Humility and Worth of the Believer

Transcript

GR 706
4/14/1985
Humility and Worth of a Believer
Matthew 18:1-14
Gil Rugh

In Matthew 18, Christ covered a series of matters that relate to personal relationships between believers, including the matter of personal humility and humility in dealing with one another, the matter of correcting a believer who is in sin and the discipline that is necessary, and the matter of forgiving one another in the context of wrongs suffered.
At this point in Matthew, the disciples had spent a rather extended period of time with Christ involved in ministry. They were within months of the crucifixion. And they found themselves engaged in a discussion, an argument as Luke says it was, over the issue of who among them would be the greatest in the kingdom that Christ will establish.
Jesus turned the disciples’ attention to what the real concern ought to be and that was the issue of humility. If the disciples had a proper evaluation of themselves and saw themselves in light of who God is, that should produce humility. A central problem in an argument over who is greater is the failure to appreciate each person’s value and worth as a child of God. So in this discussion Jesus also turned their attention to the issue of the true worth and value of every single, individual child of God.
This discussion presents an interesting balance. As I look at myself, I am to have an attitude of humbleness before God. As I look at other believers, I am to have an appreciation of how important and how valuable every single, seemingly insignificant, child of God really is. In this context Jesus discussed the issue of treatment of other believers and the danger involved in mistreating a believer or leading a believer into sin. He also revealed how important it is to have an unreserved, unhindered commitment to trust in Jesus Christ, whatever the cost might be.
Matthew 18 begins with a discussion of an essential quality of a believer: humility. “At that time the disciples came to Jesus and said, ‘Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’” (Matt. 18:1). As noted, Luke’s account says, “An argument started among them as to which of them might be the greatest” (Luke 9:46). The disciples were arguing over the subject among themselves first of all. They were discussing who was going to be the greatest in the kingdom? Was it going to be Peter because he was pronounced blessed by God in Matthew 16? Was it going to be Peter, James and John because they were on the mount with Christ? Even though they had not related what happened on the mount, obviously Christ had called them out as an inner circle.

In Mark 9:35 Jesus precipitated the discussion by saying, “If anyone wants to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.” Christ was saying that foundational to the issue of greatness is the principle that if you want to be first, you must be last, and if you want to be greatest, you must be the servant. The world thinks just the opposite: if you want to be first, then you look to make yourself preeminent, and if you want to be the greatest, then you put yourself out front. But Jesus made the point that in His kingdom you have to reverse your thinking if you are talking about greatness. You have to be looking to see how you could serve most effectively.
Then He gave an illustration. “And He called a child to Himself and set him before them, and said, ‘Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven’” (Matt. 18:2-4). Jesus offered a visual illustration and moved right to an explanation of greatness. He did not condemn them or rebuke them or put them down. He corrected them firmly by showing them what true humility was.
I think that showed something of the great patience of Christ. He had spent a period of years with His disciples. He had been telling them that they were about to go to Jerusalem where He was going to suffer and die; yet they were bickering among themselves about who was going to be the greatest. The patience of Christ was shown as He brought them along by instructing them. This is a good reminder not to lose patience and give up on other people. That is why in this context He indicated how important every believer is. We never have the option to give up.
Jesus presented two issues: entrance into the kingdom and then once you were in, greatness in the kingdom. The resolution of the first issue of how you get into the kingdom resolved the issue of greatness in the kingdom because they were the same. You get into the kingdom the same way you arrive at greatness in the kingdom. You must become like a child, and a child becomes the example. The child referred to would be a small child, one old enough to come to Christ when He beckons and small enough to pick up and use as an example.
The word “convert” in Matthew 18:3 means to turn. Christ was saying that unless you turn and become like children you would not enter the kingdom. Jesus said to Nicodemus in John 3 that to get into the kingdom you must be born again or born from above. The new birth is what gets you into the kingdom.
