For several months now, God has been having me learn from the book of Matthew. It has been a process of studying and restudying, and learning to apply these truths from my Messiah to my life. The book of Matthew is full of Yeshua teaching His disciples how to live God’s Way. The disciples knew the teachings of Torah, they knew the teachings of the elders and Pharisees, they knew the law of the land, but what Yeshua was teaching them while He walked with them daily, was how to put the greatest commandment into action daily. He was showing them in word and deed how to live like someone who loves Yehovah God with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love others.
Just when I think I understand and have really taken hold of one of the lessons in Matthew, Yeshua shows me a knew understanding in the Word, and He reveals hidden things in my own heart. Today, is one of those days. I am in chapter 18 of Matthew.
At that time the disciples came to Yeshua, saying, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”
Then Yeshua called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, 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.Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me.
“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.
Woe to the world because of offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes!
“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.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.
“Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven.For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.
“What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying?
And if he should find it, assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray.Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.
“Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone.
If he hears you, you have gained your brother.But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that ‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.’And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.
“Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.
“Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven.For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”
Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?”
Yeshua said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.
Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents.But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made.The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, ‘Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt.
“But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe!’So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt.So when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they were very grieved, and came and told their master all that had been done.Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me.Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?’And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him.
“So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.”
This passage is all one lesson, it is the lesson of forgiving our brothers/sisters in the faith when they offend us. This is a lesson on humility and forgiveness. Sadly, I often think I am humble and that I do not struggle to forgive others, and then just like that Spirit of Yehovah comes to show me how I am being prideful, and how I have unforgiveness in my heart.
Forgiving outsiders, people who don’t know better, is often easier for me than forgiving those whom I know in the faith. Yesterday, was one of those days when I struggled to admit I was angry, hurt, and offended by someone. I found out that someone had spoken untrue and unkind words about me, and my family. My immediate reaction to this news was, “who cares, they don’t really know us.” But, I realized a few hours later, I was still hurt and offended. So, I began to pray about it, and I asked in prayer, “should I confront this person? or should I just forgive and let it go?” I asked the Father, to give me the ability to forgive these offenses, and to look at myself to be certain I am not slandering the offender myself, or anyone else. As I prayed the Lord indeed showed me my own times of gossip and slander towards others. I felt awful and I tried to justify in my mind my words and deeds, but they were not justifiable. So, I asked the father to forgive me and to help me better guard my lips and tongue. Yet, even after that I still felt the hurt of the offense of the words spoken against my family. I still felt unforgiving. I wanted to forgive, yet I also wanted to hold on to the anger and bitterness.
As I continued in prayer, I fell asleep, and I had really strange dreams. When I woke in the morning I felt I needed to open my Bible to Matthew 18. I knew I needed to look at the passage that spoke about forgiving others seven times. So, I opened my Bible, and I asked the Holy Spirit to reveal to me what I needed to learn from this passage today.
I read the whole passage through twice, and then I began looking at it and how it applied to me today. Yeshua was teaching His disciples as they lived their daily lives. The disciples were watching Him, and asking Him questions as they spent their lives together with Him. Recently, a friend of mine asked about the rewards in eternity, the crowns and treasures, and if I thought there would be a higher achy in the eternal kingdom. This is what Yeshua’s disciples wanted to know in this passage, asking “who is the greatest in God’s Kingdom?” We all want to feel important, we all want to have a role to play, we all want to be seen/heard, and valued. The disciples wanted to know how to be “great” in God’s Kingdom. Yeshua tells them the most humble is the greatest. He says be like little children.
Later Yeshua tells His disciples in Matthew chapter 20,
“You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them.Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant.And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
and in Matthew 6 (one of my favorite chapters that reflects Deuteronomy) He says,
“Be careful not to perform your righteous acts before men to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.
So when you give to the needy, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. Truly I tell you, they already have their full reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”
And later in Matthew 23, Yeshua again teaching His disciples says don’t be like the Pharisees, and false leaders who are leading others astray and who are all puffed up with pride, but instead He tells them,
“The greatest among you shall be your servant. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”
The people who had offended me, I was beginning to realize, they truly don’t know me, and they should not be my greatest concern. Instead, my greatest concern should be to be a disciple of my Messiah, to learn the things He taught His disciples, and to walk in those truths. I don’t need to hold on to their opinion or comments, but rather I can forgive them and let go of bitterness and allow Yehovah to humble me. It is not my job to humble anyone else. No instead Yeshua was teaching me this morning as I continue to read and reread the book of Matthew, that I must remove the log from my own eye, before I start even considering if someone else has a twig in their eye. Because mostly, that twig isn’t even there, rather it is the log blinding my vision from seeing clearly. I am no good to the body of believers if I am not daily asking for forgiveness and giving it daily as well.
You see forgiveness is hard in the body of believers, because like in a close family ,we offend one another often, sometimes daily. That is why Yeshua taught us in Matthew chapter 6 to pray,
“And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.”
Like the parable in Matthew 18, we can’t beg for forgiveness of our great debt from the Master, and then celebrate and praise the Master to all the people for His forgiveness of our debt, just to turn around and require those who are indebted to us to reconcile their debt immediately without any grace or forgiveness. No, if I want to be forgiven I must also forgive, for Yeshua continues in Matthew six to say,
“For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive yours.”
Daily I must ask for forgiveness, and daily I must give forgiveness. There is no other way to live if I want to be great in God’s Kingdom. If I truly want to be a servant of all servants, I can not Lord over others, or expect others to see and notice my work, but rather I should desire to only be seen by my Heavenly Father. This morning this is my prayer:
Father in Heaven,
Today, Forgive me my offensiveness towards others, and help me forgive those who offend me.
Remove the log that is in my eye, and clear my vision so that I might minister to the children whom you bring to me.
Humble me, and break off of me that which keeps me from loving others as your children.
Make me a servant, humble and meek, Lord, let me lift of those who are weak.
We are Bible believing, scripture only people. We love to learn about the Hebrew roots of our faith. We believe it is important to not add or subtract from the Divine Word of God. The compiled scriptures that agree with one another and have no contradiction is the 66 books of what is commonly referred to as the Christian Bible, or the Holy Bible.
These writings were originally written by men inspired by God. They were written in the language of the writers and readers of the original documents. Many of the original documents have been lost, but God’s Word is eternal and remains. Therefore, it is important to us to study, learn, and consider the culture, history, and language of the original writers of the scriptures.
In our studies we have learned that the true name of God is Yehovah, and His son, our Messiah, is named Yeshua. Therefore, as you read our posts we will use the Hebrew names of God and our Messiah.
We are Bible believing, scripture only people. We love to learn about the Hebrew roots of our faith. We believe it is important to not add or subtract from the Divine Word of God. The compiled scriptures that agree with one another and have no contradiction is the 66 books of what is commonly referred to as the Christian Bible, or the Holy Bible.
Leave a Reply