking statements. They have asked who is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. He has replied that unless one turns to become like a child, that person will not even enter the kingdom. He has also said that the one who humbles himself like a child will be the greatest in the kingdom.

Now Jesus continues to talk about children, perhaps giving an example of the kind of humility He means. He says that whoever receives a child in His name also receives Him. Most commentators believe Jesus was no longer talking about actual children but was describing His adult followers as such children because of the child-like faith and humility required to enter the kingdom of heaven.

If so, this statement is similar to what Jesus said in Matthew 10:40-42:

“Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me…And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.”

Verse 6 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 depth of the sea.

Jesus has been describing the child-like faith and humility required to enter the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 18:1–5). Now He seems to be describing those who believe in Him, including adults, as “little ones.”

He warns that a harsh judgment will come on those who cause one of the little ones who believe in Him to sin or to stumble. This would include falling away from faith in and commitment to Christ. It would be better for that person to have a large millstone tied around his neck and to be drowned in the deep part of the sea. Drowning was a form of execution used in the ancient world, but rarely in Israel. Jesus’ harsh description of death by drowning includes being strapped to the enormous and heavy millstone pulled by a donkey as it crushes the grain. This would assure no hope of escape.

Jesus has regularly warned about a judgment to come when He returns to earth with His angels, where people will be repaid for what they have done, including their sin (Matthew 16:27). This is the first time, though, that Jesus has mentioned a judgment for those who cause others to sin, including leading those who believe in Him into sin.

Jesus’ warning here reveals that believers in Jesus are not perfect and can sin and that the consequences are serious both for them and for those who lead them into that sin. Peter, for instance, will commit the grave sin of denying faith in and relationship to Jesus. This will bring him great sorrow, but he will be restored and go on to be used by God to accomplish powerful things for Christ.

Context Summary
Matthew 18:1–6 describes Jesus’ surprising answer to a question from the disciples about who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. He calls a child to Him and puts that child in the middle of the group. He says they must become “like children” in order to enter the kingdom—a reference to humility and sincere obedience. The greatest is one who humbles himself in this way. Those who receive children like that in Jesus’ name receive Him. Using the metaphor of drowning, Jesus warns anyone who would cause one of His followers to sin.

Verse 7 “Woe to the world for temptations to sin! For it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the one by whom the temptation comes!

Jesus began by stating that His disciples will need to be like little children both to enter the kingdom of heaven and to be great in it. He was describing holding on to a childlike faith and humility instead of relying on one’s own goodness, skill, or achievement (Matthew 18:1–6).

Now, He seems to have begun describing His disciples, those who believe in Him, as little children or little ones. From God’s perspective, even the most experienced believers are still little children. Jesus has spoken of them with harsh and protective language, warning of judgment for anyone that would cause one of His little ones to fall into sin.

Now Jesus uses one of the familiar words Old Testament prophets often used when describing God’s judgment: “Woe.” Woe on the world for temptations to sin, those stumbling blocks it puts in the way of believers in Jesus to trip them up into sin. Judgment will come for them.

Jesus adds that such temptations are necessary. He does not mean by this that God is directly causing His little ones to experience temptation to sin. He seems to be saying that temptation to sin is part of living in a world that is full of sin. Facing temptation may be unavoidable for Christians, but those who lead them into sin will face God’s painful judgment.

Two other things Jesus is not saying here: He is not saying it is necessary for Christians to give in to temptation. Temptation to sin may be a fact of life for believers but giving in to it is always avoidable (1 Corinthians 10:13). Second, Jesus is not saying that believers who sin, who stumble, are lost to Him. They can get up and continue to follow after Him.

Verse 8 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.

Jesus has placed “woe” on anyone who would cause those who believe in Him, His little ones, to stumble into sin. God’s judgment will come on those who set temptation to sin in the path of Jesus’ followers.

Jesus has said that temptations in this world, in this life, are necessary. This simply means that they’re natural to the human life (Hebrews 4:15). It does not mean Christians must give into them (1 Corinthians 10:13). In fact, Jesus now uses hyperbole to command His followers to take sin so seriously that they go to extraordinary lengths to avoid giving into temptation.

Jesus says to His little ones that if their hand or foot causes them to sin, they should cut those appendages off and throw them away. By comparison, it would be better to live crippled in this way than to be thrown into the eternal fire of hell. Jesus used similar language when preaching about lust in Matthew 5:27–30.

Again, we must understand that Jesus is not saying that anyone who sins will irrevocably be bound for hell. If He were, all of us would go to hell (Romans 3:23). Those who sin can be restored, as Peter will be after denying Jesus before His crucifixion (Matthew 26:74–75; John 21:15–19). Jesus did not truly want His disciples to maim themselves to avoid sin; He did want them to take their own sin—and anything they might do to cause others to sin—with extreme seriousness. He wanted them to see that sin was a life-and-death issue.

