Focus:
kjv@Revelation:14:12 @ Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
(
FaithOfJesus thread begun by r
RandyP )
Today's Verse:
kjv@Matthew:18:1-9
kjv@Matthew:18:1 @ At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?
kjv@Matthew:18:2 @ And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them,
kjv@Matthew:18:3 @ 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.
kjv@Matthew:18:4 @ Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
kjv@Matthew:18:5 @ And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me.
kjv@Matthew:18:6 @ 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.
kjv@Matthew:18:7 @ 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!
kjv@Matthew:18:8 @ 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.
kjv@Matthew:18:9 @ 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.
Today's notes:One of These Little Ones
Context:
- Before - Tribute money
- After - More of that sheep than 99
What is man believing/doing?:
- summing up themselves against unanticipated standard
- considering what is meant by humbling self as a child
- considering what is meant by receiving one of these little ones
- considering what is meant by offending one of these little ones
What is making man to believe/do as he is doing?:
- expecting great to be along lines of works/service/abilities/personality/affiliations/goodness etc..
- child like a matter of personal interpretation (innocent/trusting/joyful/experimental/eager to learn)
- receiving a child? one humbled as a child
- Offend - (emphasis on one who believes in Jesus) implies rejection and disgust, attempt to change or else scorn/slander
Notes:
The conversation turns from offending them to offending thee. There will certainly be even those to whom a millstone would be a lighter sentence than warranted. The twist however is that believers can also offend in their own ways as can bodies of believers by not being of a youthful mindset, not seeing things from the child's eye level, not walking in their shoes hand in hand, turning them by our offense into the type of people who would be due for a millstone.
The Church is often blamed for terrible offenses/perversions upon innocent young attendees; it is most alarming when proven true. What should be equally alarming is that these sorted types are particularly drawn to the Church by hellish motives and impulses because of it's godly youth; for that says much about the larger human ill. It is also the target of the less deviant but more conniving critic who refuses to see the struggle of the Church for what it is and use or manufacture every opportunity to put Her down because of these incidences for their own deliberate purposes.
Hand - consider what you are trying to do, how you are trying to help them, to what you are receiving them into.
Foot - consider where you are going, where you are trying to lead them to.
What should greatest matter? Considering that other than by God it is impossible to enter heaven at all. One should be astonished and deeply grateful that by unwarranted mercy they are in heaven period.
Added into the context of as grain of mustard kingdom faith we can see the kingdom as being much deeper and literal and operating on a plane much different and dangerous from our own personal ambitions.
Key Messages:
What does this say about our present condition?
- The battle ground especially nowadays is over the heart and mind of our youths. The Church is one large target for others to attack, the sniper a great many divergent and isolated points to have to defend against. We are attacked for what we do, what we don't do, what they hypothesize what we secretly are about to do, our motives/methods, our simple mindedness/over complexity, our legalism/tolerance, morality/immorality. We are too influential, too irrelevant, too noisy, too distant/disconnected, too dated, too modern, the opiate of the masses yet the cause of all wars. We are presented as milk toast and at the same time everything that is wrong in this world. On whole we are portrayed to all youth as massively schizophrenic. Perhaps though that is actually a reflection of them. If so? Woe to them; the millstone maker will be one busy guy!
- With all of this said, it is one thing for these things to be done by them that seek to lead the youth down the path of everything other than Christ, but for worse offense to be done by us, to push them away from the Lord they already love, Christ's own, while pursuing our own claim on the greatest in heaven? Woe Christian! Quadruple woe.
Further Resources:
Comment Board:Matthew:18:1-9
index:FAITHOFJESUSDEVOTION - Devotional Index
strkjv@Matthew:18:1-9 rwp@Matthew:18:1-9 mhcc@Matthew:18:1-9
FaithOfJesus2 - Devotion Index
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