Who Is This Man? -- Part 8 of the Tishbyte Foundational Bible Study series


		Covers Matthew 13:53-18:35 #8 of the tishbyte Foundational Bible Study series: The man who came as king, and yet chose to be a servant; Jesus' design for the church #4 of the New Covenant section ©1997 Tishbyte Publishing q The Question and the Responses (Luke 4:16-30) — This section begins with a series of incidents that can be summed up by the question, "Who is this man?" People of all types — some notable personalities — are attracted to Jesus, and are confronted by the question. Their responses show to what degree they had responded to John's message of repentance. All of these passages follow closely after that of the parable of the sower (13:3-23) and show the different types of ground. m 13:53-58 — the question confronted by: The People who Knew Him • When He had come to His own country ... they were astonished and said, "Where did this man get this wisdom..." t *response:* Over familiarity — they could not humble themselves before someone of their own kin. t *result:* Their inability to humble themselves resulted in the lack of a repentant attitude, which meant no faith was possible. Jesus could therefore do no mighty work. The hearts of the fathers were not turned to the children, nor the hearts of the children to the fathers (Mal 4:6). If one has a sense of cordiality towards visitors and colleagues outside the home (or village or local setting), but finds it easy to be rude to ones own family members; this is a sign of this condition. Love and humility must be shown towards those close — i.e. ones spouse, parents, mother-in-law, etc. Otherwise, one's faith will be deficient. t Jesus's analysis: vs 57 — A prophet is not without honour except in his own country and in his own house. t type of ground: hard — through over familiarity and pride m 14:1-12 — the question confronted by: King Herod the Tetrarch • Herod the tetrarch heard about Jesus, and said ... "This is John the Baptist..." t response: based on guilt of having succumbed to a double mind in executing John the Baptist. t result: Despite having heard and listened to John the Baptist with interest (according to the account in Marks 6:14-29), there was still no repentance. Though he had shown enthusiasm at times, he finally gave in to his wife, just as King Ahab did to Jezebel. Other passages show that he had a desire to see Jesus, but it was out of a desire for self justification, or for a novelty: v Luke 9:7-9 — Herod sought to see Jesus v Luke 13:31-33 — Herod sought to kill Jesus v Luke 23:6-12 — Jesus was brought before Herod, who first hoped to see miracles for which Jesus was famous, and then treated him with contempt. t Jesus's analysis: Jesus knew Herod's heart, and knew it was useless to say or do anything in response. In the account of Luke 13:31-33, Jesus referred to him as a "fox". At His trial before Herod in Luke 23:6-12, Jesus didn't even answer him. t type of ground: Rocky — short lived spurts of enthusiasm without repentance m Matt 14:13-21 — the question confronted by: the general public (at the feeding of the 5000) • ...those who had eaten were about five thousand men, besides women and children. This and the next miracle (walking on water) are listed in John's account (6:1-15) as signs and wonders which drew people to faith in Him. t response: They recognised that Jesus was Messiah (John 6:15) t result: According to John's account, they were about to take him by force and make him King. Then, in John 6:22-59, when confronted with the demands of discipleship — the demand to be totally reliant on Jesus — they were offended. This shown their faith to be of the type that seeks signs (vs 30) but lacks repentance. t type of ground: Rocky — enthusiastic as long as there were benefits, but unable to cope with the demands of discipleship m 14:22-33 — the question confronted by: the disciples (on seeing Jesus walking on water) • ...Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. t response: The general response was, "Truly you are the son of God." On Peter's part, he answered Jesus's call, and stepped out on the water himself, the only one actually willing to take the risk. However, he was still weak and prone to distraction. t result: Peter was distracted, and sank. After Jesus pulled him up, he continued to walk on the water with Jesus. t Jesus's analysis: "Oh, you of little faith. Why did you doubt?" t type of ground: verging on good ground, but with less fruit (30 fold as opposed to 100 fold). Perhaps some thorns remained, which destracted him, causing him to sink, but he was certainly in the process of developing true faith. m 15:1-20 — the question confronted by: the rabbis and Pharisees from Jerusalem • Then the scribes and Pharisees who were from Jerusalem came to Jesus, saying ... Previously, Jesus had encountered only the local Pharisees around about Galilee, but these were the more sophisticated ones from Jerusalem; possibly members of the Sanhedrin. Even Herod was a local king, governing only the North — not like his grandfather, Herod the Great. These, on the other hand, were close to the mainstream of Judaism, and their words carried more weight. t response: They assumed that if Jesus was from God, he must understand the Torah in line with the traditions they had received. However, Jesus did not fit into their pre-existing framework. t result: Since Jesus didn't fit into their pre-existing framework, they had a hard time seeing Jesus for who he was. v True repentance must look to God as God is regardless of the framework by which we traditionally understand Him. v They had not come by repentance, and were therefore hindered by their own understanding. t Jesus's analysis: "Why do you transgress the command of God by your traditions?..." v Traditions in and of themselves aren't bad, but only when they hinder our understanding of what God can and will do, or what he will lead His anointed to do. v The only guideline as to what God can and will do (through His servants or otherwise) is scripture — the Written Torah. Not necessarily our interpretation of it. v Jesus, here, made what amounts to a denay torah in the rabbinical sense: "The plane meaning of scripture (Written Torah) always takes precedence over tradition (Oral Torah or our interpretation of it). v vs 13, 14 He answered and said, "Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted...they are blind leaders of the blind" Through repentance and coming to understand God as He reveals Himself through His Word, even if it contradicts the accepted standard interpretation, one is planted by the Father. Lack of repentance is blindness — one's vision having been obscured by the "standard interpretation". t type of ground: Thorny — the thorns being the traditions and standard interpretations m 15:21-28 — the question confronted by: a gentile woman • ...behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him... This was someone outside of Jesus's target group (vs 24; 10:5,6). Jesus's focus in His scope of ministry was Israel. Being God's covenant people God's plan for man must begin with them. Jesus's objective was to lay the foundation for God's kingdom, with Israel as the launching point. To minister to gentiles at this point in time would have been to "spread himself out too thin" so as not to have enough impact on the target group. However, the gentile woman's faith, as it were, overrode Jesus's objective. t response: Convinced that Jesus was the source of life (children's bread), her attitude was that of worship, demonstrating that she was totally at the end of herself and flinging herself on His mercy, even willing to come as a dog receiving the crumbs from under the masters table. It was at this point that her faith overrode Jesus's main focus. t result: This attitude of faith displayed with humble worship/repentance got her what she desired. t Jesus's analysis: "Great is your faith." True faith must display worship and humility. t type of ground: Good — it bore fruit m 16:1-12 — the question confronted by: Pharisees and Sadducees • Then the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and testing Him, asked ... The Sadducees represented the ruling class — the society that the high priest associated with. The Pharisees that came along would certainly have been members of the Sanhedrin. By asking Jesus for a sign, they were carrying out their office of leadership in determining whether was indeed Messiah. t response: The signs and wonders seen so far, not being witnessed directly by them, seemed too subjective. This left too much room for doubt. Some were known only by hearsay, some focused on unlikely points, like blind beggars and lepers etc. — not done openly with the intent of clearly demonstrating his messiaship — as though designed to be observed and understood only by the "poor in spirit" and those "hungering and thirsting for righteousness" with a repentant attitude (Matt5:3-12). t result: a display of what Jesus referred to as the "leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees." (vs 6) this meaning their teaching (vs 12). t Jesus's analysis: "You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times..." Jesus's signs and wonders were not meant to stand alone, but to be read along with the signs of the times. v At the basis of David's kingdom (which was the prototype of the Kingdom of God) were the