Matthew 18:1

Ch. Matthew 18:1-4 . A Lesson in Humility. The Kingdom of Heaven and Little Children Mark 9:33-37 ; Luke 9:46-48 . 1 . At the same time ] “in that hour.” The preceding incident and our Lord’s words had again excited hopes of a glorious kingdom on earth. greatest ] Literally, greater (than others).

Matthew 18:1 . At the same time — When Jesus had just foretold his own sufferings, death, and resurrection; came the disciples, saying, Who is greatest in the kingdom of heaven? — Which of us shall be thy prime minister in the kingdom which thou art about to set up? which they still thought would be a temporal kingdom. That this was their meaning, appears evident from the parallel passages, Mark 9:33-37 ; Luke 9:46-48 , (where see the notes.) So that just after the Lord Jesus had predicted that he should be rejected of the Jewish nation, condemned, and crucified, the apostles were entertaining worldly and ambitious views, striving for wealth, honour, and power, and contending with one another which should be greatest! Such is human nature, blind, unfeeling, selfish, ambitious, covetous, contentious about the little, low, perishable things of this present short-enduring world! It is true, our Lord’s late prediction concerning his sufferings ( Matthew 17:23 ) had made the disciples at first exceeding sorry; but their sorrow was of short duration: it soon went off, or their ignorance quickly got the better of it.

XVIII. (1) Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?—St. Mark records more fully that they had disputed about this in the way, that our Lord, knowing their thoughts (Luke 9:47), asked them what had been the, subject of their debate, and that they were then silent. We may well believe that the promise made to Peter, and the special choice of the Three for closer converse, as in the recent Transfiguration, had given occasion for the rival claims which thus asserted themselves. Those who were less distinguished looked on this preference, it may be, with jealousy, while, within the narrower circle, the ambition of the two sons of Zebedee to sit on their Lord’s right hand and on His left in His kingdom (Matthew 20:23), was ill-disposed to concede the primacy of Peter.

CHAPTER 18 Mt 18:1-9. Strife among the Twelve Who Should Be Greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven, with Relative Teaching. ( = Mr 9:33-50; Lu 9:46-50). For the exposition, see on [1323]Mr 9:33-50.Matthew 18:1-6 Christ proposes a little child to his disciples for apattern of innocence and humility.Matthew 18:7-9 He warns them to avoid offences, though at theexpense of a hand, a foot, or an eye,Matthew 18:10-14 and not to despise the little ones, whom it is theFather’s will to save.Matthew 18:15-20 He teacheth how to treat an offending brother,Matthew 18:21-35 and how oft to forgive him, by the parable of a king,who punished one of his servants for refusing thatmercy to his fellow which he had experienced from hislord in a larger degree. Mark, who relates also the same history more largely, Mark 9:33, saith, that this discourse was in the house at Capernaum, and that our Saviour began with them, asking them what they had been discoursing of by the way. That they held their peace, for they had been in the way arguing one with another who should be the greatest; they might at the same time also ask Christ the question. Luke, in whom we find the same history, speaketh of it only as a question that had arisen among themselves, Luke 9:46. It had been the matter of their thoughts in the way, yea, and of their more private discourse also. Luke saith, Jesus knew the thoughts of their hearts. We had need set the Lord at all times before our eyes, for we are always in his sight.

He encompasses all our paths, as the psalmist saith. In the way, when we think also we cannot be overheard, he heareth us, and will call us to account for our travelling thoughts and discourses. They were at first ashamed to tell the Lord what they had been thinking and discoursing upon, for Mark saith, Mark 9:34, they held their peace. But by and by they propound the question to Christ himself; so saith Matthew, What do they mean here by the kingdom of heaven? or what gave them occasion to such a discourse? It is most probable that they did not in this question intend the kingdom of glory; but either the church, or gospel dispensation; or (which indeed is most likely) that earthly kingdom which the Jews thought the Messiah should exercise on the earth. The general error of their nation, about a secular kingdom, which the Messias, when he came, should exercise upon the earth, restoring the kingdom to Israel, as they phrase it, Acts 1:6, seemeth to have infected them; so as though in this they differed from the unbelieving Jews, that they owned Christ to be the promised Messiah, and the Christ the Son of God, yet they looked for a temporal kingdom which he should administer.

Matthew 18:1 . Ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ὥρᾳ , in that hour ) when they had heard of the freedom of the children, declared in ch. Matthew 17:26 (which accounts for the use of ἄρα , then , in this passage); and when they had seen that Peter, James, and John (ch. John 17:1 ), had been all summoned to the Mount.— τίς ἄρα , κ . τ . λ ., who then , etc.) They put the question indefinitely in words , but in their own hearts they think of themselves.[803]— ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τῶν οὐρανῶν , in the kingdom of heaven ) See that thou enter there: do not enquire beforehand what are the several portions allotted to each therein. [803] In Mark 9:33-34 , and Luke 9:46-47 , the fact is stated with some little change in the form in which the circumstances appear; namely, the disciples, after that they had disputed on the way, and were on that account set to rights by our loving Saviour, were at first silent: but then, all having been convened together by the Saviour, some finally proposed the question to Him. Harm., p. 381, 382. Comp. Michaelis in der Einleitung, etc., T. ii., p. m. 911, etc.—E. B.

Matthew 18:1 . Ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ὥρᾳ ] the account of Matthew, which is throughout more original in essential matters than Mark 9:33 ff. and Luke 9:46 ff., bears this impress no less in this definite note of time: in that hour , namely, when Jesus was holding the above conversation with Peter. τίς ἄρα ] quis igitur (see Klotz, ad Devar . p. 176). The question, according to Matthew (in Mark otherwise), is suggested by the consideration of the circumstances : Who, as things stand , is, etc.; for one of them had just been peculiarly honoured, and that for the second time, by the part he was called upon to take in a special miracle. Euthymius Zigabenus says well: ἀνθρώπινόν τι τότε πεπόνθασιν οἱ μαθηταί . μείζων ] greater than the other disciples in rank and power. ἐστίν ] they speak as though the approaching Messianic kingdom were already present . Comp. Matthew 20:21 .