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Matthew 18

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1 At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?

2 And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them,

3 And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.

4 Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

5 And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me.

6 But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.

7 Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but Woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!

8 Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire.

9 And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire.

10 Take heed 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.

11 For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.

12 How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray?

13 And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray.

14 Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.

15 Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.

16 But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.

17 And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.

18 Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

19 Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.

20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

21 Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?

22 Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.

23 Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants.

24 And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents.

25 But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made.

26 The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.

27 Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt.

28 But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest.

29 And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.

30 And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt.

31 So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done.

32 Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me:

33 Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee?

34 And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.

35 So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.

   

Commentary

 

Explanation of Matthew 18

By Rev. John Clowes M.A.

Verses 1, 2, 3. That innocence ought to be exalted above every other good, and that without it there can be no conjunction of life with the Lord.

Verse 4. But that such conjunction is attainable in the degree that innocence is attainable.

Verses 5, 6. Because the Lord is innocence itself, and therefore they who are in innocence are in the Lord, and the Lord in them; but they who reject innocence, separate themselves from the Lord, and cast themselves into all infernal evils and falsities.

Verse 7. For all infernal evils and falsities come from the rejection of innocence, and though the Divine Providence cannot entirely prevent such rejection, yet the fault of rejection is not in Providence, but in him who rejects.

Verse 8. Therefore every natural affection, which rejects the truths of innocence, ought to he opposed and separated, since it is safer to he in simple good without genuine truth, than to know the truth and yet oppose it.

Verse 9. In like manner the natural thought of the understanding, which rejects innocence, ought to be discarded, since it is better not to know and to apprehend the truths of faith, than to know and to apprehend, and still live a life of evil.

Verse 10. The understanding of truth, therefore ought always to respect innocence, as being at all times in the closest connection with the Divine Good of the Lord's Divine Mercy.

Verse 11. On which account the Lord assumed the Humanity as a means of recalling the human understanding to such respect.

Verses 12, 13. And that thus a new spiritual church might be established, in the place of the celestial church which perished, in which spiritual church, as being in temptation-combats, a good might be formed superior to that of the first-created church.

Verse 14. And that thus the Divine Mercy might be manifested in the salvation of every one capable of being restored to innocence.

Verse 15. Man therefore ought to imitate this mercy by exerting every possible method to reclaim what is perverse either in himself or in others, and for this purpose by endeavouring to bring the guilt to view, that the offending party may see and acknowledge it.

Verse 16. And if the representation arising from one truth is not sufficient for the purpose, then he should apply a variety of truths to make the guilt more manifest.

Verse 17. And if this also prove ineffectual, then he should exert the influence arising from the combination of all goods and truths, in order to produce conviction, and if this prove insufficient, then the perversion is to be rejected as altogether irreclaimable.

Verses 18, 19, 20. For goods and truths combined have all power to introduce to heaven, or to exclude from heaven, being in connection with the Divine Omnipotence, and proceeding from the Lord's Divine Humanity, who is therefore continually present and operative in them.

Verse 22 to the end of the chapter. And who continually remits evil with those who desire its remission, thus instructing all who are in good and truth, that they also ought to remit without end.

Verse 24. For the debt which every man owes to the Divine Mercy is indefinite.

Verses 25, 26. And man is utterly unable to discharge it by any thing merely from himself, until he renounces his proprium, and acknowledges his inability, confessing in humility that all he possesses is of the Divine Mercy.

Verse 27. In which case he conjoins himself with that mercy, and is brought into a state of spiritual liberty, in which he freely and willingly renders back to the Lord the life which he receives from Him.

Verse 28. Nevertheless he is not yet in a state to be kind and merciful to others, according to the kindness and mercy shown to himself.

Verses 29, 30. Even though pressed by the same entreaty, with which he had prevailed on the Divine Mercy.

Verses 31, 32, 33. Until he is further instructed from the Divine Truth, that he ought to extend to others the mercy which he himself has received.

Verse 34. And is let also into temptation-combats.

Verse 35. Which must be the case with every one, until he suffers the Divine Mercy really to circulate in himself, so as to enable him to judge others from pure love and charity.

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