A man was thinking and he wondered why

Matthew 18 speaks to believers becoming

as little children,

ii

when the rest of the Bible instructs believers

to grow mature?

iii

What is the solution to this Matthew 18

paradox?

iv

And why is it that understanding the solution to

the Matthew 18 paradox is so important
for all mankind?

The Matthew 18 Paradox: Solved

By
Job S. Friend

vi

Attribution Page
Copyright 2013 by:
Christian Thinkers Publishing
C/O Barnabas Ministries
P.O. Box 3393
Farmington Hills, Michigan 48333
USA
Creative Commons License granted: CC BY-NC-ND
Explanation of Creative Commons License grant:
CC: Please refer to creativecommons.org
By: The user must acknowledge the author and copyright holder as follows:
Author: Job S. Friend
Copyright holder:
Christian Thinkers Publishing
C/O Barnabas Ministries
P.O. Box 3393
Farmington Hills, Michigan 48333
USA
NC: The user may not use this book for commercial purposes. However, the user may place
a downloadable copy of this complete book onto a website for free downloading even though
the website itself has banner and other ads. In other words there must be no charge for this
book itself.
ND: The creative commons license grant only allows the user to use the original unmodified
work. The user may not make a derivative from the original work, or any part of it. In other
words, fair use quoting is allowed, but the user may not transform this book, or any part of it,
into a derivative work.

vii

Table Of Contents

Introduction

The Matthew 18 Paradox

Some Common Explanations

10

The Solution To The Paradox

16

Forgiveness, Social Harmony And Peace

31

Some Examples Of Forgiveness

37

Final Thoughts

47

viii

To The Peaceful

ix

Introduction
It has always puzzled your author why, in
Matthew 18, Jesus Christ called a little child to
him and then instructed the disciples to become
as little children. This is contrasted with
numerous other places, in the Bible, where there
are clear instructions to grow mature. Which is
it? Are believers supposed to grow mature, or
to become as little children? On the surface the
two instructions seem to be contradictory.
Your author will label this apparent
contradiction, or paradox, The Matthew 18
Paradox. Is there a solution to this paradox?
In fact there is and the purpose of this book is
to share the solution. A further purpose of this
book is to explain why the proper understanding
of Matthew 18 is important, not only for us as
individuals, but also for the human race as a
whole. It is always your authors goal to provide
a camera angle as to what is really happening
and why. In the pages that follow I share with
you my solution to The Matthew 18 Paradox.
Some of my reasons are Biblical, some are
historical, and some are based on logical
reasoning and life experiences.
As a housekeeping point, the scriptural
references, herein, are from the King James

Version, KJV, unless denoted otherwise. I will

also quote from Todays English Version, TEV,
also known as The Good News Bible. Any
emphasis, in the scriptural or other quotations,
is mine throughout this book.
As an additional important note, I have
chosen to write the pages that follow mainly in a
conversational style. Having said that, lets get
started. I offer for your serious consideration
and hopeful edification what I have learned
below.

The Matthew 18 Paradox

At the same time came the disciples unto
Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the
kingdom of heaven? And Jesus called a little
child unto him, and set him in the midst of
them, And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye
be converted, and become as little children,
ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as
this little child, the same is greatest in the
kingdom of heaven. Matthew 18:1-4, KJV
The disciples were no doubt arguing about
who would be the greatest in the kingdom of
heaven. Greatest, to them, likely meant who

would have the most power over other people.

They were the product of their times where the
Romans dominated what was left of Israel. The
disciples were also the product of their times in
that there was a strong religious hierarchy ruling
over the people. In this society the average
man was told what to do by either the civil, or
the religious authorities, or both. Ergo, it was
natural, if you were one of the ruled, to dream
of reversing this situation and to become one of
the rulers - which is to say one of the great ones
with power to use over others. A few chapters
later, in Matthew 20, Christ set the record
straight regarding this notion and clarified some
things in this regard.
Then came to him the mother of Zebedees
children with her sons, worshipping him, and
desiring a certain thing of him. And he said
unto her, What wilt thou? She saith unto him,
Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one
on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in
thy kingdom. But Jesus answered and said, Ye
know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of
the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized
with the baptism that I am baptized with? They
say unto him, We are able. And he saith unto
them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be
baptized with the baptism that I am baptized

with: but to sit on my right hand, and on my

left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to
them for whom it is prepared of my Father. And
when the ten heard it, they were moved with
indignation against the two brethren. But Jesus
called them unto him, and said, Ye know that
the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion
over them, and they that are great exercise
authority upon them. But it shall not be so
among you: but whosoever will be great
among you, let him be your minister; And
whosoever will be chief among you, let him be
your servant: Even as the Son of man came not
to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to
give his life a ransom for many.
Matthew 20:20-28, KJV
Jesus Christ had followers who wanted to be
great and they thought that greatness was
having power to use over others. And so Jesus
shot this idea down - right between the eyes.
He shot it down in such a way that it was very
clear that his followers should not organize
themselves in the same way that the Gentiles
do, which is to exercise dominion (domination)
over others. This type of authoritarian
organizational structure creates friction and is
counterproductive to human development and
social harmony. That said, dissecting

Matthew 20 and its meaning is beyond the scope

of this book. The main point your author is
making here is that the disciples, or at least
some of them, were concerned about who would
be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven and
this concern is what provides the run up to
Matthew 18.
In verse 3 of Matthew 18 Christ said that,
Except ye be converted, and become as little
children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of
heaven. Of course Christ would say that unless
you became converted you would not enter into
the kingdom of heaven. But why did he add
and become as little children? This is the
confusing part. The Bible, as instruction from
the Instructor, is to lead us to the fullness of
integrity and maturity.
It is all right to start out as babes, as the
below scripture from I Peter declares:
Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all
guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil
speakings, As newborn babes, desire the sincere
milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:
1 Peter 2:1-2, KJV