sons of Issachar, "Who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do" (I Chron 12:32). v The hungry and repentant, who had already received John's message, readily recognised Jesus's signs and teachings to be of God, and as indicating His Messiaship — just as physical hunger makes ones taste buds extra sensitive so as to discern taste in food, so spiritual hunger affects spiritual discernment. v vs 6 — beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees Jesus was not pinpointing "doctrine" as we think of it today, as meaning ones creed; but rather, teaching, or any style of teaching or impartation that causes one to become dull to the signs of the times. He was warning us to avoid the critical attitude that is slow to accept the spiritual value of an event or a movement and disregarding any signs that fall short of ones own criteria. t type of ground: Hard — their traditional standards (based on their interpretation) prevented them from even an initial response m 16:13-20 — the question confronted by: the disciples • But who do you say that I am? t response: (by Peter) "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." t result: Peter had responded to the Father's prompting in his heart. He had gone beyond hungering and reading the signs, to responding positively to them, and opening himself to the Father's revelation. t Jesus's analysis: "You are Peter (Rock)". By receiving the revelation, Peter had qualified as a building stone To fully understand this, we must understand I Pet 2:4,5, the "spiritual house" that Jesus envisioned here. The revelation imparted by the Father of who Jesus is, is the foundation of the spiritual house, Jesus's church. The prerequisite to being a part of this building, is the revelation of who Jesus is, as Peter received it, or as the gentile woman. v ...not with the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees — critical evaluation based on one's own perspective v ...not with a preconceived framework as the Pharisees from Jerusalem v ...not with shallow excitement that lacks repentance, as the crowds that wanted to crown Jesus as king by force v ...not with a double mind like Herod v ...not with a familiarity that refuses to acknowledge the honour of one's own close kin, as the people of Nazareth All these are the antithesis of the kingdom attitudes in Matt 5:3-13. To those who respond to this revelation, Jesus gives the keys of the kingdom. This spiritual building and the authority of those who make up its stones, we will discuss in the final section of this lesson. t type of ground: good q The Glory and the Cross (16:21-18:35) So far, we have seen in this lesson, Jesus attracting the attention of various notable personalities, who all treat the question, "Who is this man?" Finally, the question is answered for us by a revelation from the Father to Peter; that this is, in fact, Messiah, and the very Son of God. Such a glorious introduction of Jesus contrasts with the following passages that follow in the rest of the section. We now find that just a revelation of Christ is not enough. It's just the starting point. m 16:21-28 — *The contrast* • a targum of Matt 16:21: From this time, now that it was firmly established in the minds of the disciples who Jesus was, Jesus began to show to His disciples a fact that sharply contrasted with that of being the anointed Son of God; namely, that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and the chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day. t Peter, the one who had received the revelation from the Father of who Jesus was; was also the first to demonstrate that he lacked the other vital component to being a disciple, an understanding of the cross. To Jesus, lacking this understanding was a serious (if not fatal) flaw that identified him with Satan's side rather than the Father — even an offense to Jesus. How could Peter, one minute speak forth a revelation straight from the Father, and the next minute be a mouthpiece of Satan? The same way anyone does who only has a revelation of Christ but lacks an understanding of the cross. James 3:10-12 gives us a graphic description of both kinds of speech coming from the same mouth. The root problem, treated extensively by James, is the double mind (1:6-8; 3:10-12; 4:7-10), or more simply, revelation without the cross. v King Herod's double-mindedness was on a more fundamental level that prevented him from even choosing to repent and follow the kingdom of God, let alone receive a revelation of Messiah. In Peter's case, he had conquered double-mindedness through initial repentance, in choosing to follow Jesus, and had received the revelation of Messiah; but in the process had begun to neglect the kingdom attitudes (Matt 5:3-12) and the repentant attitude. He had fallen back into the "comfort zone" while enamoured with the revelation of Christ, no doubt thinking that all would be fine in every field, as we too often tend to do today. v Simply to have a revelation of Messiah is not enough. To be a disciple, one must *deny self, take up one's cross* and follow Jesus. 1 *deny self* — in contrast to Peter's idea of simply remaining in the "comfort zone" while reveling in the revelation of Jesus, grabbing the best of both worlds, Jesus said, He who would save his life will lose it. Y A double mind, which James gives as the major hindrance to spiritual growth, consists of undenied self mixed with a revelation of Jesus. Perhaps a beginning has been made in denying self to follow Jesus, but some aspects of self remain undenied, or partially denied. The situation can be described by the following equation: double mind = revelation + undenied self or double mind = a bit of denied self + a bit of undenied self Y Any desire or ambition that has not been scrutinised in the light of Christ can make for a double mind. It may be an evil desire, such as a sexual fantasy, or a desire to ultimately get revenge; or it may be a desire that's not obviously evil — even an honourable goal — such as the desire to have wealth, or security, or to succeed in a certain area. If one has never died to that ambition or desire, it becomes a hindrance. It takes up space in the heart where the revelation of Jesus ought to dwell supreme. Moreover, there always remains the uncertainty (even if ever so slight) whether, if one had to choose between that desire and God's perfect plan, what the choice would be. But if we offer our all to God, as Abraham did in sacrificing his only son, God, in return, makes His all available to us. 2 *take up one's cross* — The cross Jesus was referring to was not a religious emblem. It only became that much later. It was a symbol of one of the most horrifying means of execution known — a slow tormenting death while entirely stripped one one's dignity. Y Before there was any question of the means Jesus would die, he used this as the equivalent to choosing to follow Him. "Voluntarily take up the instrument of your execution — giving up your right to life and dignity — and follow me to your death." Y Just as execution means the ultimate end of a criminal life, or a life of revolution and terrorism; voluntarily taking up our cross to follow Jesus is the end of all hope of fulfilling all desires but those that are in total submission to Him. It is the only way to a truly single mind. 3 *follow Jesus* — Following Jesus involves more than simply assenting to the revelation that Jesus is the Son of God. Y To believe in Jesus is not simply to believe one will "go to heaven" when one dies. While a future in heaven is one of the more comforting aspects of the gospel, that is not the ultimate goal. The goal, rather, is that voiced in Jesus's prayer, "Your kingdom come; Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." (Not, "If I die before I wake, I pray to God my soul to take") Y For that to be fulfilled requires not a crowd of church-goers assured of heaven, but disciples who have denied self and are following the life of the cross; whose goal is to see the kingdom of God fully come in power. Those who put this goal before even their own life, receive life in return. Those who are afraid to risk their life, lose that which they were afraid of losing (Perhaps they will make it to heaven, but without the rewards). v vs 28 — Assuredly, I say to you, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom. This verse is hard to understand. It would seem that some, though they risk their lives on behalf of the kingdom, will in fact witness the kingdom come in power with their lives intact. That having been said nearly 2000 years ago leaves us with four possible interpretations: 1. It referred immediately to those who would witness the transfiguration. This is the opinion of many Bible commentators. However, the context seems to suggest His ultimate coming, as the previous verse speaks of His coming in the "glory of His Father with His angels" to "reward each according to his works". He certainly didn't do that on the mountain six days later. 2. It was a conditional prophecy. The kingdom could have come earlier than it did, but was delayed through some failure early on, on the part of the church. 3. Some of the early disciples still haven't died, even 2000 years later, and are hidden on earth somewhere, or else were taken up like Elijah and Enoch. 