Paul also described the seriousness with which believers should deal with their own sin. He described it as an execution: “Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth” (Colossians 3:5–8).

Verse 9 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.

Jesus has pronounced “woe,” God’s judgment, on those who place temptation in the path of His “little ones,” believers in Jesus. He has said temptation is a necessary part of life, but He is now telling believers to go to great lengths to keep themselves from giving in to temptations to sin (1 Corinthians 10:13).

Does Jesus really want His followers to cut off hands or feet or to tear out their eyes in order to avoid sinning? No. He is using the communication technique of hyperbole to communicate to His disciples the degree of seriousness with which they should deal with sin. Jesus did not want any of them to have a casual attitude to the deadly consequences of sin.

Was Jesus really warning that any believer who sins—ever—will go into the “hell of fire”? Again, we would say no. If He had meant these two things to be taken literally, first-century Christians would have been maimed and blind, and all of us would be destined for hell. Jesus will restore Peter after his sin of denying Christ and, by His death on the cross, will make it possible for all people to be forgiven for all their sin through faith in Him. In fact, Jesus will illustrate in the following verses the great lengths the Father will go to in order not to lose a single one of His little ones who have gone astray (Matthew 18:12–14).

Jesus is showing, though, that sin is the reason for the coming wrath of God. Those not forgiven for sin will face God’s judgment in hell. Those who believe in Him must not tolerate giving in to the temptation to sin or, especially, leading anyone else into sinfulness. Jesus does not allow for any casualness about sin or its consequences.

Context Summary
Matthew 18:7–9 contains Jesus declaration of woe—the promise of judgment—to the world for temptations to sin, though He says that temptations are necessary. Still, Jesus uses hyperbole to warn the disciples to go to extremes to avoid sin. If your hand or foot or eye causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. Better to be crippled or blind in this life than to be thrown into the fire of hell.

Verse 10 “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.

Scholars and commentators offer several interpretations for what Jesus might mean in this verse. He seems to be warning the disciples not to despise or disrespect any believers in Jesus. Some Bible teachers believe Jesus is speaking of actual little children, but most agree that Jesus is talking about His little ones, meaning all believers in Jesus, whatever their ages.

Why would the disciples ever despise or disrespect another believer in Jesus? It’s hard to know, but Jesus may just be describing the way that human beings often treat each other. Jesus-followers, though, must not despise or be hurtful to each other in the normal ways of humans. Jesus seems to be telling His disciples to elevate the value they place on other believers because of the value God places on those believers. After all, Jesus says, their angels always see the face of God the Father in heaven.

Over the years, people have pointed to this verse as evidence that every believer has his or her own “guardian angel.” This verse does not suggest that, however. For one thing, those angels are in heaven seeing the face of God. They are not on earth protecting the believers. That doesn’t mean it could not be true that specific angels or groups of angels are assigned to specific Christians, just that it can’t be taken from this verse.

Jesus’ point seems to be that these angels are connected in some way to these human believers while also being in the presence of God’s glory. As such, every believer is valuable and worthy of respect.

Some Bible scholars offer one other possible reading of this verse. They interpret the word “angels” to mean the spirits of those believers instead of actual angels. In that case, Jesus would be saying that the human believers we see on earth are also looking at the face of God in heaven or will be at some point. In other words, God has valued them so highly that He has already reserved a place in heaven for them. Who are we to disrespect them now?

Verse 11 For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost. (KJV)

This verse is not in the earliest manuscripts of the book of Matthew, which translators use to develop modern English Bibles. That’s why it is not included in many translations, including the English Standard Version (ESV) or New International Version (NIV). That these words were not originally part of Matthew’ writing does not make them untrue. Most likely, these were added at some point to harmonize the account with Luke 19:10, which is included in all translations: “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

The sentiment is correct, but modern translators don’t believe Matthew wrote those specific words at this point in his own account of Jesus’ life.

Verse 12 What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray?

Jesus has just warned His disciples in verse 10 not to despise any of “these little ones,” most likely meaning any of the believers in Jesus. Why not disrespect other believers? Because God the Father has decided they are of such great value that they are worthy of sharing in His glory.

Now Jesus begins to illustrate the value His Father, God, places on every single person who believes in Jesus. He will picture the Father as a shepherd with 100 sheep. Jesus asks what a shepherd with that many sheep will do if just one of them goes astray. Won’t the shepherd leave behind the 99 to go search for the one?

Historians suggest that 100 would have been about the average size of a flock in Palestine during this era. Given this scenario and value of sheep, the shepherd would leave his flock with other shepherds in the area who were tending their own sheep in order to go and find his own wandering animal. The implication is that God the Father would have the same attitude toward His own “little ones,” believers in Jesus, who go astray (Matthew 18:13–14).

Verse 13 And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray.

