The Lord's claim to exemption as a son of the temple (17:26), He was ready to surrender. These collectors of the tribute-money had no claim on Him, but He says to Peter, Lest we give an occasion of stumbling, “take and give the stater, (the double money) for me and thee.”
In Philippians the Epistle that speaks of Christian experience we get “Let your moderation (or, yieldingness) be known unto all men.” So in the chapter we are now entering upon, we find the principle of the new order of things that was to be brought in, looking at it dispensationally. The disciples were looking to Him as the One Who should redeem Israel (cf. Luke 24:2121But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, to day is the third day since these things were done. (Luke 24:21)), and they were evidently thinking about themselves and the place they were to have in the kingdom. The Lord does speak of rewards in His kingdom, not indeed as motives, but as incentives. “If we endure, we shall also reign with Him.” We have seen that the first time the church is introduced is in chap. 16, where we have also the kingdom and the keys. The thought of the disciples was who should be the greatest. James and John wanted to sit, the one on the right hand and the other on the left, in the kingdom, and the Lord tells them that they with others shall sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. The new order of things is the great point here, and the model is the little child. It is a lesson in humility. It is an awful thing that is exposed in Colossians, false humility. The sense of grace is that which produces humility. The entrance into the kingdom at all is by being converted and becoming as a little child (ver. 3). The actual little child is saved on the ground of redemption. To get into the kingdom at all is by becoming as a little child, not by reasoning or learning. A little child can see what is presented to it. Heb. 11:33Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. (Hebrews 11:3) is very beautiful; it is not Understand and believe, but “By faith we understand"; we believe and therefore do we know.
As far as conversion goes you get a beautiful sample in the Thessalonians. They were poor, wretched idolaters when the word of God came to them, and in those that brought it, it was not in word only, but in power and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; and they received it not as the word of men but as the word of God, and you get here true conversion—they turned to God from idols.
There is a word in 2 Timothy that will help us along the path of going down. Our version does not give the right thought, and it is important to see its bearing. “Remember Jesus Christ of the seed of David raised from the dead according to my gospel” (2:8). “Remember Him raised from the dead.” You see He will be the reigning One by and by, it is the suffering time, now but God will then reverse it all. So he could say “For this cause I endure all things” etc.
So verse 4 of our chapter would only refer to one conscious that he was a child of God, and if a child then an heir of God and joint-heir with Him Who is the appointed heir of all things, a marvelous thing! It is well to notice in connection with this that the Lord Jesus in His deepest humiliation is the man who is withal Jehovah's Fellow (Zech. 13:77Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the Lord of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones. (Zechariah 13:7)); and in His exaltation we are spoken of as His “fellows” (Heb. 1:9; 3:149Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. (Hebrews 1:9)
14For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end; (Hebrews 3:14)).
“Whosoever therefore shall humble himself.” This is just what we frequently find in scripture. The first man sought to exalt himself, and believed the devil's lie, who kept back the truth. But the Lord Jesus humbled Himself (Phil. 2). He went down lower than any, He goes up higher than any; in all things He must have the pre-eminence. That is the principle here, he who goes down shall be raised up. We have in verse 5 the one qualified to go down. It is very blessed for us to see each other in Christ. We must remember we are all equally precious, because the measure of God's love to each is the measure of His love to Christ. But while speaking of this humility, it is well to turn to Rom. 12:1616Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits. (Romans 12:16), which should read, “Go along with the lowly” (instead of “Condescend to men of low estate"). Those whom the Lord delights in are those who have low thoughts of themselves: they are “the excellent of the earth” —the repentant ones, those whom He associated Himself with at His baptism. They have the value of Christ upon them. Endeavor to get one to walk more becomingly, but never try to shake his faith—for that would be causing him to stumble.
