Spiritual Ponderings

Then Peter came and said to Him, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?" (Matthew 18:21) What elicited this question from Peter? What compelled him to ask how many times he should forgive someone who offended him? Verse 15 is the exact corollary to this question of Peter. Jesus had just given detailed instructions as to how to relate to someone who has sinned against us. It involves a sequence of efforts to seek reconciliation starting with a private appeal, expanding to involving a few others to strengthen our attempts to win the heart of the offender and finally, if all other efforts fail to soften the heart and restore trust and fellowship, the case is to be brought to the entire body of believers still solely for the purpose of seek resolution, reconciliation and peace. If all of that fails yet to draw the disconnected member into fellowship again, their choice to demand separation must be respected and th...

Review of Matthew 18 thus far. Who is the greatest in the kingdom? Unless you are converted and become as little children you cannot enter this kingdom. You must humble yourselves as this little child to become the greatest. Converted means to reverse and is based on a word having to do with revolution. Discussion with Nicodemus about how to see and enter the kingdom. 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, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself , taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death o...