Jesus is comparing His Father, God, to a shepherd with 100 sheep. If one of those sheep wandered off away from the flock, the common practice would be for a shepherd to leave the other 99 sheep with another shepherd in order to find the one that had gone astray. Why? Because sheep are valuable, and the shepherd cares for His sheep.

Now Jesus continues that when the shepherd finds the missing sheep, he will be truly excited. He will rejoice more over finding the one missing sheep than the 99 that stayed with the flock. That’s just human nature. Jesus is showing that it is also the nature of God to rejoice over restoring one of His own “little ones,” believers in Jesus, who have gone astray.

What does it mean for a believer in Jesus to go astray? It seems pretty clear that Jesus is talking about believers who give in to temptation and sin. He has warned His disciples with harsh hyperbole in the previous verse just how seriously they should confront their own sinfulness, but He followed that by warning them not to despise any of the other believers in Jesus, even apparently those who fall into sin. His Father is like a shepherd who goes after a missing sheep and brings it home.

God often compared the people of Israel to sheep in the Old Testament. Jesus came to pay the price for our sinfulness and to make it possible for sinful sheep to be forgiven and be given a place with the Father. Isaiah 53:6 puts it this way, “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.”

Verse 14 So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.

Christ seems to be saying, “Don’t give up on any of those who believe in me.” Why? Because God the Father is like a shepherd who never gives up on a single wandering sheep. He always searches for them and rejoices when they are found and brought back to the flock.

Jesus has warned the disciples not to despise or disrespect any of His “little ones,” meaning those who believe in Him. This verse helps explain why. God places enormous value on each one of Jesus’ followers. It is His Father’s will that none of them should perish or die, and the Father is able to accomplish His will.

This verse does not mean that none of those who follow Jesus will die physically. Of course, most of Jesus’ disciples were killed for continuing to preach the gospel in His name. Even those believers who lived long and natural lives died physically. Instead, we understand that Jesus means His Father’s will is for every believer in Jesus to live eternally with Him in heaven, even those who go astray into sin and must be brought back.

Context Summary
Matthew 18:10–14 describes the great value God the Father places on everyone who believes in Jesus. This is often referred to as the Parable of the Lost Sheep. Jesus warns His disciples not to despises any of the believers, calling them “little ones.” They are connected to the glory of God by their angels in heaven. God the Father is a like shepherd with a wandering sheep. He will leave all the others to go and bring that sheep back. The Father’s will is that none of His own should perish.

Verse 15 “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.

In the previous verses, Jesus has warned His disciples about the grave seriousness of leading any of the other believers into sinfulness. He has also warned them not to despise or disrespect other believers, even ones who have gone astray. After all, God the Father’s will is that none of the believers in Jesus should perish or be eternally separated from Him (Matthew 18:10–14).

But what should the community of believers do if someone does fall into sin? How can they both take sinfulness seriously and attempt to bring the sinner back to faithfulness? Jesus gives a process for doing exactly that.

He begins by describing a scenario in which one among them sins. Some scholars question how the words “against you” should be read in this verse. Some earlier Greek manuscripts don’t have those two words, simply saying “If your brother sins.” Is Jesus talking about someone who sins only against another believer? Or someone who offends or does something disagreeable? Or is this someone who sins in any obviously and truly clear way? It’s reasonable that the same process should be applied in all cases.

If another believer in Jesus sins against us—or if we become aware of the clear and obvious sin of another Jesus-follower—Jesus insists that the first step is always to have a private conversation with the person. This is often the most effective step in helping anyone to recognize and repent from sin. However, it’s only likely to work if one approaches that person in childlike love and humility and without despising him or her. The goal is to keep this person as a brother or sister, not to shame or humiliate them.

If the result is not repentance, and we are still convinced of this person’s ongoing sin, it is time to carefully bring someone else into the conversation (Matthew 18:16).

Verse 16 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.

This is the second step in a process Jesus taught His disciples for confronting believers who have sinned or are continuing to sin. The beginning of the process involves only the person who is wronged and the one who has sinned. Or, perhaps, it involves the person who has witnessed another person sinning in some specific way. In either case, one person approaches another about the sin. The goal is confession and repentance in order to restore the relationship (Matthew 18:15).

More often than we realize, a simple conversation between two people is all that is needed for someone to admit wrongdoing and to begin to make different choices. Sometimes, though, the sinful person refuses to see their sin. He or she may deny it. They may refuse to stop.

If that is the case, Jesus now describes the next step in the process. The person who initiated the complaint should return, this time with a small group, such as one or two other people. Jesus is confirming here the principle established in the law in Deuteronomy 19:15, “A single witness shall not suffice against a person for any crime or for any wrong in connection with any offense that he has committed. Only on the evidence of two witnesses or of three witnesses shall a charge be established.”

