• Next two weeks will be in Matthew 18 that describes the community of faith in the kingdom
  • Qumran community had a Manual of Discipline found in dead sea scrolls, here Jesus Provides a Manual of Disciples
  • Unlike the Manual of Discipline that gives rules, Jesus Manual of Disciples gives Proper behavior and attitudes towards Gods kingdom

We Must Sheep/little ones (Vs. 1-5)

• *Note: He says unless you change/convert/turn around/repent to be like the little ones
• Little Ones refer to those People LIKE little children (vs. 3)
  • We must take the same lowly Position of a sheep or little one be the greatest (vs. 4)
  • Children were not a looked up to, but looked after, subject to elders, not highly regarded in society, lacked importance, and existed to support father/mother
  • Children are:
    • Vulnerable and least powerful
    • Trusting, eager to learn, ready to love and be loved
    • Humble
    • Not concerned with money, fame, social status, etc.

*Jesus was like a little child in nature, therefore to receive People like children means to receive Him

• Whoever receives these little ones IN HIS NAME (Vs. 5)

*Here, He is talking about those who BELONG TO HIMSELF!

We must Not be the that leads Sheep/little ones astray (Vs. 6-7)

• Gravities of Evil (Vs. 6):
  • To Sin
  • To lead others to sin
  • To lead other believers to sin

*The Family of God is held to much higher standards

We must SACRIFICE Sheep/little ones to Save the Flock (Vs. 8-9)

• You must sacrifice to combat sin. It’s better to sacrifice in battle against sin now then to suffer eternity in separation to God (Vs. 8-9)
• How we treat the little ones reflects our true Christ-like nature (Vs. 10)
  • Think about how you treat:
    • Homeless
    • Addicts
    • Poor
    • Troubled

*Here, Jesus does not use the cutting of the hand in a personal (or literal) sense, rather it is better to lose a member of the body of Christ then for the entire church to go to hell because the one leads everyone astray

We Must SEEK and PURSUE sheep/little ones who have gone astray (Vs. 10-14)

• Different than the Parable in Luke 15:3-7
  • Matthew emphasizes value, joy, and Gods heart, Luke emphasizes repentance
  • Luke Places this Parable as a triple Parable in his gospel as a summary of Gods heart Presented in the book of Psalms
  • Matthew Places it as a fulfillment to Ezekiel 34
• Shepherds was one of the little ones, greatly despised in Jewish society
  • They were viewed as lazy, unskilled, and even robbers if they used others land for their sheep

¹² “What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? 

• This Parable is about the 1, not the other 99
• A flock of a hundred sheep was a well-off shepherd, but not enormously rich like Jobs flock of 14,000 (Job 42:12)
• References/Anchors to Ezekiel 34:
  • Ezekiel 34:4; Ezekiel 34:16 uses same Phrase to describe sheep who have gone lost
  • Ezekiel 34:6 uses same Phrase to describe wandering sheep on a mountainside and hill
  • Ezekiel 34:11 states God Himself will search for His sheep
  • Care for them (Ezekiel 34:16)
  • Judge their oppressors and judge the shepherds who failed the sheep (Ezekiel 34:17-22)
  • Set a Davidic shepherd to care for them (Ezekiel 34:23-24)

*This Parable is an implicit complaint against the religious authorities who failed their role as Shepherds over Israel

• God cares not just for the marginalized OUTSIDE the family of God, but also for those marginalized INSIDE the Kingdom of God
  • Often, it is easier to show grace towards those outside the flock with an attempt to bring them in, but for those inside it, its harder to come by
  • Example: Pregnant teenager who is not a believer VS one that is

*Note: The wandering sheep is already a Part of the flock

¹³ And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. ¹⁴ In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.

• This emphasizes Gods heart for believers who are straying, that as He Pursued them to save them to the kingdom, He continues to Pursue them after they are in the flock; and so our hearts should be the same
  • Church Temptations:
    • We despise them because they are One…loners, strange
    • We despise them because they are little…insignificant, dependent,
    • We despise them because they have gone astray…their sin
  • God love demonstrated in:
    • His patient love
    • His seeking love
    • His protecting love
    • His rejoicing love
    • His individual love

We must Apply His Teachings to the Flock (Vs. 15-17)

•  First, this not about how to act towards those who have led others into sin, rather those who have gone astray
  • Verses 1-5 discuss the standard to be a sheep = Brother or sister i.e. fellow sheep in Vs. 15
  • Verses 17 is the Practical application to His teaching in verses 6-9
  • Verses 15-16 is the Practical application to the Parables of the sheep in verses 12-14

¹⁵ “If your brother or sister^[b] sins,^[c] go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. 

• This does not mean we confront every offense every fellow believer makes, but what it does mean is we have two choices:
  • Confront the offender
  • Drop it and let it go
• What is not allowed:
  • Gossip
  • Bitterness
  • Retaliation

*Note: He does not say they have to agree with you, but that they HEARD you

¹⁶ But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’^[d] 

• The goal is not figure out who is right, rather restore and sustain relationship

¹⁷ If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.

• The term listen is parakouse, which means not to heed or consider
• Treat them as a tax collector or pagan i.e. with love, but with consideration they are outside the kingdom

Questions for Guided Discussion

1. Who are the little ones in society? Who are those that have the least power and are vulnerable? Do you reflect those Christ-like qualities towards those people?
2. Who are the little ones within the church? Do you reflect the same Christian qualities towards them as you do towards other fellow believers? Do you serve, love, and fellowship with them the same way?
3. In regards to leading others astray into sin, Jesus uses the harshest language to describe what awaits those people. In fact, His language towards those leading others to sin is harsher than when He speaks about adulterers, murder, theft, and hypocrisy. What do His strong words say about what God values most?
4. Jesus says we must be willing to sacrifice to wage war against sin. What have you sacrificed in your battles against sin? What have you lost? What have you gained? What things have you not been willing to sacrifice?
5. Often, we can view the difficult people in the church as an inconvenience, burden, or exhausting. When you read Jesus heart for them, does it change your perspective of how you handle those people?
6. Do we approach sin in the church with the same fervor as Jesus? Do we approach sin in our fellow believers with the same fervor? Do we approach sin in ourselves with the same fervor as Jesus?
7. Jesus does not command we confront every believer over every offense. He does say that you only have two choices: let it go or confront them. Holding bitterness, resentment, or gossiping is in direct disobedience to what Jesus commands. Why is confronting people so hard? Why is reconciliation so hard? Why is holding resentment, bitterness, anger, or gossip easier?
8. When you have been sinned against, what is the difference between saying it doesn’t matter, shrugging it off, or ignoring it; and having genuine reconciliation? If you don’t confront those who have offended you, do you still fellowship with them the same? Trust them the same? Love them the same?
9. Often, reconciled offenses brings people closer together. Have you ever seen or felt reconciliation or restoration create a closer bond between people?