It is a strong statement in verse 6, and ought to have its effect upon us. The offenses come from the world (ver. 7); and we must link the two verses together. There is no place where the apostle expresses himself so strongly as in Galatians, and this is the only epistle he wrote with his own hand, and it cost him a lot to do so, as he says: “Ye see in what large characters I have written to you.” But he was so stirred up by their being leavened with evil doctrine. It is quite in keeping with other parts of the N.T., that evil doctrine is worse than immorality. You get immorality and worldliness in the epistle to the Corinthians, but these are not dealt with so severely as the evil doctrine in Galatians. Galatia was a province, so you have the expression “the churches” of Galatia. But when he speaks of a city, it is always the “church” there, not “churches.”
Ver. 8: This is something in oneself that is a snare either to oneself or to others. If so one must not spare it, no matter how dear or how useful. Often hand and foot represent work and walk. Paul always illustrates a bad thing by himself, and he says, “I keep my body under and bring it into subjection; lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway” (1 Cor. 9:2727But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway. (1 Corinthians 9:27)). This does not mean as some have said, cast from service, but the Lord will say to some “I never knew you.” It is not a question of apostatizing, but “I never knew you.” So I may be a splendid preacher with grand results, but if I knowingly lead a sinful life, I have no right to take comforting scriptures to myself. You cannot separate saving grace from searching grace. “Whoever has been begotten of God does not practice sin, because his seed abides in him, and he cannot sin (or, “go on sinning,” W.K.) because he has been begotten of God” (1 John 3:99Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. (1 John 3:9) New Trans.). The Holy Ghost is the power against sin. This eighth verse of our chapter is a warning to each individual to keep himself.
“Take heed that ye despise not” etc. (ver. 10). You would despise one of these little ones if you acted with a high hand, and did not care whether they were stumbled or not. We should remember that by our meat we may destroy one for whom Christ died—as far as our act is concerned. It is a case, of stumbling. We do not get a great deal about angelic ministry in the N.T., but the little that is said is of great importance, though we must be careful we do not intrude into it. We have not to do with angels, but they have to do with us. They are innumerable, and everyone of them, however great or glorious (for there are differences among them, e.g., Michael the archangel) is engaged in ministering to the saints (Heb. 1:1414Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation? (Hebrews 1:14)). Another thing we ought to see, and every observant person can see, that there is a special providence watching over little children literally. I suppose the figure here is of those servants of the king's court who see the king's face and those who have this service see the Father's face. It is not only when they are heirs, but those who shall be heirs of salvation. Take Paul—he was a chosen vessel, and he says, “God who separated me from my mother's womb.” So there is one who as an heir of salvation would be specially watched over. You see that again and again. Take Moses, in the O.T. The parents beheld by faith that he was a proper child, but he was committed to the waters of the Nile abounding with crocodiles, a place of fearful danger. And then it was so arranged that when Pharaoh's daughter came down, there were tears in his eyes. We know the beautiful history, and how he got all the benefit of the learning of the Egyptians. Very similar to Paul, who was brought up at the feet of Gamaliel, not a fisherman of Galilee. He had special work to do as Moses had. But Moses' learning was not sufficient. The most important years of his life, the second forty (his life is divided into three forties) were spent at the back side of a desert feeding sheep!
It is in grace and love that we are to tell our brother of his personal trespass (ver. 15). And the thought is that you must not mention it to anyone else, unless your visit has failed in gaining your brother. A public scandal that everyone knows of is not the thought here, but something private and personal. It is his good that you are after. There is perseverance in this loving course; if you are unsuccessful take two or three more; it is not at all a point of putting him in a corner. You get something of the same principle in Acts 6 Everything fails in the hands of man. You get the failure coming in in chap. 5, Ananias and Sapphira acting a lie and telling a lie; then in chap. 6 you get the Grecians murmuring against the Jews. The Grecians were Jews speaking the Greek language, not Gentiles. Then the twelve tell them to choose out seven men of honest report whom they, the twelve, may appoint over this business. All the names of those chosen were Grecian names; it was grace. Paul did not tell Peter his fault “in private” for that was a public thing, and the Lord's name was concerned (Gal. 2).