4. "Taste death" is to be taken in the same sense as it is in John 8:51,52, where Jesus says, "He who believes in me shall not see death." The fourth interpretation would seem to be the most likely. In any case, it is hypocrisy to simply accept an answer simply for the sake appearing to know. A thoroughly valid answer would be, "I don't know." But the meaning that we can apply is that many of those who put their lives at risk for the kingdom, are those who will, in fact, live to see the kingdom come in power. m chap 17&18 — the glorious reality and the earthly reality t 17:1-13 — *the glory* • Now after six days, Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain... This passage, following after the previous two — the revelation of Jesus and denying self to follow the life of the cross — shows us that the next progression, once these are in place, is to witness the glory of God. However, in application, it may not be as vivid as the disciples saw it, but may involve other areas of supernatural activity. Perhaps in the area of revival, visions and prophetic words, healing or supernatural provision. v Even here there is a progression: 1 Peter was awed to see the shining glory, and to actually see Moses and Elijah — the focus of all Judaism — both standing along side Jesus, as though as to confirm that Jesus was at least in the same class as them The previous revelation of Messiah was in his heart, and had to be received by faith; this one was vivid, before his physical eyes. 2 The voice from heaven said, "This (Jesus) is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him." Jesus was thus revealed vividly to Peter as the focal point of all glory, even that of the traditions of Moses and Elijah. 3 In II Peter 1:16-21 esp. vs 17&19 — Peter states that "we have an even more sure word" — that of the prophets, the written word of God. The written word takes precedence even over bat khol, or the audible voice of God. v In this series of live object lessons, Peter learned: Y ...by revelation by the Holy Spirit that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God. This was an inward revelation that he had to embrace by faith. Y To implement that revelation, he must deny self, take up his cross and choose to follow Jesus. Only by dying, comes glory. Y In seeing Jesus in His glory, Peter learned that Jesus is the focus of all, even the Torah and the Prophets, as exemplified by Moses and Elijah, and that moreover, Jesus is supreme. Y By the time he wrote his second epistle, his experience had matured to the point that he put more confidence in the written word of God than even the voice from heaven. This almost parallels the progression of Christian experience listed in Heb 6:4,5: Y enlightened — drawn to the kingdom through repentance, and gaining an understanding of the cross of Christ Y tasted of the heavenly gift — the revelation of Messiah Y become partakers in the Holy Spirit — (not yet received at this point) Y tasted the good word — confidence in God's written word Y tasted the powers of the age to come — witnessed the glory of Jesus in day to day experience t 17:1-21 — *the other reality* • ...when they had come to the multitude... Some might entitle this passage, "back to reality". That would convey a wrong impression, because the glory on the mountain top was indeed reality — just as real if not more so than daily life. It was the reality of God's glory, and of Jesus being Lord of all. But then, they descended the mountain to be confronted with the other reality — that the world is still in a mess. One can readily picture Jesus sighing, closing his eyes, saying, "O faithless perverse generation...How long must I bear with you?" According to the account in Mark 9:14-28, Jesus found himself suddenly in middle of a heated argument between unbelieving rabbis and his bungling disciples over an epileptic boy, whose father was now so confused that he found it hard to believe anything anymore. v The stark contrast between this and the mountain top experience gives urgency to the prayer, "Your kingdom come; Your will be done in earth as it is in heaven." v For the glorious reality to overcome the earthly reality, takes faith as a mustard seed (Matt 17:20). Y As we saw in the earlier lesson, the seed is a simple but profound illustration. Just as a small seed becomes a tree, so faith, though small but true, has infinite leverage. Y vs 21 — However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting. In some cases, for faith to have this kind of leverage, prayer and fasting are necessary. Fasting doesn't change things, but rather, prepares the believer so his faith can be more focused. v vs 22, 23 — The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men... Again, Jesus reminds his disciples that before the glorious reality can become the norm, the earthly reality requires death. v vs 24-27 — From whom do the kings of the earth take customs or taxes...? The earthly reality involves such menial things as payment of taxes. However, the faith leverage brought the glorious reality to work, even in the paying of the tax. t 18: 1-35 — *how must the kingdom of God network cause the glorious reality to override the earthly reality?* • At that time the disciples came to Jesus saying, "Who then is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" In this final passage of the section, Jesus again refers to the spiritual building of 16:17-19, describing it as a network of fellow believers who have authority in the kingdom of God. The word "church" and the statement about binding and loosing, are what link that passage with chapter 18. To fully understand this network, we must look at both passages together, as well as a parallel passage in Mark. v 16:17-19 — *the building* • ...on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it... Y We saw earlier that the revelation of Messiah qualified Peter to become a building stone in this building. Y The word "church" as we understand it today, didn't exist in the time of the Bible (although this passage does apply to the church as we know it today). The Greek word, ecclessia, is the word we translate today as "church". That simply meant an assembly, or literally, "a calling out". In Greek usage, it was a meeting of citizens "called out" to discuss a political course of action, or to vote for civic leaders. Greek speaking Jews used the word to mean the congregation that met at the synagogue. Jesus would have originally spoken these words in Hebrew; and being that it was translated ecclessia, he would have used the word in Hebrew meaning "congregation". That would be understood as a minyan, or a quorum of ten men that constitute a legal congregation according to rabbinical law. When we discuss 18:17, we will see how this applies to authority in the kingdom. Y vs 19 — I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven ... God's kingdom network, the church, has authority to bind and loose. In the rabbinical practice, this is called denay torah, or making a binding decision regarding the interpretation of the Torah. However, it includes more than that. We will discuss the full scope of this authority when we come to 18:17-20. v 18:1-4 — *who's who in the kingdom network* • ...whoever humbles himself as this little child... Just as the kingdom attitudes emphesise (Matt 5:3-12), humility is the key to achieving anything in the kingdom of God. Here, we have a graphic illustration what it means to be humble — that of becoming a child. To enter the kingdom, one must become as a child — teachable, not ambitious, not seeking to control others, readily available without preconditions and accepting of others. Moreover, the more one excels in this quality, the greater one becomes in the kingdom. Those seeking greatness, as the disciples were when Jesus answered their question, are disqualified from it. True greatness only comes to those not actively seeking it, but rather, seeking to serve others. v Mark 9:38-42 — *who is included in the kingdom network* • ...he who is not against us is on our side... John made the mistake of thinking that anyone not immediately associated with their group was not qualified to exercise kingdom authority. The fact that the person in question did "not follow us" could mean that he was not a part of the authority structure within their immediate group, or that his understanding of the Bible was different. Obviously, he could not claim apostolic succession nor apostolic covering. Jesus's response to John teaches us that kingdom authority does not rest exclusively with any one church or organisation, but that all who exercise faith in the name of Jesus are a part of the network, however distantly related. It is indeed a network, not an organisation. Even a small act like offering a glass of cold water ties one into the network. The object is to include rather than to exclude. v Matt 18:5-14 — *the priority in the kingdom network* • Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones ... a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray... The requirement of a childlike attitude, and the object of inclusiveness gives us a clue as to the priority of the kingdom network. The general attitude of the world is, "It's okay to offend the 'little people' (i.e. children, the underprivileged, the 'peons', etc.) who have nothing to offer anyway; but we must respect the 'great', because it is they, that will offer us the chance to get ahead become great ourselves." The