In Matthew 18:3 when Jesus said you must be converted and become like a child to get into the kingdom, He was talking about the new birth. There is a change that must take place for a person to experience God’s salvation. That experience of conversion involves turning and becoming like a child. The issue in becoming like a child is the humble trustfulness that characterizes a child. Matthew 18:4 says “Whoever then humbles himself as this child.” The point is that to become like a child, a person has to be willing to humble himself and put himself completely in the hands of another.
There is a dependence that characterizes a child. In fact a small child is totally dependent upon its parents. The child has a humble trustfulness and does not rely upon himself. The child has confidence that his parents will provide his food, his clothing, and his protection. There is no arrogance in a little child that would make the child think he could do it without them. That is the crucial “turn” that must take place. Until this occurs, the human heart is arrogant and proud, depending on its own abilities.
Pride characterizes the world and the unbeliever, and that is the great barrier for a person to come to salvation in Jesus Christ. Salvation is a humbling process. It involves acknowledging that I am unworthy, that I am a sinner, and that I can do nothing in and of myself to gain heaven or to acquire God’s forgiveness. That is a humbling realization, and prideful man bridles at that and resists that.
If you share this truth, this glorious liberating truth, with someone, often the person is offended. Why? It is because you are telling the person that he is not good enough and that he does not have the ability to be good enough; he resents that. But for salvation to occur, for one to become part of God’s kingdom, there must be a “turn” from trusting in self and one’s own abilities and accomplishments, to a dependence upon God and the salvation He has provided in Jesus Christ. So turn and become like a child because if that does not happen, you will never enter the kingdom of God or the kingdom of heaven.
Christ was talking about the earthly kingdom that He would establish. But the issue for getting into the kingdom that He will establish on the earth is the issue of salvation and the issue of salvation is the same for all people at all times. It is a humble dependence or trust in Jesus Christ and His finished work. It is the new birth, if you will. Without that there is no salvation.
The biggest barrier to salvation is pride and self-esteem and self-worth, and the world emphasizes those very things. “You can do it. You’re number one.” Is it any wonder that Jesus says there has got to be a conversion, turning from your sin and changing your attitude to one of humbleness? You have to become like a child.
Humble trust and complete dependence upon God, who He is and what He has done, is the only way into the kingdom, and that is the pattern of life that brings greatness in the kingdom. Matthew 18:4: “Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” If I continue to live in humility, the same way that I got into the kingdom, then that is what will make me great in that kingdom. Those who are willing to live their lives in total dependence upon Christ, trusting Him, living in humility before Him, and recognizing their own inability and their own unworthiness, but depending upon Him and His ability alone, those will be the ones that are great in the kingdom.
So you get into the kingdom and you achieve greatness in the kingdom in the same way. Just as salvation is by faith in Jesus Christ and dependence upon Him alone, so also you are to live your
Christian life the same way, in total dependence upon Him. Once you have received salvation in Christ and have been cleansed from sin, you may be tempted to think, I am a child of God, I can do anything and now I’m going to go off on my own and use my own abilities. That is a trap. You can do no more than you could before in and of yourself. As a believer, you do have power and resources available that you never had before, the power and resources of God Himself, but they function and operate in your life only as you place yourself at His disposal and under His control. In other words, the power and resources of God operate in your life only when you walk by the Spirit in dependence upon Him, allowing His power to work in and through you. Those who are walking by the Spirit are the ones that will be great in the kingdom. “Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 18:4).
If a person has humbled himself and become like a child and cast himself in complete dependence upon God, then he has become inseparably linked with Jesus Christ so that the attitude of the person toward Christ is reflected in his attitude toward other believers. Matthew 18:5: “And whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me.” This shows how inseparably those who believe in Christ are joined together with Him. The true greatness that believers have in a relationship with Him is that they have established a bond of oneness.
This has already been referred to in Matthew 10:40: “He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.” Just as Jesus Christ is inseparably joined to the Father and manifests Him, so believers are inseparably joined to Christ and are to manifest Him and His character. A person’s attitude towards Christ will be reflected in his attitude towards other believers, and his attitude towards the children of God will be a reflection of his attitude towards Christ.