Later on, however, Paul expresses his

dismay to the church at Corinth that they were
not growing mature like they should.
Dear brothers and sisters, when I was with
you I couldnt talk to you as I would to
mature Christians. I had to talk as though
you belonged to this world or as though you
were infants in the Christian life. I had to feed
you with milk and not with solid food, because
you couldnt handle anything stronger. And you
still arent ready, for you are still controlled by
your own sinful desires. You are jealous of one
another and quarrel with each other. Doesnt
that prove you are controlled by your own
desires? You are acting like people who dont
belong to the Lord. 1 Corinthians 3:1-3, NLT
A passage from Hebrews details the same
basic problem, at another time and place:
Of whom we have many things to say, and
hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing.
For when for the time ye ought to be teachers,
ye have need that one teach you again which be
the first principles of the oracles of God; and are
become such as have need of milk, and not of
strong meat. For every one that useth milk is
unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is

a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that

are of full age, even those who by reason of use
have their senses exercised to discern both good
and evil. Hebrews 5:11-14, KJV
There are numerous other scriptures
admonishing believers to not be children any
longer, but to grow up, to become mature, to be
complete, to bear much fruit, etc. The below
passages are just a few such scriptures:
When I was an infant, I spoke as an infant,
I thought as an infant, I reasoned as an infant.
But when I became a man, I did away with the
things of an infant. 1 Corinthians 13:11, MKJV
Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and
of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a
perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of
the fulness of Christ: That we henceforth be no
more children, tossed to and fro, and carried
about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight
of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie
in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in
love, may grow up into him in all things, which
is the head, even Christ:
Ephesians 4:13-15, KJV

But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of

our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be
glory both now and for ever. Amen.
2 Peter 3:18, KJV
Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of
Christ, saluteth you, always labouring fervently
for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect
and complete in all the will of God.
Colossians 4:12, KJV
For this cause we also, since the day we
heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to
desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge
of his will in all wisdom and spiritual
understanding; That ye might walk worthy of
the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every
good work, and increasing in the knowledge of
God; Colossians 1:9, 10, KJV
Now He who supplies seed to the sower,
and bread for eating, may He supply and
multiply your seed, and increase the fruits of
your righteousness [we should grow mature
and bear fruit] 2 Corinthians 9:10, MKJV
Being filled with the fruits of righteousness,
which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and
praise of God. Philippians 1:11, KJV

Jesus Christs Matthew 18 teaching, to his

disciples and, by extension, to all believers, was
to be converted AND to become as little
children; otherwise we would not enter the
kingdom of heaven. Not making it into the
kingdom of heaven is serious and so we have a
paradox, an apparent problem which is how to
reconcile the two seemingly contradictory
commands. To be converted is a subject
beyond the scope of this short book, but it is
clear from the above scriptures that a believer in
the process of conversion is to: grow mature,
leave off being as a child, develop in integrity,
bear fruit, and become complete. In short, it is
to become like Jesus Christ himself, the goal of
all instruction.
For Christ is the end [goal] of the law
[instruction] for righteousness to every one that
believeth. Romans 10:4, KJV
The Matthew 18 Paradox is: how does a
believer become as a little child while at the
same time growing to become complete and
mature?

Some Common Explanations

Your author tends to think for himself. That
being said, it never hurts to investigate what
others have said about a particular problem. In
the interests of making it easy for the reader,
your author will share various quotes and
thoughts, about the meaning of Matthew 18:3,
from a variety of sources below. The quotes
below are excerpted pertaining to the become
as little children portion of the various authors
comments/notes.
and become as little children: the Arabic
renders it, as this child; that is, unless ye learn
to entertain an humble, and modest opinion of
yourselves, are not envious at one another,
and drop all contentions about primacy and
pre-eminence, and all your ambitious views of
one being greater than another, in a vainly
expected temporal kingdom; things which are
not to be found in little children, though not free
from sin in other respects An Exposition Of The
Old And New Testament by John Gill
except you be converted = if not you
have turned around - been changed from a
proud person to become like little children

10

(referring to their normal trusting mind)

Textual And Translation Notes On The Gospels
by Jay P. Green, Sr.
Except ye be converted - The first step
toward entering into the kingdom of grace, is to
become as little children: lowly in heart,
knowing yourselves utterly ignorant and
helpless, and hanging wholly on your
Father who is in heaven, for a supply of all your
wants. Notes On The Old And New Testaments
by John Wesley
And become as little children i.e. Be as truly
without worldly ambition, and the lust of
power, as little children are, who act among
themselves as if all were equal.
Commentary On The Bible by Adam Clarke
"converted, and become as little children"
That which would be proper for the kingdom
was the meekness of a little child, which is
unable to assert its own rights in the face of a
world that passes it by - the spirit of
dependence and humility. They must
become as little children. In the absence of
their rejected Lord this was the spirit that

11

became His followers. Eclectic Notes, compiled

by John Greenhalgh
As little children; humble, docile,
submissive, obedient. Many of the
characteristics of little children afford important
instruction to mankind. Family Bible Notes, by
Justin Edwards
And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye
be {b} converted, and become as little children,
ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
(b) An idiom taken from the Hebrews which is
equivalent to repent. Geneva Bible Notes
Become as little children. Humble,
teachable and free from selfish ambition,
like little children. Peoples New Testament
Commentary, by B.W. Johnson
A young child was the fittest pattern to
commend humility to them.
1. Little children know not what dominion
means, and therefore affect it not, are not
ambitious.
2. They are not given to boast and glory, and
to prefer themselves before others.

12

3. They are ready to be taught and instructed.

4. They live upon their fathers' providence,
and are not over solicitous.
5. They are not malicious and vindictive. In
malice (saith the apostle) be ye children.
The three first are principally here intended.
If ye be not thus like little children, ye will be so
far from being greatest in the kingdom of God,
that you will never come here at all.
Annotations Upon The Holy Bible, by
Matthew Poole
Your author attempted to highlight selections
of the key thoughts of the possible explanations
offered by these various authorities above. A
listing of the highlighted terms, or concepts, is
as follows:
Humble, lowly in heart, meekness, docile
Not envious
Forsaking primacy or pre-eminence, without
worldly ambition
Trusting
Knowing oneself to be ignorant and helpless
Being dependent on the Father