kingdom attitude is just the opposite. It's not our objective to become "great", but rather, to humble ourselves, become as children and serve others. This attitude gives much greater priority to the "little people". Y vs 6-9 — Woe to the world because of offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes! The worldly attitude is the cause of the offenses in the world. Viewing the situation from a kingdom perspective, with kingdom priorities, we see that offending others is a serious matter. Any part of our lives, even a hand or foot, that causes "little people" to stumble (or causes us to commit the sin of offending them), get rid of it. The inclusion of the passage on the man casting out demons in Jesus name in Marks account, and the man with 100 sheep in Matthew's account indicates that the "little people" means more than the young in age, but also those of less influence, "the peons", etc. Therefore, this sin can cover anything from betraying a child's trust, to giving the "cold shoulder" to someone of less "importance". Y vs 10-14 — If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray... Not only is attention given to the seemingly insignificant, but also to the individual, apart from the collective whole. Each one, regardless of their age, or place in society, is worthwhile going out of one's way for. v vs 15-20 — *authority in the kingdom network* • ...if your brother sins against you...if two or three of you agree... Now that the goals and priorities are clearly stated, we see how the kingdom network actually goes about exercising authority. The context makes it clear that the verses following are not about, "How to get rid of an erring brother (or sister)," but, "How to restore the erring brother." Each step in the process is not for the purpose of verifying that he is indeed in error or sin; but rather, an additional attempt to induce him to repent and be restored. He is the lost sheep that the kingdom network must go out of its way to bring back to the fold. Once we understand this clearly, only then can we look at how authority works in the kingdom of God. Y In the context of the kingdom network, we see that authority rests in two groups: 1 vs 16 — two or three witnesses (Deut 17:6; 19:5) 2 vs 17 — the congregation, or the minyan In the Jewish court system, a panel of three sat to judge minor cases, and a panel of 23 sat to judge capital offenses. The 23 was two minyans so that one congregation of 10 plus enough for a sufficient majority could give the verdict. This is inferred from Num 35:24,25, which is interpreted to mean two congregations ("a congregation judges ... a congregation acquits"). The 3 judges for minor offenses is inferred from Deut 17:6, which Jesus also quotes here. This also applies to verse 18, ...if two of you agree... The normal judicial process called for only one or the other of these processes; but Jesus's instructions for discipline in the church calls for both — the 2 or 3, and the congregation — adding that more of a chance for restoration, and that much more difficulty in getting rid of the one in sin. Y vs 18-19 — *the authority of two or three* • ...whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven...if two of you agree on earth concerning anything... l To "bind" and "loose" are rabbinical terms that refer to diney torah, or the binding decision. Where there was a question regarding the application of a point of the law, and the wording in the scripture seemed to give no obvious solution, the court would discuss the situation, and search for further scripture and other possible meanings of the words. When a decision was made, it was then a set precedent that could be referred to in later cases. Many of these precedents, or halakot, are recorded in the Mishnah and the Talmud. l However, this authority is not merely for the purpose of determining the interpretation of a scripture, or passing judgment on one who has sin. Jesus demonstrated that this authority is also over spiritual and natural forces as well in Mark 1:23-25 ... there was a man ... with an unclean spirit ... Not only were the people impressed that Jesus spoke with authority in his teaching — declaring God's intent in having given particular laws, or diney torah — but this authority was proven in the spiritual world as well, as Jesus proceeded to cast a demon out of one who was present. We of course see later that this authority also worked towards healing the sick and even calming the sea. l In the kingdom network, the church, this translates in both areas. The two or three have the authority to judge, or determine if a course of action is scriptural or not (with the confirmation of the congregation according to vs 17); and they have the power of agreement in casting out devils and praying the prayer of agreement. s In agreement prayer, the dynamic of Deut 32:30 is also at work: How could one chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight, unless their rock had sold them... (also Lev 26:8) Thus two in agreement are much more powerful in prayer than just one. s Jesus's diney torah in Matt 15:3-6 indicates that the plain meaning of God's word takes precedence over any decision (which for the scribes and Pharisees, had become a part of their tradition). Truth is the ultimate authority, and overrides any decision of two or three, or the congregation. Thus, those exercising kingdom authority have the responsibility to see that they understand God's will through the scriptures and the leading of the Holy Spirit. Agreement prayer, likewise, is effective when prayer is according to God's will. s The entire context of this chapter indicates that the purpose of this authority is to restore rather than cut off; give life rather than pronounce death; and serve rather than control. Those exercising this authority must be those who truly exhibit the kingdom attitudes of Matt 5:3-13, and whose motivation is to serve, rather than to control or promote oneself. Effective leaders exercising authority according to the responsibility given them, are those who only became leaders through their childlike spirit, and desire to be a servant of all. Others in the network (apart from leaders), also exercising authority in their more limited spheres of responsibility, likewise must be motivated with the desire to build up, restore, and support others in the network, rather than gain more power. (cautionary note: authority is only valid in the area one has been given responsibility) Y vs 20 — ...where two or three are gathered together in My name... Jesus, in saying this, has identified Himself as the Shechinah, or the presence of God. The following passage from the Talmud seems to convey the same truth: Whence is it that when ten assemble for prayer the Shechinah is in their midst? As it is said, "God standeth in the godly congregation" (Ps. lxxxii. 1). And whence is it that when three sit and judge, the Shechinah is in their midst? As it is said, "In the midst of the judges He judgeth" (ibid). And whence is it that when two sit and occupy themselves with the study of the Torah, the Shechinah is in their midst? As it is said, "Then they that feared the Lord spoke one with another, and the Lord hearkened and heard" (Mal iii. 16). And whence is it that even if an individual sits and occupies himself with the study of the Torah the Shechinah is with him? As it is said, "In every place where I cause My name to be remembered I will come unto thee and will bless thee" (Exod. xx. 24). (Talmud, Berachot 6a) This passage includes all the authority structures we have discussed in this section. When two or three have the kingdom attitudes, and their desire is to serve rather than control, include rather than exclude, and restore the lost sheep to the fold rather than "get rid of a pest" (or to command, or agree in prayer for something in line with God's will); the Shechinah, the presence of Jesus is with them, and His own authority is there to carry out the decision. So also, the congregation. Kingdom authority exercised in this way is what will cause the glorious reality to override the earthly reality. This is yet another answer to the question, "Who is ths man?" He is the Shichinah. v vs 21-35 — *how to remain in the kingdom network* • ...how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Once we remember that we are in God's kingdom only because God forgave us of such a great burden of debt, then our attitude towards the others will also be that of forgiveness and the desire to restore them, and even to promote them beyond our own situation. It's the kingdom attitudes of being poor in spirit (realising our own lack), hunger and thirst for righteousness, meekness, peacemaking etc. that will keep us mindful of how much we've been forgiven of, and how much he continues to forgive us of each day. The moment this ceases to be our attitude, we begin to stop forgiving, and His forgiveness towards us looses its effect. q So, Who is This Man? m For those who have received the revelation from the Father, He is, *the Christ, Son of the living God* m For those who have single-mindedly chosen to follow him, He is, *our example in dying* m He is *the glorious reality to override the earthly reality* m He is *the Shechinah*, or the presence of God who is with the kingdom network as we carry out kingdom authority. Lesson 12 (lessons 9-11 not complete as yet) Lesson Index