Believers are to be walking in dependence upon Him because it is His life that is to be seen in them. You cannot separate the believer from His Lord Jesus Christ.
In this context of the relationship believers have with God as those who are to be walking in humility and lowliness of mind and acknowledging their need for Christ and their total dependence upon Him, there are certain things to be considered. This humility is different than that of those people who say, I can’t do anything. While it is true that I cannot do anything in and of myself, I can do all things through Jesus Christ who strengthens me. It is important to see that balance. Being humble does not mean that a believer ought not to be confident and aggressive in a good spiritual sense. But that must always be in the context of recognition and dependence upon Jesus Christ. When I step out on my own, then it simply becomes pride and arrogance.
Jesus continued teaching the disciples by developing the picture of vulnerability that the analogy of becoming like a child portrays. He next described those who might oppose a believer or put obstacles in a believer’s way, the believer is pictured as the child. Those who would attempt to lead the children of God astray and turn them out of the way that God has for them are described as being in a serious condition. Those who abuse children by leading them into paths of sin for the fulfillment and gratification of their own selfish lusts and desires are described. Matthew 18:6,
“but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.”
When Jesus refers to “one of these little ones who believe in Me” he is referring to believers in Jesus Christ as the children of God, not primarily physical children. Physical children form the basis for the analogy, but the point being made relates to those who are the children of God.
This word “stumble ” is used a number of times in the Gospel of Matthew. It is the word “scandalidzo.” In English, “scandalize.” It means to entice, to trick or to trap. This word was originally used to mean the bait stick placed in a trap so that when the animal came in and grabbed it, he was trapped. The word had come to mean to allure someone, to ensnare someone, to lead them astray or to lead them into sin. In other words, whoever causes one of these believers to be lead astray into sin or whoever entices a child of God into sin, it would be better for that person to be taken out and thrown into the stormy depths of the sea with a millstone around his neck.
The word for “heavy millstone” is literally a “donkey millstone” referring not to a millstone that could be turned in the home, but one that had to be turned by a donkey. Jesus said it would be a better fate to have this huge millstone hung around your neck and be dumped out into the churning depths of the sea rather than be involved in leading a Christian into sin. That is a strong statement. This is one of the most serious passages on this subject in the entire Bible.
For example, you might think of one of your own children, especially if they are of a very young age. How awful would it be for someone to take this child and lead him into sin? Anger would build in you, a righteous, fitting anger. This is how God sees His children, every one of those who have come to believe in Him. And there are those in the world who are attempting to turn them aside and lure them into sinful activities, into disobedience. God says it would be better for that person to be taken out and drowned in the depths of the sea, than to be involved in such an activity.
Jesus told them there would be stumbling blocks, “Woe to the world because of its stumbling blocks! For it is inevitable that stumbling blocks come; but woe to that man through whom the stumbling block comes!” (Matt. 18:7). There would be entrapments, enticements, and allurements into sin because that is characteristic of a sinful, depraved world, but woe to the individual who allows himself to become an instrument to ensnare a believer and lead a believer into sin. There is special condemnation on that one, and this has special significance for unbelievers and particularly unbelieving religious leaders who are so used of the devil to confuse believers, to turn them against the Word of God.
There is also an application for families. For example, when a young person comes to trust Jesus Christ and the parents are not believers, they may do all they can to frustrate that person’s new life in Christ and keep them from progressing in that relationship with God. There have been situations in which marriages have been broken up by unbelieving families putting pressure on the newly wedded couple. Jesus said it is a serious matter to attempt to take a believer and turn him out of the path that God wants him to walk on, to attempt to lure him into sin and disobedience to God and rebellion against Him. Those kinds of situations are going to exist in the world, but special judgment is pronounced upon anyone who is such an instrument in luring a believer away from the pattern and path that God has for the believer.
Jesus addresses religious leaders of His day in Matthew 23:13, “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut off the kingdom of heaven from people; for you do not enter in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.” The religious leaders were attempting to turn people away from the Word and to keep them from becoming believers. Indeed they were attempting to resist the purposes and plans of God. Matthew 23 gives the woes that Jesus pronounced upon these religious leaders and the destiny of hell that awaits them.