13

Acting as if all were equals

Submissive and obedient
Teachable
Not malicious and vindictive
Your author appreciates the efforts of other
thinking people to share their insights. And
while each of the above concepts, or thoughts,
are demonstrative of good character traits they
do not solve The Matthew 18 Paradox. It
cannot be denied that believers should: be
humble, not be envious, not seek to exercise
pre-eminence or dominance over others, be
trusting and dependent on the Father, treat
others as equals who have also been made in
Gods image and therefore possess equal rights,
be submissive and obedient to God, be
teachable, and not be malicious or vindictive.
However, none of these characters traits either
alone, or in combination, gets at what Jesus
Christ was trying to teach the disciples in
Matthew 18. At best they are partial answers.
In your authors opinion, the closest that any
of the commentators came was Matthew Poole,
in his list of five items, quoted above. The
closest he came was his listed item number five.
Unfortunately, he then said that items one to
three were what were intended. And he did not

14

get completely at what was intended, even in

his listed item number five which was for the
disciples not to be malicious and not to be
vindictive. Not being malicious is certainly true
and has scriptural support as follows:
Brothers, do not be children in your minds,
but in malice be like infants, and in your minds
be mature. 1 Corinthians 14:20, MKJV
1 Corinthians 14:20 is a great scripture in
helping to understand part of the solution to The
Matthew 18 Paradox. The dictionary definition
of malice is the intention or desire to do evil.
Ergo, believers are to be like infants in that
infants do not have the intention or desire to do
evil. They are not malicious. Further,
1 Corinthians 14:20 instructs believers to grow
mature in their minds. This scripture relates to
1 Peter 2:1 and its admonition to lay aside all
malice.
Not being malicious, as infants are not, while
growing mature in our minds, is part of the
solution to The Matthew 18 Paradox - but there
is more to the story.

15

The Solution To The Paradox

Your author was once going through a
difficult trial and so he decided to read through
the entire Bible in a modern language, easy-toread, translation. The translation chosen was
Todays English Version, also known as the
Good News Bible (TEV). When you are reading
through the Bible you never know what will
jump off the page at you - even though you
have read a section of the Bible many times
before. And something jumping off of the
page is exactly what happened to your author.
In this case, what jumped off of the page was
the solution to The Matthew 18 Paradox.
One of the helpful things the Good News
Bible does is to section the chapters into verses,
placed into topical groupings, and to put a
topical grouping title, (a chapter sub-heading)
centered and in bold, before the associated
verses in that grouping. Before reading
Matthew 18 your author read through the
topical grouping titles, for that chapter, and
noticed that the largest topical grouping of
verses was at the end of the chapter verses
21 to 35. The topical grouping title was, The
Parable Of The Unforgiving Servant.

16

This particular parable is not difficult to

understand. In fact, it ends with Jesus Christs
point-blank statement, That is how my Father
in heaven will treat every one of you unless you
forgive your brother from your heart. The
statement is serious because the topic is serious
and because Jesus was so emphatic. Some
parables are difficult to understand, but not this
one.
Your author then read backward through the
other topical grouping titles, for Matthew 18, to
see if there was a unified point of view for the
entire chapter. And there was. There was a
unified point of view being expressed in
different ways from varied camera angles. The
entire chapter was unified. And the central
point of the chapter is very important for all
mankind. And so your author will now take you,
dear reader, through Matthew 18 backwards, in
order to solve The Matthew 18 Paradox.
Counting backwards, the first topical
grouping is verses 21-35 and the topical
grouping title is:

17

The Parable Of The Unforgiving Servant

Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, Lord,
if my brother keeps on sinning against me, how
many times do I have to forgive him? Seven
times? No, not seven times, answered Jesus,
but seventy times seven, because the Kingdom
of heaven is like this. Once there was a king
who decided to check on his servants accounts.
He had just begun to do so when one of them
was brought in who owed him millions of
dollars. The servant did not have enough to pay
his debt, so the king ordered him to be sold as a
slave, with his wife and his children and all that
he had, in order to pay the debt. The servant
fell on his knees before the king. Be patient
with me, he begged, and I will pay you
everything! The king felt sorry for him, so he
forgave him the debt and let him go. Then the
man went out and met one of his fellow
servants who owed him a few dollars. He
grabbed him and started choking him. Pay
back what you owe me! he said. His fellow
servant fell down and begged him, Be patient
with me, and I will pay you back! But he
refused; instead, he had him thrown into jail
until he should pay the debt. When the other
servants saw what had happened, they were

18

very upset and went to the king and told him

everything. So he called the servant in. You
worthless slave! he said. I forgave you the
whole amount you owed me, just because you
asked me to. You should have had mercy on
your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on
you. The king was very angry, and he sent the
servant to jail to be punished until he should
pay back the whole amount. And Jesus
concluded, That is how my Father in heaven
will treat every one of you unless you forgive
your brother from your heart.
Matthew 18:21-35 TEV
The above parable does not need much
explanation. Jesus Christs death and
resurrection makes possible the forgiveness of
sin and the avoidance of the death penalty for
every human being who takes advantage of it.
Since all men have sinned and fallen short of
the glory of God (Romans 3:23), all men are
under the death penalty (Romans 6:23). In
other words, all men owe more than they can
pay. All men need mercy and forgiveness.
Jesus Christs death and resurrection provided
for mercy and forgiveness for all mankind.
Once availed of, with the forgiveness of sin,
there is a restoration of the sin-damaged
relationship. There is also a restoration of social

19

harmony and peace. Of course, there is the

matter of the lack of justice involved, but Jesus
Christ and God the Father are bigger and more
forward thinking than mere men and they
decided long ago (Revelation 13:8) that Jesus
Christ himself would pay for the sins of others.
This payment, resulting in forgiveness, was a
gift from God. We owed more than we could
pay, but our debts got cancelled. We were
forgiven and thrown a saving lifeline.
Men and women damage each other. We do
it repeatedly. Sometimes the acts that damage
are intentional and sometimes they are
inadvertent. Sometimes the offender is aware
their act hurt someone else and sometimes they
are clueless that their act hurt. The act that
damages usually does something far worse than
the bad act considered alone. And that
something far worse is there is a breach in
social harmony a damaged relationship. It
happens all the time and we are all guilty of
various acts that have harmed others. The
damaged relationship, the lack of social
harmony, leads to a condition of a lack of peace
and, if not rectified, can lead to a simmering
and long-lasting feud. Expanded to a tribal or
national scale the lack of social harmony, the
lack of peace, can lead to an actual war. If it