Covers Matthew 13:53-18:35

#8 of the tishbyte Foundational Bible Study series:
The man who came as king, and yet chose to be a servant; Jesus' design for the church

#4 of the New Covenant section

q The Question and the Responses (Luke 4:16-30) — This section begins with a series of incidents that can be summed up by the question, "Who is this man?" People of all types — some notable personalities — are attracted to Jesus, and are confronted by the question. Their responses show to what degree they had responded to John's message of repentance.

All of these passages follow closely after that of the parable of the sower (13:3-23) and show the different types of ground.

m 13:53-58 — the question confronted by: The People who Knew Him • When He had come to His own country ... they were astonished and said, "Where did this man get this wisdom..."

t response: Over familiarity — they could not humble themselves before someone of their own kin.

t result: Their inability to humble themselves resulted in the lack of a repentant attitude, which meant no faith was possible. Jesus could therefore do no mighty work. The hearts of the fathers were not turned to the children, nor the hearts of the children to the fathers (Mal 4:6). If one has a sense of cordiality towards visitors and colleagues outside the home (or village or local setting), but finds it easy to be rude to ones own family members; this is a sign of this condition. Love and humility must be shown towards those close — i.e. ones spouse, parents, mother-in-law, etc. Otherwise, one's faith will be deficient.

t Jesus's analysis: vs 57 — A prophet is not without honour except in his own country and in his own house.

t type of ground: hard — through over familiarity and pride

m 14:1-12 — the question confronted by: King Herod the Tetrarch • Herod the tetrarch heard about Jesus, and said ... "This is John the Baptist..."

t response: based on guilt of having succumbed to a double mind in executing John the Baptist.

t result: Despite having heard and listened to John the Baptist with interest (according to the account in Marks 6:14-29), there was still no repentance. Though he had shown enthusiasm at times, he finally gave in to his wife, just as King Ahab did to Jezebel. Other passages show that he had a desire to see Jesus, but it was out of a desire for self justification, or for a novelty:

v Luke 9:7-9 — Herod sought to see Jesus

v Luke 13:31-33 — Herod sought to kill Jesus

v Luke 23:6-12 — Jesus was brought before Herod, who first hoped to see miracles for which Jesus was famous, and then treated him with contempt.

t Jesus's analysis: Jesus knew Herod's heart, and knew it was useless to say or do anything in response. In the account of Luke 13:31-33, Jesus referred to him as a "fox". At His trial before Herod in Luke 23:6-12, Jesus didn't even answer him.

t type of ground: Rocky — short lived spurts of enthusiasm without repentance

m Matt 14:13-21 — the question confronted by: the general public (at the feeding of the 5000) • ...those who had eaten were about five thousand men, besides women and children. This and the next miracle (walking on water) are listed in John's account (6:1-15) as signs and wonders which drew people to faith in Him.

t response: They recognised that Jesus was Messiah (John 6:15)

t result: According to John's account, they were about to take him by force and make him King. Then, in John 6:22-59, when confronted with the demands of discipleship — the demand to be totally reliant on Jesus — they were offended. This shown their faith to be of the type that seeks signs (vs 30) but lacks repentance.

t type of ground: Rocky — enthusiastic as long as there were benefits, but unable to cope with the demands of discipleship

m 14:22-33 — the question confronted by: the disciples (on seeing Jesus walking on water) • ...Jesus went to them, walking on the sea.

t response: The general response was, "Truly you are the son of God." On Peter's part, he answered Jesus's call, and stepped out on the water himself, the only one actually willing to take the risk. However, he was still weak and prone to distraction.

t result: Peter was distracted, and sank. After Jesus pulled him up, he continued to walk on the water with Jesus.

t Jesus's analysis: "Oh, you of little faith. Why did you doubt?"

t type of ground: verging on good ground, but with less fruit (30 fold as opposed to 100 fold). Perhaps some thorns remained, which destracted him, causing him to sink, but he was certainly in the process of developing true faith.

m 15:1-20 — the question confronted by: the rabbis and Pharisees from Jerusalem • Then the scribes and Pharisees who were from Jerusalem came to Jesus, saying ... Previously, Jesus had encountered only the local Pharisees around about Galilee, but these were the more sophisticated ones from Jerusalem; possibly members of the Sanhedrin. Even Herod was a local king, governing only the North — not like his grandfather, Herod the Great. These, on the other hand, were close to the mainstream of Judaism, and their words carried more weight.

t response: They assumed that if Jesus was from God, he must understand the Torah in line with the traditions they had received. However, Jesus did not fit into their pre-existing framework.

t result: Since Jesus didn't fit into their pre-existing framework, they had a hard time seeing Jesus for who he was.

v True repentance must look to God as God is regardless of the framework by which we traditionally understand Him.

v They had not come by repentance, and were therefore hindered by their own understanding.

t Jesus's analysis: "Why do you transgress the command of God by your traditions?..."

v Traditions in and of themselves aren't bad, but only when they hinder our understanding of what God can and will do, or what he will lead His anointed to do.

v The only guideline as to what God can and will do (through His servants or otherwise) is scripture — the Written Torah. Not necessarily our interpretation of it.

v Jesus, here, made what amounts to a denay torah in the rabbinical sense: "The plane meaning of scripture (Written Torah) always takes precedence over tradition (Oral Torah or our interpretation of it).

v vs 13, 14 He answered and said, "Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted...they are blind leaders of the blind" Through repentance and coming to understand God as He reveals Himself through His Word, even if it contradicts the accepted standard interpretation, one is planted by the Father. Lack of repentance is blindness — one's vision having been obscured by the "standard interpretation".

t type of ground: Thorny — the thorns being the traditions and standard interpretations

m 15:21-28 — the question confronted by: a gentile woman • ...behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him... This was someone outside of Jesus's target group (vs 24; 10:5,6). Jesus's focus in His scope of ministry was Israel. Being God's covenant people God's plan for man must begin with them. Jesus's objective was to lay the foundation for God's kingdom, with Israel as the launching point. To minister to gentiles at this point in time would have been to "spread himself out too thin" so as not to have enough impact on the target group. However, the gentile woman's faith, as it were, overrode Jesus's objective.

t response: Convinced that Jesus was the source of life (children's bread), her attitude was that of worship, demonstrating that she was totally at the end of herself and flinging herself on His mercy, even willing to come as a dog receiving the crumbs from under the masters table. It was at this point that her faith overrode Jesus's main focus.

t result: This attitude of faith displayed with humble worship/repentance got her what she desired.

t Jesus's analysis: "Great is your faith." True faith must display worship and humility.

t type of ground: Good — it bore fruit

m 16:1-12 — the question confronted by: Pharisees and Sadducees • Then the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and testing Him, asked ... The Sadducees represented the ruling class — the society that the high priest associated with. The Pharisees that came along would certainly have been members of the Sanhedrin. By asking Jesus for a sign, they were carrying out their office of leadership in determining whether was indeed Messiah.

t response: The signs and wonders seen so far, not being witnessed directly by them, seemed too subjective. This left too much room for doubt. Some were known only by hearsay, some focused on unlikely points, like blind beggars and lepers etc. — not done openly with the intent of clearly demonstrating his messiaship — as though designed to be observed and understood only by the "poor in spirit" and those "hungering and thirsting for righteousness" with a repentant attitude (Matt5:3-12).

t result: a display of what Jesus referred to as the "leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees." (vs 6) this meaning their teaching (vs 12).

