Matthew 18:12,13

Matthew 18:12,13 How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray? And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray. In our verse yesterday Jesus said that He came seek and to save lost people. He likens bringing sinners to church like a shepherd going out to bring a lost sheep back into the sheepfold. The shepherd leaves the ninety-nine sheep in the fold to go back out after the one sheep which is lost. The shepherd risks all to rescue that one lost sheep. Jesus reminded His disciples that He was glad when one sinner comes to God in salvation. To be sure, Jesus is glad that everyone is in church, but He is really glad when a sinner is brought back from a wicked life of sin and is saved. Going out after lost people is where God’s heart is. If we want to please God, we should seek the lost. After all, that is what Jesus did.

Matthew 18:11

Matthew 18:11 For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost. Jesus did many good thing while He was here on earth. He healed sick people; He fed hungry people; He taught people how to be good. But the real reason that Jesus came to earth was to redeem people. He came to rescue us from sin and to make us ready to go to heaven. Jesus came to save the lost. He didn’t come to make us better; He came to totally change us. Jesus didn’t come to improve us; He came to give a complete make-over. God loves us and sent His Son Jesus to save us from our sins.

Matthew 18:8,9

Matthew 18:8,9 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. 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. Wow! These verses sound pretty harsh. Cutting off hands and feet! Pulling out your eye! What in the world is Jesus talking about? Well, Jesus wants us to be different people. He wants us to think of others. He wants us to prepare for heaven. What we do in this life is not as important as how we get along with others. The things of this life are not as important as the things that will last for eternity. Jesus was saying that being generous is more important than stealing to get a lot of stuff. Thinking the right thoughts is more important than looking at wicked things. We may be tempted to say, “I just can’t help myself. I just can’t resist looking at the wrong things.” Well, just get rid of your eyes so that you won’t be tempted to look at the wrong things! But then you reply, “Oh no! It’s not bad enough to do that!” Well then get control of your eyes! Actually, Jesus doesn’t want us to cut off our feet or our hands or pull out our eyes. But Jesus does want us to go to the right places with our feet. Jesus does want us to do the right thing with our hands. And Jesus does want us to look at the right things with our eyes. Jesus wants us to either use them the right way or get rid of them so that we can. Obeying Jesus and living right  is important. Really important.

Matthew 18:1-4

Matthew 18:1-4 At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, 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. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Jesus loved His disciples and taught them many things. Many of the things that He taught were brand new and were contrary to what the religious leaders were teaching. Jesus used words like humble and kind and thinking of others. Jesus taught them to love your enemies and do good to those who would take advantage of you. These were different ideas. But then Jesus was different. He came to earth to love and redeem us. Jesus used the word, converted. Have you heard of a car called a convertible? The top comes down and it becomes an open car and you can ride around in the open in the summertime. One minute the car looks like a regular car and the next minute it has changed. It is a convertible. It has been changed. And Jesus wanted His disciples to be changed. He didn’t want them to be greedy and controlling like the people around them. Jesus wanted His disciples to be changed into kinder people. And that’s what Jesus wants for us. He wants to come into our hearts. He wants to change us and make us into better people. He wants to convert us into His followers. He wants us to be different.

Matthew 17:24-27

Matthew 17:24-27 And when they were come to Capernaum, they that received tribute money came to Peter, and said, Doth not your master pay tribute? He saith, Yes. And when he was come into the house, ... Jesus saith unto him, ... go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take, and give unto them for me and thee. The tax collectors were real crooks during Jesus’ time. I am sure that you remember the story of Zacchaeus. He was a crooked tax collector. But Peter had been taught by Jesus to pay what was owed, and they owed their taxes. But Peter had been following Jesus around for some time preaching and teaching and he hadn’t worked any. He was a fisherman and knew how to catch fish and sell them for a profit, but he hadn’t been fishing. So Jesus used Peter’s love of the sea to teach him a lesson. Jesus told Peter to go catch a fish. And when he caught that fish, there would be some money in the fish’s mouth. And Peter was to take that money and go pay their taxes. What a crazy idea! But by then, Peter must have seen so many miracles that he just said, “Here goes Jesus again!” and did exactly what Jesus said to do. Peter obeyed Jesus. And it happened just as Jesus said. Peter went fishing and caught some fish. And Peter looked in the mouth of the first one he pulled in. What do you think he saw? Yes, there was a coin! Just enough to pay their taxes. What an odd miracle! But not too crazy – because Jesus could do anything that He wanted to. And He still can! Jesus took care of Peter and Jesus can take care of you!

Matthew 17:22,23

Matthew 17:22,23 And while they abode in Galilee, Jesus said unto them, The Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of men: And they shall kill him, and the third day he shall be raised again. And they were exceeding sorry. Jesus knew the future, and Jesus knew that He would soon die. But Jesus also knew that His death was not the end for Him. Jesus came to bring us salvation, and His death actually part of His plan from eternity past. But we are different. We fear death because we don’t see the big picture. We don’t see everything that God is doing in the world – what He is accomplishing with our life and the lives of everyone else. The disciples didn’t want to lose Jesus. But Jesus knew that He had to die so that the disciples could live with Him in heaven for ever and ever. AND Jesus knew that He would send the disciples the Holy Spirit – the Comforter of God – to indwell each and every believer. Jesus knew that through the Holy Spirit He could be with each and every believer all the time in every country! Jesus saw the big picture. And now, so can we!