20

goes this far, to actual war, then there is a

catastrophic loss of life, liberty, and property
and the entire human race is impoverished.
And the hatred and resentment toward the
other side can then become almost embedded
into a tribe or nations psyche, or DNA (your
author is using DNA as a metaphor and not
making a biological statement). And then there
can be a centuries-long hatred, with all of the
associated problems. Energy and ability that
could have worked to better the human race is
instead spent on preparations for war, fighting
wars, emotional and physical suffering, cleaning
up from the results of wars, etc. The negative
effect on people and on life itself is catastrophic.
Your author believes that most big problems
come from fundamental weaknesses, which
compound themselves over a period of time. I
believe this is part of what Christ was getting at.
An offense not forgiven can compound into a
major disaster, as mentioned above. Even at
the smaller human-to-human level an unforgiven slight can lead to a lack of social
harmony, a lack of peace, uneasiness when the
other person is around, etc. It would be better
if the erring person were forgiven. And since
we have all hurt others, we need the benefit of
this forgiveness as well. Forgiveness leading to

21

social harmony and peace are critical for

individuals, families, and societies to function
effectively. And Jesus Christ knew this.
The next topical verse grouping is verses 18
to 20 and the topical grouping title is:
Prohibiting And Permitting
And so I tell all of you: what you prohibit
on earth will be prohibited in heaven, and what
you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven.
And I tell you more: whenever two of you on
earth agree about anything you pray for, it will
be done for you by my Father in heaven.
For where two or three come together in my
name, I am there with them.
Matthew 18:18-20 TEV
Your author noticed that two or three were
coming together and agreeing. Without social
harmony and peace two or three could not come
together. And even if they did come together
they would not agree with each other.
Estranged people do not agree and do not come
together. This passage of scripture fits within
the idea of the necessity of forgiveness leading
to togetherness, social harmony, and peace.
Eternity is a long time. We have to get along

22

with each other. God is not going to permit an

eternity of warfare, or the attitudes leading up
to warfare (Revelation 21:4).
The next topical verse grouping is verses 15
to 17 and the topical grouping title is:
A Brother Who Sins
If your brother sins against you, go to him
and show him his fault. But do it privately, just
between yourselves. If he listens to you, you
have won your brother back. But if he will not
listen to you, take one or two other persons
with you, so that every accusation may be
upheld by the testimony of two or more
witnesses, as the scripture says. And if he will
not listen to them, then tell the whole thing to
the church. Finally, if he will not listen to the
church, treat him as though he were a pagan or
a tax collector. Matthew 18:15-17 TEV
The above instruction is Christs teaching
regarding reconciling with a brother who sins
against you. There are three steps involved, if
necessary, but hopefully only the first step is
necessary. The first step is to privately
approach your brother so that he has a chance
to say he is sorry and the relationship can

23

immediately be repaired and restored. If that

does not work then take some others to help, all
in an attempt to re-establish social harmony
and peace. If that does not work then the
process becomes more public. The process
becoming more public would only occur,
however, if the offender already had two
chances to say he is sorry and to restore the
relationship. Only then would he be publicly
confronted and even then in the hopes that he
would finally wise up and say he is sorry and
change his behavior. The whole goal is
reconciliation and forgiveness so there is social
harmony, peace, and unity in the body of Christ.
The next topical verse grouping is verses 10
to 14 and the topical grouping title is:
The Parable Of The Lost Sheep
See that you dont despise any of these
little ones. Their angels in heaven, I tell you,
are always in the presence of my Father in
heaven. What do you think a man does who
has one hundred sheep and one of them gets
lost? He will leave the other ninety-nine grazing
on the hillside and go and look for the lost
sheep. When he finds it, I tell you, he feels far
happier over this one sheep than over the

24

ninety-nine that did not get lost. In just the

same way your Father in heaven does not want
any of these little ones to be lost.
Matthew 18:10-14 TEV
There are a couple of main points in The
Parable Of The Lost Sheep. First, Christ says
that God the Father does not want anyone to be
lost. Second, if someone is lost, an effort is
made to go and find him or her so they can be
reconciled and reunited to everyone else. This
continues to fit into the forgiveness, social
harmony, togetherness, and peace theme of
Matthew 18. If someone is lost, they are
obviously estranged, and the Shepherd is
unhappy enough to do something about it.
Action to effect an ultimate reconciliation is
undertaken by the Shepherd himself. The goal
is to reunite the lost sheep with the flock so
there can be togetherness. This might take
time, but do not bet against the Shepherd.
The next topical verse grouping is verses 6
to 9 and the topical grouping title is:
Temptations To Sin
If anyone should cause one of these little
ones to lose his faith in me, it would be better

25

for that person to have a large millstone tied

around his neck and be drowned in the deep
sea. How terrible for the world that there are
things that make people lose their faith! Such
things will always happen - but how terrible for
the one who causes them! If your hand or your
foot makes you lose your faith, cut it off and
throw it away! It is better for you to enter life
without a hand or a foot than to keep both
hands and both feet and be thrown into the
eternal fire. And if your eye makes you lose
your faith, take it out and throw it away! It is
better for you to enter life with only one eye
than to keep both eyes and be thrown into the
fire of hell. Matthew 18:6-9 TEV
The main point of the above also fits within
the forgiveness, social harmony, togetherness,
and peace theme of the chapter. The main
point is not to do something to someone else,
which would result in them losing their faith and
becoming estranged. The Parable Of The Lost
Sheep follows just a few verses later. If we
offend someone else to the point that they lose
their faith and leave the body of Christ (1
Corinthians 12:12), unity and togetherness are
gone. The body of Christ is no longer complete.
And so Christ warns against this.

