In 1 Chronicles 23, David passes the kingdom to Solomon, and then the remainder of the chapter records David’s ordering of the Levites. These details were of great importance to the Chronicler, because he was of the priestly sect. We find more details in sections that deal with the Levites and priests in 1 & 2 Chronicles than in 1 &2 Samuel, and 1 & 2 Kings. In keeping with this reality, 1 Chronicles 24 records David’s ordering of the priests, and 1 Chronicles 25 records David’s ordering of the musicians. The roles of the Levites, priests, and musicians wasimportant in the life of God’s people. After all, they were the ones responsible for ordering worship among the people of Israel.
As we turn to Matthew 18, the disciples ask Jesus an important question: “Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of God?” Jesus responds by bringing a child into their midst and telling them those who respond to God as a little child are the greatest. He then tells them how bad it is for anyone who leads one of His little ones astray. This wasn’t what the disciples were wanting to know, but Jesus wanted all of us to understand if childlikeness is the quality we need to be great in the God’s Kingdom, then anyone taking that away from a child, or causing a child to sin in any way is a devastating offense.
Next, Jesus reminded the disciples of the value one person has to His Heavenly Father. The reminder comes in the form of a parable of a shepherd with 100 sheep. Jesus tells them if one of them goes astray, the shepherd will leave the ninety-nine on their own to go and look for the one. What comfort that brings to us, because it is not God’s will for even one person to be lost!
Jesus then tells the disciples how to respond when a brother or sister sins against us. We are to go to them and confront the sin. If the person repents, we have restored the situation. If the person won’t repent, we are to take another person with us to join the conversation. Again, if the person repents, the situation is restored. If the person doesn’t repent, he or she is to be brought before the whole church, and then if there is no repentance, the person is to be cast out and treated as a Gentile. This seems harsh in a world with no accountability, but when we hold each other accountable for sin, we all benefit through one another’s repentance.
Jesus tells us whatever two or more of us bind or loose in His name is bound or loosed in heaven. He tells us when two or more of us are gathered in His name, He is with us. That doesn’t mean He isn’t with us when we’re alone. It means He’s with us in a special way when we are in community with one another, even if it’s only a community of two!
Perhaps, because of the conversation about confronting brothers, and forgiveness, Peter asked Jesus how many times he needed to forgive a brother who sinned against him? Peter offered seven as the number of times. Jesus responded, “Not seven, but seventy-seven (or seventy times seven.) times.” Jesus’ point is we are to forgive time and time again, when the person repents. Jesus followed up with a parable of a servant who owed a great debt to his master. The master was going to imprison the servant, but when the servant begged for forgiveness, the master forgave the debt. The servant went out immediately and found a fellow servant who owed him a small debt. The other servant begged for forgiveness, or for more time, but the forgiven servant failed to forgive the other, and had him put in prison. When the other servants saw this, they told their master. The master called the forgiven servant in again. Calling the man ungrateful, the master told him he ought to have forgiven as he had been forgiven. Because he didn’t forgive, the forgiven servant was thrown into prison. Jesus concluded the parable by telling us God will treat us the same way if we don’t forgive others who sin against us! What a powerful reminder of the principle that we must forgive others in Jesus’ name, because He has forgiven us for all our sin, through His blood shed on the cross.