t Jesus's analysis: "You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times..." Jesus's signs and wonders were not meant to stand alone, but to be read along with the signs of the times.

v At the basis of David's kingdom (which was the prototype of the Kingdom of God) were the sons of Issachar, "Who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do" (I Chron 12:32).

v The hungry and repentant, who had already received John's message, readily recognised Jesus's signs and teachings to be of God, and as indicating His Messiaship — just as physical hunger makes ones taste buds extra sensitive so as to discern taste in food, so spiritual hunger affects spiritual discernment.

v vs 6 — beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees Jesus was not pinpointing "doctrine" as we think of it today, as meaning ones creed; but rather, teaching, or any style of teaching or impartation that causes one to become dull to the signs of the times. He was warning us to avoid the critical attitude that is slow to accept the spiritual value of an event or a movement and disregarding any signs that fall short of ones own criteria.

t type of ground: Hard — their traditional standards (based on their interpretation) prevented them from even an initial response

m 16:13-20 — the question confronted by: the disciples • But who do you say that I am?

t response: (by Peter) "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."

t result: Peter had responded to the Father's prompting in his heart. He had gone beyond hungering and reading the signs, to responding positively to them, and opening himself to the Father's revelation.

t Jesus's analysis: "You are Peter (Rock)". By receiving the revelation, Peter had qualified as a building stone To fully understand this, we must understand I Pet 2:4,5, the "spiritual house" that Jesus envisioned here. The revelation imparted by the Father of who Jesus is, is the foundation of the spiritual house, Jesus's church. The prerequisite to being a part of this building, is the revelation of who Jesus is, as Peter received it, or as the gentile woman.

v ...not with the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees — critical evaluation based on one's own perspective

v ...not with a preconceived framework as the Pharisees from Jerusalem

v ...not with shallow excitement that lacks repentance, as the crowds that wanted to crown Jesus as king by force

v ...not with a double mind like Herod

v ...not with a familiarity that refuses to acknowledge the honour of one's own close kin, as the people of Nazareth

All these are the antithesis of the kingdom attitudes in Matt 5:3-13. To those who respond to this revelation, Jesus gives the keys of the kingdom. This spiritual building and the authority of those who make up its stones, we will discuss in the final section of this lesson.

t type of ground: good

q The Glory and the Cross (16:21-18:35) So far, we have seen in this lesson, Jesus attracting the attention of various notable personalities, who all treat the question, "Who is this man?" Finally, the question is answered for us by a revelation from the Father to Peter; that this is, in fact, Messiah, and the very Son of God. Such a glorious introduction of Jesus contrasts with the following passages that follow in the rest of the section. We now find that just a revelation of Christ is not enough. It's just the starting point.

m 16:21-28 — The contrast • a targum of Matt 16:21: From this time, now that it was firmly established in the minds of the disciples who Jesus was, Jesus began to show to His disciples a fact that sharply contrasted with that of being the anointed Son of God; namely, that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and the chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.

t Peter, the one who had received the revelation from the Father of who Jesus was; was also the first to demonstrate that he lacked the other vital component to being a disciple, an understanding of the cross. To Jesus, lacking this understanding was a serious (if not fatal) flaw that identified him with Satan's side rather than the Father — even an offense to Jesus. How could Peter, one minute speak forth a revelation straight from the Father, and the next minute be a mouthpiece of Satan? The same way anyone does who only has a revelation of Christ but lacks an understanding of the cross. James 3:10-12 gives us a graphic description of both kinds of speech coming from the same mouth. The root problem, treated extensively by James, is the double mind (1:6-8; 3:10-12; 4:7-10), or more simply, revelation without the cross.

v King Herod's double-mindedness was on a more fundamental level that prevented him from even choosing to repent and follow the kingdom of God, let alone receive a revelation of Messiah. In Peter's case, he had conquered double-mindedness through initial repentance, in choosing to follow Jesus, and had received the revelation of Messiah; but in the process had begun to neglect the kingdom attitudes (Matt 5:3-12) and the repentant attitude. He had fallen back into the "comfort zone" while enamoured with the revelation of Christ, no doubt thinking that all would be fine in every field, as we too often tend to do today.

v Simply to have a revelation of Messiah is not enough. To be a disciple, one must deny self, take up one's cross and follow Jesus.

1 deny self — in contrast to Peter's idea of simply remaining in the "comfort zone" while reveling in the revelation of Jesus, grabbing the best of both worlds, Jesus said, He who would save his life will lose it.

Y A double mind, which James gives as the major hindrance to spiritual growth, consists of undenied self mixed with a revelation of Jesus. Perhaps a beginning has been made in denying self to follow Jesus, but some aspects of self remain undenied, or partially denied. The situation can be described by the following equation:

double mind = revelation + undenied self

double mind = a bit of denied self + a bit of undenied self

Y Any desire or ambition that has not been scrutinised in the light of Christ can make for a double mind. It may be an evil desire, such as a sexual fantasy, or a desire to ultimately get revenge; or it may be a desire that's not obviously evil — even an honourable goal — such as the desire to have wealth, or security, or to succeed in a certain area. If one has never died to that ambition or desire, it becomes a hindrance. It takes up space in the heart where the revelation of Jesus ought to dwell supreme. Moreover, there always remains the uncertainty (even if ever so slight) whether, if one had to choose between that desire and God's perfect plan, what the choice would be. But if we offer our all to God, as Abraham did in sacrificing his only son, God, in return, makes His all available to us.

2 take up one's cross — The cross Jesus was referring to was not a religious emblem. It only became that much later. It was a symbol of one of the most horrifying means of execution known — a slow tormenting death while entirely stripped one one's dignity.

Y Before there was any question of the means Jesus would die, he used this as the equivalent to choosing to follow Him. "Voluntarily take up the instrument of your execution — giving up your right to life and dignity — and follow me to your death."

Y Just as execution means the ultimate end of a criminal life, or a life of revolution and terrorism; voluntarily taking up our cross to follow Jesus is the end of all hope of fulfilling all desires but those that are in total submission to Him. It is the only way to a truly single mind.

3 follow Jesus — Following Jesus involves more than simply assenting to the revelation that Jesus is the Son of God.

Y To believe in Jesus is not simply to believe one will "go to heaven" when one dies. While a future in heaven is one of the more comforting aspects of the gospel, that is not the ultimate goal. The goal, rather, is that voiced in Jesus's prayer, "Your kingdom come; Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." (Not, "If I die before I wake, I pray to God my soul to take")

Y For that to be fulfilled requires not a crowd of church-goers assured of heaven, but disciples who have denied self and are following the life of the cross; whose goal is to see the kingdom of God fully come in power. Those who put this goal before even their own life, receive life in return. Those who are afraid to risk their life, lose that which they were afraid of losing (Perhaps they will make it to heaven, but without the rewards).

v vs 28 — Assuredly, I say to you, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom. This verse is hard to understand. It would seem that some, though they risk their lives on behalf of the kingdom, will in fact witness the kingdom come in power with their lives intact. That having been said nearly 2000 years ago leaves us with four possible interpretations:

1. It referred immediately to those who would witness the transfiguration. This is the opinion of many Bible commentators. However, the context seems to suggest His ultimate coming, as the previous verse speaks of His coming in the "glory of His Father with His angels" to "reward each according to his works". He certainly didn't do that on the mountain six days later.

2. It was a conditional prophecy. The kingdom could have come earlier than it did, but was delayed through some failure early on, on the part of the church.