26

The last topical verse grouping is verses 1 to

5 and the topical grouping title is:
Who Is The Greatest?
At that time the disciples came to Jesus,
asking, Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of
heaven? So Jesus called a child to come and
stand in front of them, and said, I assure you
that unless you change and become like
children, you will never enter the Kingdom
of heaven. The greatest in the Kingdom of
heaven is the one who humbles himself and
becomes like this child. And whoever welcomes
in my name one such child as this, welcomes
me. Matthew 18:1-5 TEV
And so we come to The Matthew 18 Paradox.
How is it possible to become like little children
and also, at the same time, to grow mature?
That is the question. Humility can form part of
the answer. And the other suggestions, put
forth by various commentators, can perhaps
also form part of the answer. But none of those
things previously put forth, either alone, or in
combination, are enough to get at what Jesus
Christ was actually talking about.

27

Your author was a little boy once and he

lived in a neighborhood where the other little
boys, of that neighborhood, were constantly
playing, either competitive sports games
outdoors or table games indoors. Daily it was
one competition after another, with various
teams being chosen for each game. The
composition of the teams constantly shifted,
depending on the game being played and who
was available to play on that given day. The
competitions were often heated (intense) and
many times things were both said and done that
offended. What then? Did the boys in the
neighborhood retreat forever, back into the
safety of their own homes? No they did not at
least not for very long. If there is one thing
most young boys cannot stand, and I am sure
this also holds for most young girls, it is to be
alone with no one to play with especially on
those long summer days. Ask any mother who
has a bored young boy on her hands. He will
drive his mother crazy until she finally tells him
to go outside and play. However, let me make
my illustration and explanation more particular.
Let us say there are only two boys available
to play in the neighborhood on a given day.
Their names are Johnny and Billy. Further, let
us say that Billy, while playing with Johnny in

28

the morning, had picked up a dirt clod and

thrown it at Johnny and hit him with it. It hurt
Johnny and he promptly did two things. First,
he yelled at Billy and told him he would never
be friends with him again. Second, he went
home crying to his mother.
Later in the day, after lunch, both boys were
alone and bored. And they were both starting
to get on their mothers nerves. Johnny
complained that he had no one to play with.
Billy voiced the same complaint to his mother.
Both mothers offered suggestions for things to
do alone, but both boys were getting bored.
Perhaps a phone call between mothers took
place and Billy ends up knocking on Johnnys
front door. Enough boredom had set in such
that Johnny agreed to play with Billy again, if
Billy promised never to throw another dirt clod
at Johnny and if Billy said he was sorry. Billy
said he was sorry and promised not to do it
again. The next thing you know both boys are
playing together outside. A few hours of play
later, our story ends with both boys sitting, right
next to each other on the couch, watching a
movie, and eating a snack together - the best of
friends again. It was like the morning dirt clod
incident NEVER HAPPENED. Johnny and Billy
have long forgotten the morning incident and

29

are happy to be together again. Johnny did not

only forgive Billy, it was like the offense never
even happened. The capacity of young children
to do this is what Christ was talking about.
There was forgiveness, reconciliation, social
harmony, and because it was like the incident
never even happened, there was lasting peace.
The boys were together again and they could
not be happier. Forgiving an offense so
completely and so quickly that it is like the
offense never even happened is what
Christ was getting at when using a young
child and referring to little children in
Matthew 18. This is the solution to The
Matthew 18 Paradox. Johnny and Billy are
not concerned with, Who is the greatest?
They just want to be together and to enjoy each
others company, i.e., to have fun with each
other.
We are to grow mature, and part of this
maturity is to realize that without forgiveness
there will not be social harmony and there will
not be peace. Without forgiveness we will not
be together and even if we were together we
would not be at ease with each other, nor would
we genuinely like each other. So, as little
children have the capacity to do when wronged,
we must forgive as quickly as possible and so

30

completely that it was like the offending incident

never even happened. This is what Jesus Christ
was talking about in Matthew 18. And this is
what leads to social harmony, peace, and
togetherness. It takes maturity to do this.
There is no conflict with growing mature and
following Christs repeated instructions in
Matthew 18, no conflict at all.

Forgiveness, Social Harmony

And Peace
The need for ongoing social harmony and
lasting peace impels the need for forgiveness.
This is because each of us has been wrong in
our actions toward God and others and
sometimes others have been wrong toward us.
In other words, we are all part of the problem.
In saying we are all part of the problem, your
author is not minimizing the fact that some real
monsters have walked the earth and done some
horrific things. We are talking about a principle
here, where all of us, unfortunately, have
contributed to the mess the human race is in.
All of us need forgiveness and all of us need to
forgive. Until this happens there will not be the
social harmony and peace necessary for life to
flourish.

31

Interestingly, a lot of the description

regarding the works of the flesh versus the
works of the spirit, in Galatians 5, has to do
with love toward each other and things
pertaining to social harmony and peace. Your
authors bracketed comments are intended to
emphasize the aspect of good inter-personal
relations and your author concedes the various
fruits are more wide-ranging than your authors
bracketed comments and could each be
expanded into a book unto themselves.
For, brethren, ye have been called unto
liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to
the flesh, but by love serve one another. For all
the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this;
Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
But if ye bite and devour one another, take
heed that ye be not consumed one of another.
This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall
not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh
lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against
the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the
other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye
would. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not
under the law. Now the works of the flesh
are manifest, which are these; Adultery,
fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance

32

[quarrels], emulations [jealousies], wrath,

strife, seditions [dissension], heresies,
Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings,
and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I
have also told you in time past, that they which
do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of
God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love [for God
and each other], joy [of being with each other
and experiencing things together], peace [with
each other so we can be relaxed when
together], longsuffering [patience with each
other, letting others grow at their own pace and
becoming the unique individual who only they
can become], gentleness [with each other],
goodness [toward each other], faith [this could
also be faithfulness to each other as well as
toward God], Meekness [this can also be
consideration toward each other], temperance
[self-control]: against such there is no law. And
they that are Christs have crucified the flesh
with the affections and lusts. If we live in the
Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not
be desirous of vain glory, provoking one
another, envying one another.
Galatians 5:13-26, KJV
Most of what your author wanted to say, or
call to the readers attention, about the above
Galatians 5 passage, is in the underlined,

33

bolded, or bracketed comments. Obviously, all

of the works of the flesh cause alienation either toward God, or a spouse, or a fellow
human being, and all are to be condemned.
This is a short book and your author cannot
cover everything, just some of the main points.
One of the more telling sentences of Galatians 5
is verse 15. It says, But if ye bite and devour
one another, take heed that ye be not
consumed one of another. If we are going to
pick fights with each other, we are going to end
up in perpetual multi-generational feuds and
wars which has pretty much been the
experience of the human race. Until there is
forgiveness, like the wrong in question never
happened, there will not be the social harmony
and the peace we need for life to flourish. The
current generation is not only poisoned, but the
next generation, and so on, continues to harbor
the grudge and look for the chance for revenge
which only sets the table for the next
downward retrogression. It will not end until
everyone is either dead, or everyone left alive
forgives like the wrong never happened. This is
the importance of the solution to The Matthew
18 Paradox for the human race.
Your author believes that, from Gods point
of view, the importance of forgiveness, social

34

harmony, and peace cannot be overemphasized.