“If he neglect to hear the church let him be unto thee as a heathen man and a publican.” It does not go farther than this here, but if the man remained unbroken, he might find himself outside the assembly. In Colossians we are told to walk in wisdom towards those who are without, so in Thessalonians. In 1 Cor. 5. “them that are without God judgeth.” The man supposed here is thoroughly stubborn. Samuel says to Saul “stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.” This man would justify himself and would not be won.
You get the assembly and the kingdom in chap. 16, and you get them here; but here there is very clearly a “within” and “without.” In chap. 16 it is more apostolic action, here it is the assembly acting. You get occasional instances, in which binding and loosing are apostolic. In 1 Cor. 5 the apostle associated himself with the assembly. It is ever our duty to put away from among ourselves one proved to be “wicked.” The apostle delivered Hymenaeus and Alexander to Satan. When a person is put away it is a proof that all discipline has failed, and the Lord's honor demands it, but restoration should be looked for and earnestly desired. There are some peculiar features in every case; no two experiences are quite alike. In the case of the incestuous man at Corinth the sin was “bound” on him in the First Epistle; in the Second Epistle it was “loosed.” It will not be ratified in heaven if done in self-will and not in obedience to God's word. Alas! we have been more ready to put away, than to act in restoring grace.
Ver. 19: This is a wonderful encouragement to us to value united prayers, whether the meeting consist of two, two hundred or two thousand. Here it is the smallest number— “two of you.” We go to other scriptures to learn that it must be according to His mind and the prayer of communion. There is nothing too hard, for it is “My Father.” The Lord is here and acceptable prayer goes up to the Father by Him, and the answer comes down from the Father through Him. The Lord teaches us to go directly to the Father, as here, but there are things in His service about which we go to the Lord Jesus, as Paul's thorn in the flesh which hindered him in his service, and about which he besought the Lord thrice.
Some would limit verse 20 to the prayer meeting, but it is not so confined, for it takes in other meetings as well. In the Epistles to the Corinthians the assembly is opened out to us in its responsibilities and privileges, and 1 Cor. 5 shows us when gathered together in the name of the Lord Jesus, (not the prayer-meeting only); it is the assembly acting. That is the only ground we can be upon; and whatever we may assume, we are not on that ground, if we knowingly allow evil to be associated with the Lord's name
This is altogether a wonderful verse, let us look at it in detail: “Where two or three” —divine limit; “are gathered” —divine separation; “together” divine fellowship; “to my Name” —divine authority; “there am I” —divine presence; “in the midst” —divine center. A very important verse indeed.
The varied ways in which scripture deals with the presence of the Lord Jesus in the midst, is very wonderful. There are two great gatherings for us, this one and “our gathering together unto Him,” (2 Thess. 2:11Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, (2 Thessalonians 2:1)). We shall be all glorified with Him when this takes place. If a saint passes away his body will be raised in glory, but the meeting place is not here but up there. Now His blessed Name is our center, and we need no other. There is never any failure on His part. The seasons we have gathered to His Name ought to be superior to anything on earth. I heard a brother say a few days ago that he had been in conversation with a lady who had asked him with whom he was associated; to which he replied, ‘With a few other feeble saints like myself who are seeking to cleave to the Lord.' Her response was, ‘How delightful! '
In Rev. 3:2020Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. (Revelation 3:20) the Lord is seen outside the church in Laodicea. It had lost all sense of what is due to the Lord, though very keen on that which belongs to them as individuals. The three essentials of Christianity they did not possess. The beginning of the declension was in Ephesus: “I have against thee because thou hast left thy first love.” The full result of this we see here in Laodicea.
Ver. 21: This evidently came as a surprise to Peter. It is clear enough that you must not put a limit to forgiveness. It is a question of personal trespass here, not of the Lord's honor. The Lord showed them that, if they rightly used the faith they had, the greatest difficulties would be removed. Then the danger would be to think one's self a very gracious person, but the Lord says, “Not at all, When ye have done all, say, 'We are unprofitable servants, we have done that which is our duty to do.'“ It says in Luke 17 “Rebuke him,” so we are responsible to deal faithfully as well as graciously.