In Matthew 26:24 Jesus pronounced a special woe upon Judas: “The Son of Man is to go, just as it is written of Him; but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had not been born.” Even though the Scripture had prophesied that the Son of Man would be crucified, “just as it is written of Him”, Jesus declared that it would have been good if the one who betrayed Him had not been born. Similarly in Matthew 18:7, Jesus declared woe to those who become obstacles and problems and enticements to sin.
Matthew 18:6-9 forms a parenthesis that addresses unbelievers most forcefully and their relationship to the children of God. I think the prime thrust in this passage is for unbelievers, but this passage causes me to sit up and take notice even as a believer. It is a tragedy that some believers rebel against God and then are used to lure and distract other believers from the path that God would have them walk. That becomes a very serious matter before God that necessitates His special chastening as will be unfolded in Matthew 18.
Jesus focused in Matthew 18:8,9 on the issue of stumbling blocks but not those from other people. Each person must consider his own life and take stock of those things that would keep him from Christ, personal obstacles of one kind or another. What will happen to my job if I trust Christ? What will happen to my family relationships if I trust Christ? There are things that I love that keep me from Christ and I’m afraid of losing them if I become a child of God.
Jesus addressed this issue using the same kind of example that He used in Matthew 5:29,30 in the Sermon on the Mount. “If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; it is better for you to enter life crippled or lame, than to have two hands or two feet and be cast into the eternal fire” (Matt. 18:8). The point Jesus made in Matthew 18 is the same as it was in Matthew 5: Anything that keeps you from being what God says you ought to be or stands in your way of becoming a child of God ought to be dealt with no matter how severely.
In Matthew 18:8 Jesus again provided an analogy or a picture. Cutting your hand off gets you no closer to heaven because the problem is not the hand. The problem is that the heart is deceitful and desperately wicked above all things. Jesus showed the seriousness of the situation. He said that all excuses must be discarded because it would be better, no matter how hard it is and no matter what the cost, to deal with that stumbling block or enticement that keeps you from coming to Christ than it would be to spend eternity in hell.

The consistent emphasis of Scripture is that hell is eternal. Just as there is a place called heaven, of eternal blessing and glory, so there is a place of eternal suffering and torment for the wicked.
There is nothing I would not endure, no matter what the cost, to avoid the eternity of hell. If my family disowned me and never spoke to me again because I became a believer, would it be worth it to avoid eternal suffering in hell forever and ever? In 100 years it really won’t matter whether my family loved me or hated me or whether I had a job of importance or I scrounged for food in garbage cans. But in 100 million billion years, it will have mattered whether I had a personal relationship with Jesus Christ while I walked in this life. The cost not to trust Him is too great, eternal damnation is the issue.
Jesus further emphasized it in Matthew 18:9, “If your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and throw it from you. It is better for you to enter life with one eye, than to have two eyes and be cast into the fiery hell.” There is no comparison. These things must be dealt with, whatever stands between you and God’s salvation.
Jesus said in Matthew 18 that being a child of God involves humbling yourself to trust in Him. He gave a warning to anyone who would try to allure away these who do trust Him. Also warned were those who might be hindered from trusting Him. If you humble yourself and place yourself in someone else’s hands, you make yourself vulnerable and people are often intimidated from doing that.
Any time you use an illustration of a little child, there is a danger that you will not appreciate the value of that little child. It is not uncommon to undervalue children in certain ways. Children are to be seen and not heard. I believe there is a truth to that. For example, when you are having a conversation with adults, it is good that children learn not to interrupt. But it is also important not to pass over their value. In the analogy, Christ was talking about the children of God. Since the children of God were going to be those walking in humility and lowliness, there was a danger that they be undervalued.
Did that not happen with Jesus Christ? Since He did not come in power and a great display of glory, the world undervalued Him, if you will. They did not recognize His worth and His importance. This was the basic issue the disciples were discussing: Who is greatest in the kingdom of heaven? That question undervalued others because the one asking the question was only looking for the prominent, important people. Jesus then made it clear that there are no unimportant Christians.