Galatians 6 ties back to the works of the flesh,
mentioned in Galatians 5.
Do not be deceived, God is not mocked.
For whatever a man sows, that he also will reap.
For he sowing to his flesh will reap corruption
[destruction] from the flesh. But he sowing to
the Spirit will reap life everlasting from the
Spirit. But we should not lose heart in welldoing, for in due season we shall reap, if we do
not faint. So then as we have time, let us work
good toward all, especially toward those of the
household of faith. Galatians 6:7-10, MKJV
Proverbs 6 lists seven things that God hates.
Most, or all, of the seven things result in a lack
of social harmony and peace and, if continued,
ultimately lead to lasting feuds and war. War is
terrible as it ends up causing the loss of life,
liberty, and property in other words the loss of
mankinds natural rights.
These six things doth the LORD hate: yea,
seven are an abomination unto him: A proud
look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed
innocent blood, An heart that deviseth wicked
imaginations, feet that be swift in running to
mischief, A false witness that speaketh lies, and

35

he that soweth discord among brethren.

Proverbs 6:16-19, KJV
The Sermon on the Mount speaks to being
merciful and to being a peacemaker and to
being reconciled with your brother who has
something against you. You cannot be a
peacemaker if you do not forgive the past.
Blessed are the merciful: for they shall
obtain mercy. Blessed are the peacemakers:
for they shall be called the children of God.
Matthew 5:7,9, KJV
Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar,
and there rememberest that thy brother hath
ought against thee; Leave there thy gift before
the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to
thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.
Matthew 5:23, 24, KJV
James has a beautiful passage of scripture
whereby the wisdom that comes from God
(heaven) is described as pure and peace loving.
But the wisdom that comes from heaven is
first of all pure. It is also peace loving,
gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others.
It is full of mercy and good deeds. It shows no

36

partiality and is always sincere. And those who

are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and
reap a harvest of goodness.
James 3:17, 18, NLT
The Sermon on the Mount also includes the
famous passage mandating the necessity of
forgiving others. We must do this to have our
own sins, which we all have, forgiven.
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our
debtors. For if ye forgive men their
trespasses, your heavenly Father will also
forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their
trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your
trespasses. Matthew 6:12, 14-15, KJV
In addition to forgiving others so our own sins
can be forgiven, we must also forgive others in
order to reestablish social harmony and lasting
peace. Johnny and Billy could teach mankind a
lot. This was Christs point in Matthew 18.

Some Examples Of Forgiveness

This short book cannot completely cover the
topic of forgiveness. The main point of this
book, and its emphasis, is to solve and explain
The Matthew 18 Paradox and its importance for

37

mankind. Nevertheless, your author thought he

would include a few Biblical references where
forgiveness was a central part of the story.
The first Biblical story that comes to many
peoples minds when it comes to forgiveness is
Joseph forgiving his brothers for their betrayal.
The betrayal is recorded in Genesis 37 and the
consequences of that betrayal are recorded in
the chapters that follow. Josephs Hall Of Fame
response to his brothers evil against him is
recorded in Genesis 50. There, he forgave them
and charitably attributed it all to part of a plan
of God to save Jacob and his descendents. And
Joseph treated his brothers kindly, like their
betrayal never happened.
And when Josephs brethren saw that their
father was dead, they said, Joseph will
peradventure hate us, and will certainly requite
us all the evil which we did unto him. And they
sent a messenger unto Joseph, saying, Thy
father did command before he died, saying, So
shall ye say unto Joseph, Forgive, I pray thee
now, the trespass of thy brethren, and their sin;
for they did unto thee evil: and now, we pray
thee, forgive the trespass of the servants of the
God of thy father. And Joseph wept when they
spake unto him. And his brethren also went

38

and fell down before his face; and they said,

Behold, we be thy servants. And Joseph said
unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of
God? But as for you, ye thought evil against
me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to
pass, as it is this day, to save much people
alive. Now therefore fear ye not: I will nourish
you, and your little ones. And he comforted
them, and spake kindly unto them.
Genesis 50:15-21 KJV
Another Bible story relating to forgiveness is
Moses imploring God not to kill all of the
Israelites for their rebellion against God. Their
rebellion against God turned out to pretty much
be ongoing, but the story your author wishes to
reference is found in Exodus 32-34. Moses had
to keep imploring God to forgive the Israelites
and not to reject them as his inheritance and so
God did.
Then the LORD told Moses, Quick! Go
down the mountain! The people you brought
from Egypt have defiled themselves. They have
already turned from the way I commanded
them to live. They have made an idol shaped
like a calf, and they have worshiped and
sacrificed to it. They are saying, These are
your gods, O Israel, who brought you out of

39

Egypt. Then the LORD said, I have seen how

stubborn and rebellious these people are. Now
leave me alone so my anger can blaze against
them and destroy them all. Then I will make
you, Moses, into a great nation instead of
them. But Moses pleaded with the LORD his
God not to do it. O LORD! he exclaimed.
Why are you so angry with your own people
whom you brought from the land of Egypt with
such great power and mighty acts? The
Egyptians will say, God tricked them into
coming to the mountains so he could kill them
and wipe them from the face of the earth. Turn
away from your fierce anger. Change your mind
about this terrible disaster you are planning
against your people! Remember your covenant
with your servants - Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
You swore by your own self, I will make your
descendants as numerous as the stars of
heaven. Yes, I will give them all of this land
that I have promised to your descendants, and
they will possess it forever. So the LORD
withdrew his threat and didnt bring against his
people the disaster he had threatened.
Exodus 32:7-14, NLT
The next day Moses said to the people,
You have committed a terrible sin, but I will
return to the LORD on the mountain. Perhaps I