There are clear advantages to making this the next step in conflict resolution. The addition of one or two other people still keeps the matter fairly private. The goal remains repentance and restoration, not public shaming. However, adding more witnesses ensures that the issue is not merely about differing opinions or perspectives. Both the accuser and the accused have the opportunity to make their case to a third party. It may even be decided by those new participants that it’s the accuser, not the accused, who is in the wrong.

If the additional witnesses agree that the accused is participating in sin, he or she has the opportunity to repent. Otherwise, the witnesses can confirm to the larger body in the next step of the process the refusal to repent (Matthew 18:17).

Verse 17 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 tax collector.

Jesus has been describing a process for confronting another believer who is guilty of sin. It begins with one person, likely someone wronged by the sinful person, approaching him privately about the issue. If they can agree and resolve things—especially if the wrongful person confesses and repents of the sin—then the process stops there. All is made right (Matthew 18:15).

If not, the accuser must recruit one or two other people to return with him or her to the sinful person and try again. Ideally, additional witnesses will objectively establish the truth. This is an opportunity to weed out rivalry or misunderstanding or inconclusive difference of perspective. However, if those new participants agree sin has taken place, this gives the wrongful one another chance to admit the sin, repent, and make things right (Matthew 18:16).

Now Jesus prescribes what must happen if the sinful person continues to refuse repentance and restoration. The accuser and the witnesses must accept the unpleasant task of presenting the situation to the church or the assembly. Again, ideally, those assembled as believers in Jesus will hear the issue and agree with the accused and the witnesses that sin has taken place. If the larger body does not agree wrong has been done, the process would stop here. If they do agree the accused is wrong, he or she is given one last chance to repent and make things right, now in a public setting.

Finally, if the sinfulness of the accused has been established and he or she continues to refuse to repent and make things right, then the church is to begin to treat this person as an outsider—in essence, as if they were a non-Christian. Jesus’ description of this consequence, using the examples of tax collectors and Gentiles, shows He is talking to His group of Jewish disciples within the context of their Jewish culture. The Jewish religious community also had a process for removing someone from their community who was in rebellion against God.

It’s important to understand that none of these steps involve treating the unrepentant person with disrespect. Jewish people had working relationships with Gentiles and even tax collectors. They simply did not allow them into the heart of their community and religious life. It’s also important to notice that Jesus is not describing these excommunicated people as condemned by God at this point. As Paul will show in 1 Corinthians 5:1–13, the goal for the church remains the restoration of the sinful person once he or she has finally come to repentance.

Also, it should be noted that banishment from a community should never be practiced lightly. Christian leaders should never despise those under their care, even those in rebellion. Much harm has been done by Christian leaders who have mishandled the application of this passage. The final step in this process should only ever be entered into with humility and great love for everyone involved—it is literally presented as the last resort.

Verse 18 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.

Prior verses outlined out a process for Christians to follow when dealing with a believer who refuses to repent of sinful behavior. That process ends, as a last resort, with the person being removed from the community and treated as an outsider (Matthew 18:15–17).

Now Jesus extends what He has said to Peter earlier in Matthew to include the rest of the disciples. After Peter’s declaration that Jesus is the Messiah and Son of God, Jesus said, “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven” (Matthew 16:19).

In this context, Jesus seems to be telling the disciples that heaven will confirm their decisions to include or remove people from the community of believers in Jesus. It’s important to see that this is a privilege and power given to the twelve disciples who will become the twelve apostles as the Holy Spirit comes and the church is born. For now, Jesus makes this promise to them and not to others. They will fill a unique and special role in the history of God’s people and the church that will set them apart from most other people.

Verse 19 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.

In these words, often misinterpreted and misapplied, Jesus is talking to the Twelve within the context of a sinful believer who is being removed from the community of Christians. These men will become the apostles of Jesus, given enormous power to represent Him on earth after He departs for heaven and the church is born. One power He will give to them is accurately presenting godly truth (John 14:25–26).

Jesus does not give these men authority over heaven by saying that whatever they bind or loose on earth will be bound or loosed in heaven. Rather, when they describe a person as bound by sin or freed from sin, they are speaking truth. If they describe someone as included in the church or removed from it—according to these teachings of Jesus—that statement holds true. It is an enormous responsibility.

Likewise, Jesus’ comments on prayer must be carefully understood. This promise follows the statement on binding and loosing, which itself is a continuation of remarks about church discipline. In this case, that seems to limit application to the disciples’ prayer of removing a believer from the community for a refusal to repent. Again, this would be a very solemn and heavy responsibility.

It is drastically against the context of this passage to assume this is a promise from God that any two or three Christians who come together to ask for anything from God will receive what they ask for.

Verse 20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”

This is another one of Scripture’s more famous and often-quoted statements. This simple promise from Jesus to His disciples follows a teaching about what God the Father would do for them when two or three of them agreed in prayer about a specific subject (Matthew 18:15–19).