Matthew 18:10: “See that you do not despise one of these little ones.” Some take this to refer children with the point being how one ought to value children. I have no problem with seeing the importance of children and emphasizing that importance. It seems to me to be a better interpretation given the context, however, that Jesus was referring to the children of God. Jesus used the analogy of becoming like children in Matthew 18:3 through conversion and in Matthew
18:4 to humble oneself as a child. Matthew 18:6 further described “these little ones” as those who believe in Me. So in Matthew 18:10 which “little ones” did Jesus refer to? The ones who believe in Me, those who are the children of God, seems to me to be the thrust of this statement.
The word translated “to despise ” means to think down on. Today we might talk about looking down on someone. This is the word that would be used to imply that someone could be disregarded because he is not very important. If we as believers are not careful, we do that even in the body of Christ. We may see some Christians as more valuable and some Christians as less valuable. But that means we are not seeing others as God sees them. He says not to look down on any, not even one.
I like the way this is put. “See that you do not despise one of these little ones.” Not even one believer should I look down upon or think lightly of. Do you know why? Jesus gave two reasons, one in Matthew 18:10 and one in Matthew 18:14.
Jesus continued this thought in Matthew 18:10, “for I say to you that their angels in heaven continually see the face of My Father who is in heaven.” Something of the value, importance and worth of one single lowly child of God is seen in the fact that their angels behold the face of God in glory in heaven. To see the face of God is a statement that means standing in His presence. Note that angels serve the children of God. Why should I look down on this believer over here for whatever reason? Or think lightly of him? Well, he doesn’t have a very important job in the world. He is not very outstanding. He is not very great. He doesn’t have much. How is it that I should look down on someone when God says he is important enough to be served by the angels who stand in His presence in heaven? What a distorted perception and perspective I have!
How is it that the disciples should be debating among themselves over who is the greatest when God says that each lowly insignificant believer is served by the angels who stand in His presence? God has established the value and worth of every believer, and I need to adjust my perspective to see them as God sees them.
So you see what Jesus has taught the disciples? In effect Jesus has taught that as I look at myself I must be characterized by humility, a humble dependence upon God, and as I look at other believers I am to have a great appreciation of each believer. Too often I see as the world sees and I evaluate them as the world evaluates them on how much they have, how important they are, what kind of people they know, and what they do of significance. But I need to adjust my thinking to see them as God does. I need to realize that I am talking to a believer who is served by the angels who stand in the presence of God. That fact establishes something of his worth and importance and value.
This ought to be an exciting concept if you are a believer in Jesus Christ because this includes you. It includes me. It means that as the children of God we have angels who are responsible to be servants doing what is necessary for us who are sent from the very presence of God. I always think of the account in Luke 1 of the father of John the Baptist encountering the angel Gabriel who was sent to him to bear tidings of the birth of John and he questioned the truthfulness of it. Luke 1:19 records Gabriel’s response, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God.” The audacity that you would question my word. I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God. In Matthew 18:10 God is saying that we as believers have angels who stand in His presence. We ought to be quite careful not to think lightly of others or to value them on earthly standards.

Angels are also referred to in Hebrews 1:14, “Are they not all ministering spirits, sent out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation?” The pronoun “they” refers to the angels referred to in Hebrews 1:13. Angels are those who have the responsibility of service. They are ministering spirits sent to do the service of God. That is the idea of that word, ministering, the service of God. They are spirits who do the service of God in what realm? They are serving believers, those who are destined to be heirs of salvation.
This passage ties to what the psalmist wrote in Psalm 91:11-12, “For He will give His angels charge concerning you, to guard you in all your ways. They will bear you up in their hands, that you do not strike your foot against a stone.” Does this mean that every believer has his own guardian angel? The Scripture does not clarify that. It says that every believer is served by angels who stand in the presence of God. Whether that means that every believer has a specific angel, the Scripture does not specify and does not clarify.
