Offenses and Who is the Greatest
Offenses and who is the Greatest
The world says if you want to be great exact and exalt yourself and tell how wonderful you are. Beef up your resume if you want that great job. Tell them how great you are and that you are the best in your field. Sell yourself. All of that may be “common sense” for the world’s kingdom but is it Godly sense in God’s kingdom? Jesus said if you and I want to be great we are to be like a little child and humble ourselves. A child is very trusting and dependent on the parents for all provision.
The disciples asked Jesus who among them is the greatest in the kingdom. Unfortunately, we are still asking the same questions today because we think this world is our home. We must change our focus to God's kingdom. See Matthew 6:33, Seek first his kingdom and His righteousness.
Note in our reading and study today, that the great that Jesus wants us to be is in the “kingdom of heaven” His kingdom. You can be great in this kingdom of the world and miss entering the kingdom of heaven. Jesus is our example of being humble. He had no sin but assumed a child’s position to be dragged to the cross without any resistance and died and rose again for the penalty for our sins.
Sin will stop anyone from entering the kingdom of heaven. Jesus said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Only conversion to being like a child will deal with sin. It is a change of heart and way of thinking. Only Jesus can convert and transform us into being like Him and being like a child. We should discipline ourselves against sin but that is not achieved by cutting the hand that causes one to sin. You can turn around to use the other hand to sin too. We must submit all sins to Jesus who dealt with it at the cross once and for all times.
God is there to deal with all offenses so we must leave all payback to Him. We must not be in the business of causing offenses to others. However, offenses would come our way, so don’t be bent out of shape but leave it to God to deal with the offender.
Let’s be like a child today and forgive and pray for the one who has offended us. Introduce someone to Jesus who can convert and transform their hearts into being like children and thus have a chance to enter the kingdom of heaven which starts here and now and not waiting until we die.
Matthew 18New King James Version (NKJV)
Who Is the Greatest?
18 At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”
2 Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, 3 and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me.
Jesus Warns of Offenses
6 “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea. 7 Woe to the world because of offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes!
8 “If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the everlasting fire.9 And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire.
The world says if you want to be great exact and exalt yourself and tell how wonderful you are. Beef up your resume if you want that great job. Tell them how great you are and that you are the best in your field. Sell yourself. All of that may be “common sense” for the world’s kingdom but is it Godly sense in God’s kingdom? Jesus said if you and I want to be great we are to be like a little child and humble ourselves. A child is very trusting and dependent on the parents for all provision.
The disciples asked Jesus who among them is the greatest in the kingdom. Unfortunately, we are still asking the same questions today because we think this world is our home. We must change our focus to God's kingdom. See Matthew 6:33, Seek first his kingdom and His righteousness.
Note in our reading and study today, that the great that Jesus wants us to be is in the “kingdom of heaven” His kingdom. You can be great in this kingdom of the world and miss entering the kingdom of heaven. Jesus is our example of being humble. He had no sin but assumed a child’s position to be dragged to the cross without any resistance and died and rose again for the penalty for our sins.
Sin will stop anyone from entering the kingdom of heaven. Jesus said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Only conversion to being like a child will deal with sin. It is a change of heart and way of thinking. Only Jesus can convert and transform us into being like Him and being like a child. We should discipline ourselves against sin but that is not achieved by cutting the hand that causes one to sin. You can turn around to use the other hand to sin too. We must submit all sins to Jesus who dealt with it at the cross once and for all times.
God is there to deal with all offenses so we must leave all payback to Him. We must not be in the business of causing offenses to others. However, offenses would come our way, so don’t be bent out of shape but leave it to God to deal with the offender.
Let’s be like a child today and forgive and pray for the one who has offended us. Introduce someone to Jesus who can convert and transform their hearts into being like children and thus have a chance to enter the kingdom of heaven which starts here and now and not waiting until we die.
Matthew 18New King James Version (NKJV)
Who Is the Greatest?
18 At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”
2 Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, 3 and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me.
Jesus Warns of Offenses
6 “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea. 7 Woe to the world because of offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes!
8 “If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the everlasting fire.9 And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire.
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