3. Some of the early disciples still haven't died, even 2000 years later, and are hidden on earth somewhere, or else were taken up like Elijah and Enoch.

4. "Taste death" is to be taken in the same sense as it is in John 8:51,52, where Jesus says, "He who believes in me shall not see death."

The fourth interpretation would seem to be the most likely. In any case, it is hypocrisy to simply accept an answer simply for the sake appearing to know. A thoroughly valid answer would be, "I don't know."

But the meaning that we can apply is that many of those who put their lives at risk for the kingdom, are those who will, in fact, live to see the kingdom come in power.

m chap 17&18 — the glorious reality and the earthly reality

t 17:1-13 — the glory • Now after six days, Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain... This passage, following after the previous two — the revelation of Jesus and denying self to follow the life of the cross — shows us that the next progression, once these are in place, is to witness the glory of God. However, in application, it may not be as vivid as the disciples saw it, but may involve other areas of supernatural activity. Perhaps in the area of revival, visions and prophetic words, healing or supernatural provision.

v Even here there is a progression:

1 Peter was awed to see the shining glory, and to actually see Moses and Elijah — the focus of all Judaism — both standing along side Jesus, as though as to confirm that Jesus was at least in the same class as them The previous revelation of Messiah was in his heart, and had to be received by faith; this one was vivid, before his physical eyes.

2 The voice from heaven said, "This (Jesus) is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him." Jesus was thus revealed vividly to Peter as the focal point of all glory, even that of the traditions of Moses and Elijah.

3 In II Peter 1:16-21 esp. vs 17&19 — Peter states that "we have an even more sure word" — that of the prophets, the written word of God. The written word takes precedence even over bat khol, or the audible voice of God.

v In this series of live object lessons, Peter learned:

Y ...by revelation by the Holy Spirit that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God. This was an inward revelation that he had to embrace by faith.

Y To implement that revelation, he must deny self, take up his cross and choose to follow Jesus. Only by dying, comes glory.

Y In seeing Jesus in His glory, Peter learned that Jesus is the focus of all, even the Torah and the Prophets, as exemplified by Moses and Elijah, and that moreover, Jesus is supreme.

Y By the time he wrote his second epistle, his experience had matured to the point that he put more confidence in the written word of God than even the voice from heaven.

This almost parallels the progression of Christian experience listed in Heb 6:4,5:

Y enlightened — drawn to the kingdom through repentance, and gaining an understanding of the cross of Christ

Y tasted of the heavenly gift — the revelation of Messiah

Y become partakers in the Holy Spirit — (not yet received at this point)

Y tasted the good word — confidence in God's written word

Y tasted the powers of the age to come — witnessed the glory of Jesus in day to day experience

t 17:1-21 — the other reality • ...when they had come to the multitude... Some might entitle this passage, "back to reality". That would convey a wrong impression, because the glory on the mountain top was indeed reality — just as real if not more so than daily life. It was the reality of God's glory, and of Jesus being Lord of all. But then, they descended the mountain to be confronted with the other reality — that the world is still in a mess. One can readily picture Jesus sighing, closing his eyes, saying, "O faithless perverse generation...How long must I bear with you?" According to the account in Mark 9:14-28, Jesus found himself suddenly in middle of a heated argument between unbelieving rabbis and his bungling disciples over an epileptic boy, whose father was now so confused that he found it hard to believe anything anymore.

v The stark contrast between this and the mountain top experience gives urgency to the prayer, "Your kingdom come; Your will be done in earth as it is in heaven."

v For the glorious reality to overcome the earthly reality, takes faith as a mustard seed (Matt 17:20).

Y As we saw in the earlier lesson, the seed is a simple but profound illustration. Just as a small seed becomes a tree, so faith, though small but true, has infinite leverage.

Y vs 21 — However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting. In some cases, for faith to have this kind of leverage, prayer and fasting are necessary. Fasting doesn't change things, but rather, prepares the believer so his faith can be more focused.

v vs 22, 23 — The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men... Again, Jesus reminds his disciples that before the glorious reality can become the norm, the earthly reality requires death.

v vs 24-27 — From whom do the kings of the earth take customs or taxes...? The earthly reality involves such menial things as payment of taxes. However, the faith leverage brought the glorious reality to work, even in the paying of the tax.

t 18: 1-35 — how must the kingdom of God network cause the glorious reality to override the earthly reality? • At that time the disciples came to Jesus saying, "Who then is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" In this final passage of the section, Jesus again refers to the spiritual building of 16:17-19, describing it as a network of fellow believers who have authority in the kingdom of God. The word "church" and the statement about binding and loosing, are what link that passage with chapter 18. To fully understand this network, we must look at both passages together, as well as a parallel passage in Mark.

v 16:17-19 — the building • ...on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it...

Y We saw earlier that the revelation of Messiah qualified Peter to become a building stone in this building.

Y The word "church" as we understand it today, didn't exist in the time of the Bible (although this passage does apply to the church as we know it today). The Greek word, ecclessia, is the word we translate today as "church". That simply meant an assembly, or literally, "a calling out". In Greek usage, it was a meeting of citizens "called out" to discuss a political course of action, or to vote for civic leaders. Greek speaking Jews used the word to mean the congregation that met at the synagogue. Jesus would have originally spoken these words in Hebrew; and being that it was translated ecclessia, he would have used the word in Hebrew meaning "congregation". That would be understood as a minyan, or a quorum of ten men that constitute a legal congregation according to rabbinical law. When we discuss 18:17, we will see how this applies to authority in the kingdom.

Y vs 19 — I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven ... God's kingdom network, the church, has authority to bind and loose. In the rabbinical practice, this is called denay torah, or making a binding decision regarding the interpretation of the Torah. However, it includes more than that. We will discuss the full scope of this authority when we come to 18:17-20.

v 18:1-4 — who's who in the kingdom network • ...whoever humbles himself as this little child... Just as the kingdom attitudes emphesise (Matt 5:3-12), humility is the key to achieving anything in the kingdom of God. Here, we have a graphic illustration what it means to be humble — that of becoming a child. To enter the kingdom, one must become as a child — teachable, not ambitious, not seeking to control others, readily available without preconditions and accepting of others. Moreover, the more one excels in this quality, the greater one becomes in the kingdom. Those seeking greatness, as the disciples were when Jesus answered their question, are disqualified from it. True greatness only comes to those not actively seeking it, but rather, seeking to serve others.

v Mark 9:38-42 — who is included in the kingdom network • ...he who is not against us is on our side... John made the mistake of thinking that anyone not immediately associated with their group was not qualified to exercise kingdom authority. The fact that the person in question did "not follow us" could mean that he was not a part of the authority structure within their immediate group, or that his understanding of the Bible was different. Obviously, he could not claim apostolic succession nor apostolic covering. Jesus's response to John teaches us that kingdom authority does not rest exclusively with any one church or organisation, but that all who exercise faith in the name of Jesus are a part of the network, however distantly related. It is indeed a network, not an organisation. Even a small act like offering a glass of cold water ties one into the network. The object is to include rather than to exclude.

v Matt 18:5-14 — the priority in the kingdom network • Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones ... a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray... The requirement of a childlike attitude, and the object of inclusiveness gives us a clue as to the priority of the kingdom network. The general attitude of the world is, "It's okay to offend the 'little people' (i.e. children, the underprivileged, the 'peons', etc.) who have nothing to offer anyway; but we must respect the 'great', because it is they, that will offer us the chance to get ahead become great ourselves." The kingdom attitude is just the opposite. It's not our objective to become "great", but rather, to humble ourselves, become as children and serve others. This attitude gives much greater priority to the "little people".