The only passage that may allude to that somewhat directly is in Acts 12. When Peter was let free from prison by the angels and he came and knocked on the door, the servant girl who answered the door without opening it returned and said that Peter was at the door. “They said to her, ‘You are out of your mind!’ But she kept insisting that it was so. They kept saying, ‘It is his angel’” (Acts 12:15). This seems to indicate that at that time there was a belief that a believer had an angel, a guardian angel, and they thought the angel responsible for Peter was standing at the door. This does not mean that that is the way it really was, but it indicates they believed in guardian angels at that time.
I do not know whether you have a specific angel or just generally that the angels are used by God to meet needs that you have and to serve you. Either way, you are an important person and I ought to keep that in mind. But note the focus of Matthew 18: we are to be focused on our individual humility and others’ greatness. Rather than trying to promote myself, I am going to be involved in how can I serve you, since you are one so important as to have the angels of God serving you.
Matthew 18:11 does not appear in the better manuscripts of Matthew’s text. It is a true statement because it is recorded over in Luke 19:10. “For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost” (Matt. 18:11). That is what the Son of Man has come to do. But it seems that it was brought over to Matthew 18 and recorded from Luke.
Jesus continued with another example in Matthew 18:12-13: “What do you think? If any man
has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go and search for the one that is straying? If it turns out that he finds it, truly I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine which have not gone astray.” This shows the importance of one single believer, and this would have been an example the disciples could understand since shepherding was common in Palestine.
Some of you have a background that relates to farming. If you have one hundred sheep and then you lose one, you wouldn’t say, “It doesn’t matter. That one is not important.” To a shepherd in Palestine, every single one of those sheep was important and when one was lost he went out and found it and he rejoiced over it more than the 99 other sheep. Not because it was more valuable than the 99, but there would be excitement over it being found and restored. It’s like if you lose a ten-dollar bill and you look all over the house, and then you find it. You are excited about finding that ten-dollar bill even though you may have another one.
The value of this one sheep is not lost in all the sheep that there are. This one is so important that it is worth going out and finding and restoring. That is the way God operates with His children. This picture is used on other occasions by Luke to illustrate unbelievers being found by God. But in Matthew 18 the context seems to refer to believers because Matthew 18:14 says, “So it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones perish.”

This further establishes the value of believers. Number one: they are represented by angels in the very presence of God who serve as their servants. Number two: God has determined that not even one of these little children of His perish. So I should not think lightly of you and I should not look down on you because God says you are so valuable that He is determined that you not perish. This passage precedes Jesus’ discussion of the matter of correcting or disciplining a believer which involves seeking them out and seeking to restore them because that is God’s purpose and plan. God says that you as a believer are so valuable, so precious to Him that He is determined that you would not perish.
This describes the doctrine of eternal security. The reason I am secure for eternity is not because of my faithfulness, but because of the faithfulness of the One who is my Shepherd. He seeks me out and brings me back. He sees that I am restored because He is responsible for me now that I am His.
The emphasis in Matthew 18:4 is on the individual believer: “that one of these little ones perish.” The danger is that we see one another as a group and as we have more and more believers in the group, that we take one another for granted. It is important to realize that every single individual believer is of overwhelming value to God. God’s perspective is necessary so that things are put in proper order now. I must walk in humility, trusting Him as my Savior, and depending upon Him in humility for my walk as a believer. Woe to those who would lure believers away from their walk with the Lord. There is tragedy for those who are intimidated from coming to the Lord because of obstacles they see.
As a believer I need to be focused on my own humility before God and your worth and value. You know what that means? If you are so valuable before God, then I am to occupy myself with looking for ways to serve you. Since you are so important to God, I should not be concerned about being put out and inconvenienced because of you. I must remember that you are so important to God that the angels that serve you stand in His presence. It should be my privilege to serve you since you are of such value that God would seek you out and determine that you never perish. What an honor to serve one of such worth and value. I have a proper perspective on myself when I have a proper perspective on God and on you.

We are to be like Jesus Christ: “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 2:3).