Now Jesus adds the reason the Father will do what these two or three disciples of Jesus ask. The key is not their personal power or merit. It is because when two or three of them gather in the name of Jesus, Jesus is there with them. This is a promise for the days to come after Jesus returns to heaven. It is an assurance that He will, in some way, be present among them. It also explains why God the Father will grant these requests made by the disciples. It will be because Jesus is omnipresent—existing in all places—and therefore with them.

This must have been comforting to Jesus’ disciples as they thought about carrying out these heavy responsibilities He was giving to them. What a weight of responsibility, as well, to make the right choices about what to request from the Father.

Context Summary
Matthew 18:15–20 describes the process Jesus gives to the disciples for dealing with sin-related conflict among a group of believers. The first step is for the one who is wronged to go and speak privately with the one who has sinned in hopes of restoring the relationship. If the sinful person refuses to repent, the same wronged person should return with one or two others and then take the issue to the church or assembly. If repentance never happens, that person should be treated as an outsider. This is also the process Christians are expected to follow in cases of disagreements or other arguments: individually, then privately, then publicly.

Verse 21 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?”

Peter likely thinks he is being generous and noble in this question to Jesus. Jesus has just finished describing a process for what to do when another believer in Jesus sins against you. It’s a process that starts with a one-on-one conversation and ends, if there is not repentance on the part of the sinful person, with removing that person from the community of Jesus-followers (Matthew 18:15–20).

Peter seems to be thinking about cases when someone repeatedly sins against you. The Jewish rabbis required those who followed the law to forgive a person who was guilty of the same offense three times. Then they were free to stop forgiving—in that mindset, the offending person had exhausted any reason to be forgiven. Peter seems to know that Jesus’ standard will be higher, so he more than doubles that number. He forms his suggestion into a question: As many as seven times? Jesus, as usual, will give Peter a surprising answer.

Verse 22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.

Peter has asked Jesus a question about forgiving someone who sins against you. Apparently, Judaism required you to forgive the same person three times for the same offense. Peter, perhaps thinking he is being generous, asks Jesus if he should forgive someone who sins against him up to seven times. Jesus says no. Instead, you must be prepared for effectively unlimited forgiveness.

The only scholarly debate over this verse is irrelevant to how these words are meant to be applied. It can be argued that the Greek construction here means “seventy and seven,” meaning seventy-seven times. However, it can also be construed to mean something like “70 times 7 times,” meaning 490.

It’s possible that Jesus, in naming the number 77, is playing off the words of boastful Lamech in Genesis 4:24. Lamech was talking about revenge against those who might harm him for killing a man. God had promised that Cain would be avenged seven times if anyone killed him. Lamech said to his wives, “If Cain’s revenge is sevenfold, then Lamech’s is seventy-sevenfold.”

Fortunately, nuances of Greek grammar don’t impact the main point being made. Here, and in the parable to follow, Jesus means that believers in Him should forgive and keep on forgiving without any plan to stop.

Verse 23 “Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants.

Peter has asked Jesus if he should forgive someone who sins against him up to seven times. Jesus has said no. Instead, Peter should forgive 77 times—or, possibly, 490 times—meaning Peter should plan to always forgive, with no plan to stop forgiving. Holding on to unforgiveness toward others should never be an option (Matthew 18:21–22).

To illustrate why this is true, Jesus begins a parable. As with other parables, Jesus starts by saying that the “kingdom of heaven may be compared to…” In this case, the point of comparison is also a kingdom with a powerful king. The time had come for that king to settle accounts with his servants or slaves.

In a large and prosperous country, the king would have high-ranking slaves who lived very well, better even than the free citizens of the nation. In the case of this story, those servants were able to borrow or hold money owed to the king in some way for a limited time. The time to pay up had arrived.

Verse 24 When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents.

Jesus is telling a parable to illustrate why His followers should plan to forgive each other, always (Matthew 18:21–22). He has begun by saying the kingdom of heaven can be compared to the king of a large nation. That king was ready to settle accounts with his servants or slaves. This mean that his slaves owed the king money.

One of the servants who was brought before the king owed him the astronomical figure of 10,000 talents. Depending on how one calculates things like inflation, gold prices, and so forth, the modern value of this figure can change quite a bit. Generally speaking, a talent was about as much money as a low-level laborer could make in twenty years.

The sum Jesus mentions here is so large that it becomes meaningless to calculate an exact number—this is literally many thousands of lifetimes worth of debt. What’s owed is exponentially beyond what the debtor can ever hope to pay. Likewise, how any servant could ever come to owe his king this much money is impossible to imagine. That, also, is not the point of the story. However, it also factors into the king’s merciful nature that he allowed the servant to go so far into debt in the first place.

Jesus might even have been using a deliberately exaggerated figure simply to make His teaching clear (Matthew 18:25–27).

Verse 25 And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made.