40

will be able to obtain forgiveness for you. So

Moses returned to the LORD and said, Alas,
these people have committed a terrible sin.
They have made gods of gold for themselves.
But now, please forgive their sin - and if not,
then blot me out of the record [book] you are
keeping. The LORD replied to Moses, I will
blot out whoever has sinned against me.
Exodus 32:30-33, NLT
And the LORD passed by before him, and
proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful
and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in
goodness and truth, Keeping mercy for
thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression
and sin, and that will by no means clear the
guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon
the children, and upon the childrens children,
unto the third and to the fourth generation.
And Moses made haste, and bowed his head
toward the earth, and worshipped. And he said,
If now I have found grace in thy sight, O Lord,
let my Lord, I pray thee, go among us; for it is a
stiffnecked people; and pardon our iniquity and
our sin, and take us for thine inheritance [and
God did]. Exodus 34:6-9, KJV
Another famous Biblical example, of a wrong
completely forgiven, is Davids sin against God

41

in the matter of Bathsheba. The majority of the

story is found in 2 Samuel 11 and 12. The
heart of the story is that David committed
adultery with Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah.
Because Bathsheba got pregnant, it led to a
series of even worse events whereby David
conspired to have Uriah killed - and he was
killed. David then took Bathsheba to be his
wife. God had to send Nathan the prophet to
confront David about his sins. David repented
and God forgave him, but the baby Bathsheba
delivered died. David then comforted his wife
Bathsheba and she had Solomon, whom God
loved.
And David comforted Bathsheba his wife,
and went in unto her, and lay with her: and she
bare a son, and he called his name Solomon:
and the LORD loved him. 2 Samuel 12:24, KJV
Davids repentance is recorded in Psalm 51,
a part of which is quoted below:
To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David,
when Nathan the prophet came unto him, after
he had gone in to Bathsheba. Have mercy upon
me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness:
according unto the multitude of thy tender
mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me

42

thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me

from my sin. For I acknowledge my
transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.
Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and
done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be
justified when thou speakest, and be clear when
thou judgest. Behold, I was shapen in iniquity;
and in sin did my mother conceive me. Behold,
thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in
the hidden part thou shalt make me to know
wisdom.
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean:
wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the
bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.
Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all
mine iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O
God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast
me not away from thy presence; and take not
thy holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the
joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy
free spirit. Then will I teach transgressors thy
ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.
Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou
God of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing
aloud of thy righteousness.
Psalms 51:1-14, KJV

43

God did forgive David, although there were

some ongoing consequences to his actions (2
Samuel 12). The main point is that God forgave
and loved David, and loved Solomon, a
subsequent son through Bathsheba. Of all of
Davids sons, Solomon was chosen to succeed
David as king. And Solomon is, of course,
famous in his own right.
The story of the prodigal son is also thought
of when it comes to forgiveness. In this story,
what the father cares about most is
reconciliation with his son that was lost to him.
The father is overjoyed that he can be reunited
with his estranged son so they can experience
life together again. The older and more
responsible brother was not so charitable,
though he ought to have been.
And he [Christ] said, A certain man had two
sons: And the younger of them said to his
father, Father, give me the portion of goods that
falleth to me. And he divided unto them his
living. And not many days after the younger
son gathered all together, and took his journey
into a far country, and there wasted his
substance with riotous living. And when he had
spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that

44

land; and he began to be in want. And he went

and joined himself to a citizen of that country;
and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.
And he would fain have filled his belly with the
husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave
unto him. And when he came to himself, he
said, How many hired servants of my fathers
have bread enough and to spare, and I perish
with hunger! I will arise and go to my father,
and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned
against heaven, and before thee, And am no
more worthy to be called thy son: make me as
one of thy hired servants. And he arose, and
came to his father. But when he was yet a
great way off, his father saw him, and had
compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and
kissed him. And the son said unto him, Father,
I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight,
and am no more worthy to be called thy son.
But the father said to his servants, Bring forth
the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring
on his hand, and shoes on his feet: And bring
hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat,
and be merry: For this my son was dead, and is
alive again; he was lost, and is found [the
relationship was restored and they could be
together again]. And they began to be merry.
Now his elder son was in the field: and as he
came and drew nigh to the house, he heard

45

musick and dancing. And he called one of the

servants, and asked what these things meant.
And he said unto him, Thy brother is come; and
thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he
hath received him safe and sound. And he was
angry, and would not go in: therefore came his
father out, and intreated him. And he
answering said to his father, Lo, these many
years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at
any time thy commandment: and yet thou
never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry
with my friends: But as soon as this thy son was
come, which hath devoured thy living with
harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf.
And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with
me, and all that I have is thine. It was meet
[necessary] that we should make merry, and be
glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive
again; and was lost, and is found.
Luke 15:11-32, KJV
Jesus, while hanging on the cross, without
anyone asking him to, forgave mankind for
crucifying him and asked God the Father to do
the same. Jesus came to make reconciliation
possible. What would be the whole point of his
life if he did not forgive even the injustice of
his public humiliation, physical suffering, and
death? Before he was dead on the cross he

46

clearly showed just how serious he was about

forgiveness. And this forgiveness is the kind
that allows for, and ultimately leads to, social
harmony and lasting togetherness and peace.
And there were also two other, malefactors,
led with him [Jesus Christ] to be put to death.
And when they were come to the place, which is
called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the
malefactors, one on the right hand, and the
other on the left. Then said Jesus, Father,
forgive them; for they know not what they do.
And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.
Luke 23:32-34, KJV

Final Thoughts
There is no conflict with the various Biblical
admonitions to grow complete and mature,
versus the instruction, in Matthew 18, to
become as little children. The Matthew 18
Paradox only comes about because there has
been a lack of understanding that the entire
subject matter of Matthew 18 has to do with
forgiveness, social harmony, and peace all of
which are necessary for us to live together and
to be at ease with each other. It is not enough
to be polite. Eternity is a long time. We have
to forgive each other as little children do