Y vs 6-9 — Woe to the world because of offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes! The worldly attitude is the cause of the offenses in the world. Viewing the situation from a kingdom perspective, with kingdom priorities, we see that offending others is a serious matter. Any part of our lives, even a hand or foot, that causes "little people" to stumble (or causes us to commit the sin of offending them), get rid of it. The inclusion of the passage on the man casting out demons in Jesus name in Marks account, and the man with 100 sheep in Matthew's account indicates that the "little people" means more than the young in age, but also those of less influence, "the peons", etc. Therefore, this sin can cover anything from betraying a child's trust, to giving the "cold shoulder" to someone of less "importance".

Y vs 10-14 — If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray... Not only is attention given to the seemingly insignificant, but also to the individual, apart from the collective whole. Each one, regardless of their age, or place in society, is worthwhile going out of one's way for.

v vs 15-20 — authority in the kingdom network • ...if your brother sins against you...if two or three of you agree... Now that the goals and priorities are clearly stated, we see how the kingdom network actually goes about exercising authority. The context makes it clear that the verses following are not about, "How to get rid of an erring brother (or sister)," but, "How to restore the erring brother." Each step in the process is not for the purpose of verifying that he is indeed in error or sin; but rather, an additional attempt to induce him to repent and be restored. He is the lost sheep that the kingdom network must go out of its way to bring back to the fold. Once we understand this clearly, only then can we look at how authority works in the kingdom of God.

Y In the context of the kingdom network, we see that authority rests in two groups:

1 vs 16 — two or three witnesses (Deut 17:6; 19:5)

2 vs 17 — the congregation, or the minyan

In the Jewish court system, a panel of three sat to judge minor cases, and a panel of 23 sat to judge capital offenses. The 23 was two minyans so that one congregation of 10 plus enough for a sufficient majority could give the verdict. This is inferred from Num 35:24,25, which is interpreted to mean two congregations ("a congregation judges ... a congregation acquits"). The 3 judges for minor offenses is inferred from Deut 17:6, which Jesus also quotes here. This also applies to verse 18, ...if two of you agree... The normal judicial process called for only one or the other of these processes; but Jesus's instructions for discipline in the church calls for both — the 2 or 3, and the congregation — adding that more of a chance for restoration, and that much more difficulty in getting rid of the one in sin.

Y vs 18-19 — the authority of two or three • ...whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven...if two of you agree on earth concerning anything...

l To "bind" and "loose" are rabbinical terms that refer to diney torah, or the binding decision. Where there was a question regarding the application of a point of the law, and the wording in the scripture seemed to give no obvious solution, the court would discuss the situation, and search for further scripture and other possible meanings of the words. When a decision was made, it was then a set precedent that could be referred to in later cases. Many of these precedents, or halakot, are recorded in the Mishnah and the Talmud.

l However, this authority is not merely for the purpose of determining the interpretation of a scripture, or passing judgment on one who has sin. Jesus demonstrated that this authority is also over spiritual and natural forces as well in Mark 1:23-25 ... there was a man ... with an unclean spirit ... Not only were the people impressed that Jesus spoke with authority in his teaching — declaring God's intent in having given particular laws, or diney torah — but this authority was proven in the spiritual world as well, as Jesus proceeded to cast a demon out of one who was present. We of course see later that this authority also worked towards healing the sick and even calming the sea.

l In the kingdom network, the church, this translates in both areas. The two or three have the authority to judge, or determine if a course of action is scriptural or not (with the confirmation of the congregation according to vs 17); and they have the power of agreement in casting out devils and praying the prayer of agreement.

s In agreement prayer, the dynamic of Deut 32:30 is also at work: How could one chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight, unless their rock had sold them... (also Lev 26:8) Thus two in agreement are much more powerful in prayer than just one.

s Jesus's diney torah in Matt 15:3-6 indicates that the plain meaning of God's word takes precedence over any decision (which for the scribes and Pharisees, had become a part of their tradition). Truth is the ultimate authority, and overrides any decision of two or three, or the congregation. Thus, those exercising kingdom authority have the responsibility to see that they understand God's will through the scriptures and the leading of the Holy Spirit. Agreement prayer, likewise, is effective when prayer is according to God's will.

s The entire context of this chapter indicates that the purpose of this authority is to restore rather than cut off; give life rather than pronounce death; and serve rather than control. Those exercising this authority must be those who truly exhibit the kingdom attitudes of Matt 5:3-13, and whose motivation is to serve, rather than to control or promote oneself. Effective leaders exercising authority according to the responsibility given them, are those who only became leaders through their childlike spirit, and desire to be a servant of all. Others in the network (apart from leaders), also exercising authority in their more limited spheres of responsibility, likewise must be motivated with the desire to build up, restore, and support others in the network, rather than gain more power. (cautionary note: authority is only valid in the area one has been given responsibility)

Y vs 20 — ...where two or three are gathered together in My name... Jesus, in saying this, has identified Himself as the Shechinah, or the presence of God. The following passage from the Talmud seems to convey the same truth:

Whence is it that when ten assemble for prayer the Shechinah is in their midst? As it is said, "God standeth in the godly congregation" (Ps. lxxxii. 1). And whence is it that when three sit and judge, the Shechinah is in their midst? As it is said, "In the midst of the judges He judgeth" (ibid). And whence is it that when two sit and occupy themselves with the study of the Torah, the Shechinah is in their midst? As it is said, "Then they that feared the Lord spoke one with another, and the Lord hearkened and heard" (Mal iii. 16). And whence is it that even if an individual sits and occupies himself with the study of the Torah the Shechinah is with him? As it is said, "In every place where I cause My name to be remembered I will come unto thee and will bless thee" (Exod. xx. 24). (Talmud, Berachot 6a)

This passage includes all the authority structures we have discussed in this section. When two or three have the kingdom attitudes, and their desire is to serve rather than control, include rather than exclude, and restore the lost sheep to the fold rather than "get rid of a pest" (or to command, or agree in prayer for something in line with God's will); the Shechinah, the presence of Jesus is with them, and His own authority is there to carry out the decision. So also, the congregation. Kingdom authority exercised in this way is what will cause the glorious reality to override the earthly reality. This is yet another answer to the question, "Who is ths man?" He is the Shichinah.

v vs 21-35 — how to remain in the kingdom network • ...how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Once we remember that we are in God's kingdom only because God forgave us of such a great burden of debt, then our attitude towards the others will also be that of forgiveness and the desire to restore them, and even to promote them beyond our own situation. It's the kingdom attitudes of being poor in spirit (realising our own lack), hunger and thirst for righteousness, meekness, peacemaking etc. that will keep us mindful of how much we've been forgiven of, and how much he continues to forgive us of each day. The moment this ceases to be our attitude, we begin to stop forgiving, and His forgiveness towards us looses its effect.

q So, Who is This Man?

m For those who have received the revelation from the Father, He is, the Christ, Son of the living God

m For those who have single-mindedly chosen to follow him, He is, our example in dying

m He is the glorious reality to override the earthly reality

m He is the Shechinah, or the presence of God who is with the kingdom network as we carry out kingdom authority.

Lesson 12 (lessons 9-11 not complete as yet)

Lesson Index