Big Idea: Jesus confronts the disciples about their preoccupation with status and teaches that the kingdom community is to be not status focused but other focused, with Jesus in their midst, caring for the vulnerable and addressing sin that might harm the community.

Understanding the Text

Chapter 18 is the fourth of five major teaching discourses in Matthew (chaps. 5–7, 10, 13, 18, 24–25) and is often referred to as the Community Discourse. The first half of the discourse (18:1–20) focuses on Jesus’ teaching about status in God’s kingdom (18:1–5; cf. 20:20–28), the harmful effects of sin within the faith community (18:6–9), and the importance of restoration of a fellow believer who sins (18:10–20; cf. 7:3–5). The latter emphasis leads seamlessly into the admonitions to forgive in 18:21–3…