The Weekend Word

Matthew 18:10-20

The Parable of the Lost Sheep

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.

• Back to the little ones – he is preaching the same sermon
• Do we have individual angels in heaven?
• Angels are in the presence of God – Psalm 91
• We are given angels to watch over us
• God is always at work for us // you and me
• How much is through the church vs as individuals? (open question)

Some manuscripts add verse 11: For the Son of Man came to save the lost

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?

• Read the Luke 15 version
• What is the correct answer? Heck no Jesus!!
• Are you out of your mind – put 99% of my assets at risk to save the 1%?

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.

• Go back to the Canaanite woman – who is the lost sheep?
• Jesus rejoices over little ones – women, Canaanite women.

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

• Did the Jews expect a messiah who cares about all individuals vs a whole nation?
• Would that not be the comparison, that the individual is more important than the whole of the nation of Israel?
• No one is disposable to Jesus. Take heart individuals – Jesus cares for you, who think they are nothing (as in “no one cares about me.”)

If Your Brother Sins Against You

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.

• Today we FB or Tweet our issues with others.
• In the old days you went down to the tavern and told your buddies.
• But remember this – this is the New Israel and we are not just learning how to live in the kingdom with the king – but we are learning how to live with each other.
• The objective in this piece is to restore and gain a brother.
• I on the other hand, in my natural flesh – actually count them as anything but a brother and even to the point of a disposable person.

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.

• Keep working on him. – note that v 15 doesn’t say just once and bring in others. Go alone a couple of times and see if you can work it out.
• You can make a couple of efforts before involving others.

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.

• You still do not just write him off even though it is getting serious. You are still to work on him as to restore a brother.
• This is Jesus, through us as individuals and as the church, looking for the lost sheep.
• But if he still refuses to repent / believe, we now use the office of the keys and we withhold communion – he can still come to church to hear God’s word.
• How do you treat a Gentile or a Tax Collector? You preach the word in its 2 words – Law & Gospel.
• This is how the church works in the kingdom.

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.

• Who is this given to, leaders or all?
• Remember, or at least think about this – this is a promise from Jesus.

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.

• Here is Jesus amongst the New Israel gathering sinners to himself.
• This is the continuation of Jesus seeking all to be saved.

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

• This whole passage above is commonly considered to be about church discipline, but really should be subtitled “Repentance and gaining a brother.”
• “where two or three are gathered in my name” – I think originates with Exodus 20:24 – “In every place where I cause my name to be remembered I will come to you and bless you.”
• When we invoke his name, as we do at the beginning of each Divine Worship Service, he has promised to be there and to bless us – which is the forgiveness of sin he won for us at the cross.