Jesus is telling a parable to illustrate why those who follow Him must be ready and willing to forgive everyone for everything. He has described a king who is owed the impossible figure of 10,000 talents by a servant. Jesus has named this number as a kind of hyperbole. It may have made those who were listening chuckle because it was so impossibly, astronomically large. A common laborer would earn about one talent over the course of twenty years; the figure Jesus mentioned could be the modern equivalent of million or even billions of dollars (Matthew 18:23–24). Nobody could come close to paying this.

However, since the man could not pay, the king decided to get what he could. He ordered that the servant be sold into slavery, along with his wife and children and all he owned, so some payment could be made. It was a common practice in ancient times to sell into slavery those who owed more than they could pay, although the Jewish people did not practice this.

The king’s take for such a sale would have been tiny in comparison to what was owed. The price for a slave was 2,000 days’ wages at the most. Even if the king got that price for each member of the servant’s family, it would have come nowhere near to a fraction of a percent of the amount owed.

Verse 26 So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’

This parable illustrates why Christians ought to be willing to forgive when others sin against them. He has described a king who is demanding payment for an impossible debt from one of his servants. The man owes 10,000 talents, the equivalent of literally thousands of lifetimes of earning. Jesus chose a huge, unpayable number in order to make His point about forgiveness. Since the man cannot pay, the king has ordered him and his family to be sold into slavery, along with everything he owns. The amount the king would get for this would not add up to a drop in the bucket of the servant’s debt. Still, the king would get something (Matthew 18:23–25).

Now the servant falls on his knees before the king and begins to beg the king for patience. He promises to pay back the money if given enough time. Given the amount owed, however, everyone listening to Jesus tell this story would have understood that to be absurd. The servant’s promise was empty and hopeless. The king in the story understands this, as well.

Verse 27 And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt.

After teaching that Christians should plan to offer unlimited forgiveness (Matthew 18:21–22), Jesus is illustrating with a parable. A servant owes his king 10,000 talents—each talent being worth twenty years of labor. This would have been an impossible amount to imagine a servant owing to a king. It’s certainly a sign of the king’s patience to allow that to happen (Romans 2:4). Since the servant cannot pay, the king has ordered that he and his family be sold into slavery to make some payment (Matthew 18:23–25).

The servant has begged the king to be patient, promising to pay back all he owes. This, obviously, would have been impossible (Matthew 18:26).

This leads to an unexpected twist: The king takes pity on the man. He doesn’t set up a payment plan. He doesn’t cut the debt in half. In pity for his servant, the king simply forgives the entire amount. He wipes out the debt. It is gone. If it was impossible to imagine owing a king that amount of money, it would have likely been even more impossible for Jesus’ listeners to imagine a king just forgiving it. The king in Jesus’ story, though, does exactly that.

The meaning behind Jesus’ parable is taking shape, and some of His first listeners may have begun to think they understood it. The debt of sin was apparently often compared to financial debts during this time. Here is a powerful king who not only patiently stands by while a servant accumulates mind-boggling debt, he then forgives the debt. This is meant to be a powerful analogy for salvation through faith in Christ (Romans 5:8; Titus 3:5).

The parable is not done, however. Peter’s initial question was about being forgiving towards other people, and so far Jesus has only spoken of forgiveness granted by a king. The tie-in to Peter’s question comes in the next part of the story (Matthew 18:28).

Verse 28 But when that 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.’

Those engaged in Jesus’ parable have likely breathed a sigh of relief. He depicted a servant who owed the king an impossible amount of money. The king was going to exercise his right to sell the man and the man’s family into slavery as a payment on that debt. The servant begged for time to pay the debt off, something he clearly could never do since it was such a large amount. Then, finally, the king graciously forgave the man for the entire amount of the debt with no need to ever pay it back (Matthew 18:23–27).

The man was free. It was a story with a happy ending. For those with ears to hear (Mark 4:9), this part of the story gives perspective to humanity’s relationship with a forgiving God. Through faith in Christ, God forgives a debt for our sin that we could never hope to repay. That debt is so severe it’s remarkable God allowed us to fall so far in the first place. We deserve eternal fire, and God gives us instead an eternal place in His own family through faith in Christ (Romans 5:8; John 1:12; 3:16–18).

This story is not over, though. Jesus continues, following the man out from the presence of the king and into a confrontation with another servant. This fellow servant owes the man 100 denarii. This is not a tiny sum; a denarius was about a days’ wages. Still, it was an irrelevant fraction of a fraction of a percent of what the king had just forgiven this man. All the same, the man angrily demands payment, grabbing the other servant and even choking him.

Verse 29 So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’

Jesus’ story has taken a shocking twist. A king has forgiven one of his servants his entire debt of 10,000 talents, equivalent to literally thousands of lifetimes of wages. The king was going to sell the man and his family into slavery but took mercy on the man when he fell to his knees and begged the king for patience. The king wiped the debt out and sent the servant on his way (Matthew 18:23–27). This is a powerful picture of God’s patience and mercy with our sin-debt, which can never be atoned by good works (Titus 3:5).