The next parable is a similitude of the kingdom, but brings out one's responsibility to another in carrying out this instruction. It shows the Jews were dealt with in marvelous grace, though no doubt the Gentiles treated them very badly. If the talent was silver and Roman, it would be about ₤2,000,000; if Jewish ₤1,000,000; if gold, between ₤7,000,000 and ₤8,000,000. “And he had nothing wherewith to pay,” no power to put himself right after having contracted that frightful dent. I was thinking of what Nehemiah (9:17) says about God. It comes to my mind as God's wonderful grace. Daniel says, “To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgiveness though we have rebelled against him,” but “to us confusion of face.”
First of all you get righteousness. God is always righteous. He never does a needless thing nor an unrighteous thing. So in verse 25 we see righteousness. This man acknowledges the justice; he does not deny the debt, but casts himself upon mercy. “Have patience with me and I will pay thee all.” The thought is that the justness of the claim is owned by the man. “Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him and forgave him the debt.” In one aspect the Jews are loosed; in another they are in the city of refuge. It is a solemn lesson for us here. The world will often say, ‘I will forgive, but I cannot forget'; that is not forgiveness at all. The Lord says here “from your hearts.” The most severe charge against the Jews is in 1 Thess. 2:1515Who both killed the Lord Jesus, and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they please not God, and are contrary to all men: (1 Thessalonians 2:15). And yet this very people will fill the earth with fruit. The grace of God turns a man inside out. The grand lesson here individually is that no matter what unkindness, what injury is done us, it can bear no comparison to what we have done against God and been forgiven. “Even as God in Christ forgave you.” Only think of a hundred pence (₤3 2s. 6d.) but mentioning that sum makes me think of the covetous eye of Judas, that ointment might have been sold for three hundred pence, three times what we have here, and the very amount he went and sold the Lord for was nearly the same.
The Lord Jesus evidently gave Judas instructions to minister to the poor. The women from Galilee ministered unto him. That lovely vesture of the Lord woven throughout, I expect was woven for Him by one of these women in the love of her heart.
This man is unforgiving and cruel; he throttled his fellow servant. Merciless and cruel, he had no sense of forgiveness. If there is anything like a due sense of grace in our souls, it will make us patient and watchful over our spirits, for there is the expression of the same nature we all have. We ought to notice he did not call him a wicked bondman because he owed the debt, nor that He was wroth with him because of it; but when he was merciless and unforgiving he was wroth with him It is exceedingly solemn. Better to be a poor heathen than to be in a nation that has the Bible and remains unconverted.
I thought we did not dwell last week on the fact that what we were looking on then is a similitude of the kingdom of heaven, and that does not begin till the King is in heaven. Now it is in mystery; by and by it will be in manifestation and power. Moses called Israel's attention to the privileged place they occupied-no people ever so privileged as they, and Isa. 5 brings before them their immense responsibilities consequent on their great privileges. So this parable shows the debt they incurred because of their responsibility; and in Matt. 21 we find their responsibility is far increased beyond what we find in Isaiah. Instead of rendering fruit they gave Him insolence and rebellion; and then when the Son came they cast Him out and slew Him. There we get the death of Christ, but it does not bring us to the full amount. On the cross the Lord prayed “Father forgive them.” So Peter presented grace to them in the Acts, but they refused it and murdered Stephen, thus sending the message after Him, “We will not have this man to reign over us.” That showed the immense debt the nation incurred. But looking at ourselves we can see what God thinks of an unforgiving spirit, for anything done against us can only be most petty compared with the debt we owe. We are brought into a place of immense privilege, and we are far beneath it if we cherish an unforgiving spirit. The Gentiles are brought in here in reference to the Jew; it is not a question here of their indebtedness to God, but they had served the Jew very badly. The forgiveness of this tremendous debt precedes what is required by them of others. In this chapter 18 we have been looking at the kingdom and what is required of those in it, and also of the church and the man who after all the efforts made to win him back stubbornly refusing to own his wrong, and is therefore to be treated as the heathen man, and the tax-gatherer. So it shows us what is required in both. We are dead to the world, to the law, and to sin, but not to nature.