Matthew 18:1…….Working

Matthew 18:1…….Working

18:1 At that time (After Jesus’ Transfiguration.-{17:1-5} Or Jesus having just announced His death-(17:22-23) they want to know who’s next in line.) the disciples came to Jesus (Peter, James and John may have felt special privilege over the others, because they accompanied Jesus up the mountain where He was Transfigured.) and asked, “Who is the greatest (3187-Comparative in degree, rank. chief, top-dog, head-honcho, #1) in the kingdom of heaven?”(Suggests the disciples want to know which of them will hold the highest honor in Jesus’ Kingdom. Even arguing and disputing it with each another.-{Mark 9:33} )

Continued From Book

“Teaches how we can sometimes get our priorities mixed up in wanting to be served rather than serving.” ⇒ Ministry should always be about Jesus not us. We need to be careful against being enamored with the need for attention.

“Teaches how we often fight with who we want to be, verses who God has chosen us to be. (Who lands where is God’s job, our job is to be faithful right where God has us.)” ⇒  Or we fight with what we want to achieve, verses what God grants to us. Or where we thought we would be at this time, verses where we are. Sometimes we get mad because were serving in children’s ministry, or were out in the sweeping the parking lot, or were an usher, or were working in the kitchen. That we should be doing something more important by now. Or were wondering when are we going to get the recognition we deserve.

“Teaches wanting to be great in God’s Kingdom is not wrong, but the attitude in thinking we can is.” ⇒  Ambition is not a bad thing. Wanting to be great in the kingdom of heaven is not a bad thing. we are all made to have some kind of ambition. The problem is not ambition, the problem is misplaced ambition. When we want to be ambitious in this world, we want to be successful in this world, we want to be admired in this world, that’s where it goes all wrong. But ambition properly placed is not a bad thing. When we find ourselves with ambitious desire we need to ask where is that coming from? Our these desire to do great things for the Kingdom coming from the Spirit of God or coming from the flesh? The great things you do for God will follow the life of the believer, not the other way around.

“Warns if not careful we can look at greatness the way the world looks at greatness by way of power and achievements.” ⇒ The world often defines greatness by a person’s accomplishments, power, recognition, and prestige. As an example, some people consider Alexander the Great, Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Graham Bell, Thomas Edison, and Einstein to be great because of their accomplishments. Others think of greatness as all about power.  As in Caesars Augustus. Or as in United States presidents. Washington, Lincoln, Roosevelt, Kennedy,  etc. Some define greatness by how much money you have, the car you drive, the house you own. Some define greatness by how quickly you climb the corporate ladder in becoming a boss, manager, CEO, president. etc. Some see greatness based on how well you hone your craft, practice your sport, leave your mark on society, push through obstacles and break down barriers. Some see greatness as being on top of the charts, trophies, awards, magazines covers, etc. We live in a world that has a me-mentality. That it’s all about success, independance, popularity. But the Bible tells us that true greatness is being a servant, and the greatest person of all time is Jesus Christ. Being a servant is having an attitude exemplified by Christ, “Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.” (Philippians 2:6-7)

“Teaches wanting to be great in God’s Kingdom is not wrong, but the attitude in thinking we can is.” ⇒ When we find ourselves with ambitious desires we need to ask where is that coming from? Are these desire to do great things for the Kingdom coming from the Spirit of God or coming from the flesh? The great things you do for God will follow the life of the believer, not the other way around.

“Even today, we often come with a prideful and competitive spirit in comparing ourselves to others in how close we are to the Lord. How much bible knowledge we have. How many verses we can quote. How many people we brought to Jesus. Or how big our church and ministry is.” ⇒ Often times we want to reach the lost for Christ, but not always for the right reasons. It isn’t because we necessarily love them and care about them, or our hearts hurt for them. We want to reach them because it will improve our image, meet our church quota, bills. Improve our radio, television, and internet promotion and advertising.

Additional Notes & Applications

Warns against thinking what we’ve achieved, suffered, and sacrificed gives us special honor and standing with God. (Never think that God owes you for all the things you’ve done for Him).

Displays disciples insensitivity, arrogance, and selfish ambition in worrying about rank and position in the Kingdom of heaven after Jesus just old them He’s going to die on the cross. (17:22).

Warns how when we look ot for our own personal interests we become oblivious to the needs of those around us.

Warns have pride and ambition can get in the way of seeing the truth and what God wants to do in our life’s.

Greatness is often defined as the distance you place between yourself and your peers. Or how much your outpacing everyone around you.

Some connect this passage with that of the Temple Tax in the end of the last chapter. When the tax collectors of Capernaum wanted to find out whether Jesus paid the temple tax, they went to Peter?  Probably because Peter was recognized even by those who were not part of Jesus’ circle as the leader amongst the disciples. As a result the other disciples became jealous of Peter.  And therefore were discussing amongst themselves who was the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?

This begins the fourth of a five set division of discourses found in Matthew’s Gospel.(See Gospel Introduction: “structure” of  Gospel)