Instead of that happy ending, though, the servant immediately goes out and finds another servant who owes him money. This debt is, 100 denarii, about 100 days’ wages. That’s not a trivial amount, but it’s nothing compared to what was just written off. However, the man demands immediate payment, grabbing and choking the other servant. The servant in his debt falls to his knees and begs the man to be patient with him, promising to pay what he owes.

The man now finds himself in a similar place as the king was just moments ago. His response will not be the same (Matthew 18:30).

Verse 30 He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt.

Two servants face each other, one on his knees begging for an extension on a loan amount of about 100 days’ wages. The other servant has just been forgiven a debt of, roughly, several thousand lifetimes of wages by the king after begging for an extension on the loan (Matthew 18:23–29). What will the man do?

Famously, he refuses to forgive his fellow servant’s debt or even to extend the loan. Instead, he has the other man put in debtor’s prison until he is able to pay back the full amount of the loan. Debtor’s prisons don’t exist in many places these days. Then it was a strategy to force a person’s family or friends to come up with cash to get them out of prison, since they could not earn money themselves to pay their way out from prison.

This shocking twist in Jesus’ parable turns those of us in the audience from rooting for the servant stuck in impossible debt to rooting against a man that is so ungrateful he will not spare another from the fate he just escaped himself. The meaning behind Jesus’ parable is creeping closer.

Verse 31 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.

Outrage would be an appropriate emotional response to what the servant in Jesus’ story has just done. The man was forgiven by the king for an astounding amount of debt instead of being sold into slavery with his wife and children (Matthew 18:23–27). However, that same servant immediately demanded payment for a relatively tiny debt owed to him from a fellow servant. When that servant could not pay, the recently-forgiven man had his co-worker thrown into debtor’s prison.

The other servants of the king are described by Jesus as deeply disturbed by this. They knew both sides of the story. They knew that, incredibly, the accusing man had been forgiven for an impossible sum. They knew that, unbelievably, the man had refused to forgive or even negotiate the much smaller sum. The ugliness of that action got to them. It could not stand. They went and reported to the king what had happened.

The point of Jesus’ parable is becoming clearer. God is like the king in that He remains patient even as we accrue a massive “debt” of sin. In Christ, He forgives our enormous, unpayable debt of sin, the sin that has earned us His wrath and judgment. After Jesus’ death and resurrection, this story would resonate even more deeply with the disciples. After all, Jesus is the one who paid the debt for our sin with His life. We are forgiven because He suffered and died (John 3:16–18; Romans 5:8).

Soon, Jesus will tie this parable to Peter’s question about forgiveness (Matthew 18:21–22). The point is that it is outrageous for those who have been forgiven such an extraordinary burden of sin debt—at the cost of the life of Jesus—should refuse to forgive a tiny-by-comparison amount of sin inflicted on us by another.

Verse 32 Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me.

The distress of a man’s fellow servants has now become the fury of his king. Those servants have reported to the king that the same man he had forgiven for an unrepayable debt had turned around and thrown another servant in jail for a ridiculously smaller debt. The one who had been forgiven all refused to forgive any (Matthew 18:23–31).

The master, the king, calls the servant back into his presence and then calls him wicked. The king reminds him that he just forgave the enormous debt because the man pleaded with him. One can only imagine the anger the king would have expressed. This will not go well.

Jesus’ point is obvious now. God has forgiven those who believe in Jesus of an enormous, unpayable debt of sin instead of sending us away to the fires of hell. Should that change the way we think about forgiving each other? How can someone who is a born-again believer fail to appreciate the debt they’ve been forgiven? Does such a person even understand their own relationship to God (Matthew 6:14–15)? That, in fact, is the point Christ will make in the next verses (Matthew 18:35).

Verse 33 And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’

The king has heard that the man he recently forgave of an absurdly huge debt had another servant thrown into prison over a much smaller obligation (Matthew 18:23–32). He now asks a question that should pierce the guilty man’s heart. It should also pierce the heart of every believer in Jesus who struggles to forgive others. The king asks, “shouldn’t you show the same mercy to others I showed to you?”

This makes Jesus’ parable very personal. God is the king who has forgiven our sin. How much does that add up to? Romans 6:23 is clear that the wages of sin is death. In other words, we owe God death, eternal and painful, as the payment for our sin. The debt we accrued for sin is so outrageously large we have no hope of ever paying it back. And yet, God not only is patient with us while we accumulate those sins (2 Peter 3:9; Romans 2:4), He offers complete and total forgiveness (Romans 5:8; John 3:16–18) Those who believe in Jesus, though, are forgiven. Romans 6:23 goes on to say that the gift of God is eternal life, rather than death, for those who are in Jesus Christ.

Jesus, the one telling this story, will soon die on the cross to pay the death we owed to God for our sin (John 12:32–33). God will soon offer eternal life to all who come to Him through faith in Jesus. Eternal life begins with the forgiveness of sin through the death of Jesus. This is a gift of mercy.

It’s helpful to realize that both parts of Jesus’ parable involve debt—meaning both instances of forgiveness imply something real. Jesus is not saying that when others sin against us, or harm us, or hurt us, that we should act as if it’s nothing. The second servant’s debt was significant. The point is that even those large, painful “sins” others commit against us don’t compare to the level of forgiveness we’ve been offered through faith in Christ (Colossians 2:13–14).

Those who follow Christ should have mercy on each other, even for the painful wrongs done to us, as God has had mercy on us for our debt of sin against Him.

Verse 34 And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt.

This is the last sentence in Jesus’ story about the servant who refused to show mercy to his colleague after the king had shown mercy to him. The king had forgiven the first man’s debt, which was equivalent to literally thousands of lifetimes of income. That same man then had his fellow servant cast into debtor’s prison for a debt of 100 days’ wages (Matthew 18:23–33).

In response, the angry king now reverses his earlier decision and delivers the servant to the jailers to be imprisoned, as well, until all his debt is repaid. This is, in effect, a life sentence since the servant owes such an impossible sum of money. In the context of Jesus’ parable, it is an eternal sentence.

Jesus’ troubling application of the parable in the following verse raises questions for all of us. The point of this story is to demonstrate how much we “owe” God on account of our sin. For that reason, those who claim salvation in Christ ought to reflect that understanding by being forgiving towards others. Those who cannot, or will not, be forgiving, give reasons to doubt their relationship with Christ is legitimate (John 14:15).

Verse 35 So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”

Jesus told the story in this passage (Matthew 18:23–34) in response to Peter’s noble-sounding question: Should I forgive my brother for sinning against me seven times? Judaism required forgiveness of the same person for the same offense at least three times. Seven was twice that plus one. Peter was suggesting taking it to the extra mile when it comes to forgiving others (Matthew 18:21–22).

This parable was used to show how limited Peter’s idea of forgiving each other really is. How much should a man, forgiven by the king for thousands of lifetimes worth of debt, be willing to forgive from others? The man in the story refused to forgive a debt of 100 days’ wages, causing every listener to agree with the king that the man was wicked. Perhaps they even cheered when the man was thrown in debtors’ prison.

Now, though, Jesus drives the point of the story home. His Father in heaven, God, will also imprison every person who does not forgive his brother from the heart. God expects those whom He forgives to forgive everyone who sins against them up to the amount they themselves have been forgiven. Since every sin we commit is committed against God, those who are forgiven by Him are forgiven for every sin, every wrong and wicked choice, we ever do over the course of our lifetimes. Nobody will ever sin against us anywhere near to the amount we have sinned against God.

How are we forgiven? Only through faith in Jesus and by God’s grace (Ephesians 2:8–9). The one who told this story is about to die on the cross to pay the price for the sins of all who believe in Him (John 3:16–18; Colossians 2:14). Now He tells us that God will not forgive those unwilling to forgive as they have been forgiven. This is not because forgiveness is a pre-condition of salvation (Titus 3:5), but because forgiveness is a symptom of those who have been truly saved.

God’s grace for us is absolute and our only hope of spending eternity with Him. We cannot earn His forgiveness by forgiving others. Instead, we should understand that the God who saves us begins to change our hearts and make us new in the image of Christ (Romans 12:1–2). The ability to forgive those who hurt us is evidence that the Spirit of God in us through faith in Christ is alive and active and at work in us.

Those who absolutely refuse to forgive may be showing that they are not willing to receive God’s forgiveness for their much larger debt of sin. This does not apply to those who want to forgive yet are grappling with it. Even if we’re not perfect, we can demonstrate willingness to obey. We can live consistently with an understanding that God has forgiven us for far more than we will ever need to forgive in others.

Context Summary
Matthew 18:21–35 answers Peter’s question about how many times he should forgive a brother who sins against him. Jesus tells a parable about the servant of a king. The king forgives the man’s enormous, unpayable debt. In turn, the servant refuses to forgive the much smaller debt owed him by another and has that man thrown in prison. The king is furious and asks the servant why he did not show the same mercy he had been given. The king has the man jailed until he pays everything. Jesus says that God the Father will do the same to those who do not forgive their brothers.

Chapter Summary
Jesus uses two questions from the disciples to teach important lessons. The “greatest” in the kingdom is the one who humbles himself like a child. Temptation is unavoidable in earthly life, but it’s worth going to extremes to avoid falling for it. Even so, those who fall should not be hated and despised. God the Father values them highly and wants none of them to perish. In fact, Jesus lays out a clear, careful process to confront sin in others before removing them from the community. Christ also replies to Peter’s question about forgiveness with a parable. This story represents both God’s amazing forgiveness, and the way we ought to respond as Christians.