47

quickly and like the offense in question

never even happened. That is what God the
Father and Jesus Christ have done with our sins.
One of the best examples is found in Psalm 103,
portions of which are excerpted below:
Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not
all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine
iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who
redeemeth thy life from destruction; who
crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender
mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good
things; so that thy youth is renewed like the
eagles.
The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to
anger, and plenteous in mercy. He will not
always chide: neither will he keep his anger
for ever. He hath not dealt with us after our
sins; nor rewarded us according to our
iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the
earth, so great is his mercy toward them that
fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so
far hath he removed our transgressions from us.
Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD
pitieth them that fear him. For he knoweth our
frame; he remembereth that we are dust.
Psalm 103:2-5, 8-14, KJV

48

There are a number of important points

encompassed in Psalm 103 that tie into the
message of this book. First, God forgives ALL
our iniquities. We must do the same for each
other. Second, God does not keep his anger
forever. Neither should we. Third, God does
not deal with us according to our sins. One of
the reasons that grudges are held is that we
insist on treating others according to their sins.
This leads to ongoing animosity, deep-seated
grudges, perpetual fighting, and ultimately to
murders and wars. Fourth, God has removed
our sins from us as far as the east is from the
west. In other words, once God has
completely forgiven our sins it is just like the
sins in question never even happened. Ergo, we
must do the same for others. We are going to
be spending eternity together, with God and
others, and for life to flourish there must be
genuine peace. Genuine peace involves social
harmony, not just politeness and toleration, and
social harmony requires forgiveness. All of us,
at one point in time or another, have been part
of the problem by hurting someone else. The
only way back to togetherness, harmony, peace,
and joy is for there to be forgiveness as little
children forgive which is to say like the sins
involved never even happened. Todays English
Version (The Good News Bible) has a phrase, in

49

1 Corinthians 13:5, which is right on point:

love does not keep a record of wrongs.
In contrast to this, notice Gods criticism of
Esau pertaining to Esau holding his anger
forever.
The LORD says, The people of Edom
[Esau] have sinned again and again, and for this
I will certainly punish them. They hunted down
their relatives, the Israelites, and showed them
no mercy. Their anger had no limits, and
they never let it die. Amos 1:11 TEV
God the Father and Jesus Christ cannot have
eternal warring factions. Life cannot flourish
under such a circumstance. If we forgive others
their sins against us, God will forgive our sins
(Matthew 6:14). If we do not forgive others, we
have a big problem with God. Further, if we
do not forgive others, we tie ourselves to a
poisoned past. Whatever wrong happened to
us in the past cannot be made right by
continuing in anger and by continuing to treat
the wrong-doer according to their sins. No one
can change the past. Not even God can change
the past. And since whatever wrong needing to
be forgiven was unpleasant, if we perpetuate an
ongoing anger we are quite literally tethering

50

ourselves to a bad experience of the past. In so

doing we make our present lives less livable. It
has to end. Someone has to be big enough to
let it end even if the perpetrator is currently
unrepentant. We can un-tether and free
ourselves by forgiving and moving on. The
unrepentant perpetrator will have to catch up
later, and they will, or God will ultimately
resolve the problem to their detriment. Part of
loving others as we love our own self is to
forgive and forget wrongs. This is important
because each one of us has also wronged others
and so each one of us needs the same
forgiveness and the same ability to have a fresh
start in life. If each of us so desperately needs
this forgiveness, how can we deny it to others?
And be kind to one another, tenderhearted,
forgiving one another, even as God for Christs
sake has forgiven you. Ephesians 4:32, MKJV
The importance to human society and
civilization of forgiving others cannot be overemphasized. Centuries and millennia of wars,
strivings, murders, hatreds, occupations,
slavery, etc., have ruined millions of valuable
human lives. Races, religions, nations, tribes,
families, and individuals are all guilty to some
degree. It has to stop for life to flourish. This is

51

one of the main reasons that Jesus Christ will

return again, only this time to rule over others
and to make it stop one way or another.
And it shall come to pass in the last days,
that the mountain of the LORDS house shall be
established in the top of the mountains, and
shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations
shall flow unto it. And many people shall go
and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the
mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God
of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and
we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go
forth the law [instruction], and the word of the
LORD from Jerusalem. And he shall judge
among the nations, and shall rebuke many
people: and they shall beat their swords into
plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks:
nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
neither shall they learn war any more.
Isaiah 2:2-4, KJV
Notice in the scripture above that Christ will
rebuke many nations and they will not learn war
any more. The opposite of war is peace. People
will learn the way of peace. Peace involves
more than just not fighting wars. It means
social harmony and that social harmony is going
to require forgiveness because there have

52

literally been thousands of years of wrongs

perpetrated. If everyone, who has ever been
wronged, holds a grudge, then there is no path
to lasting peace. This is because everyone has
been wronged and also everyone has committed
wrongs against others. And this goes to
Matthew 18:3 where Christ cautioned:
And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye
be converted, and become as little children,
ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 18:3, KJV
Unless we become big enough, with Gods
help, to not hold our anger forever, but to let
the wrong go, aka to become as little children,
we will not be allowed into the kingdom of
heaven. As a little child is so good at, we have
to forgive like the wrong never even happened.
And then our hearts are open to a restart of the
damaged relationship, a relationship that might
very well prove to be of eternal benefit.
In this world there have been constant
strivings. Some of the strivings have been tribe
against tribe, nation against nation, religion
against religion, political party against political
party, family against family, husband against
wife, brother against brother, parent against

53

child, and individual against individual. War,

raping and pillaging, slavery, hatred, thefts,
destruction, isolation, economic devastation,
pain, suffering, fear, death, and hurts of all
kinds have been unleashed and experienced as
a result. All are guilty, yes, some more than
others but all are guilty. There have been and
literally are thousands and millions of ongoing
unresolved conflicts. It is a very complicated
and frightening world with deep-seated and
age-old hatreds and conflicts.
Against this worldly backdrop of millions of
unresolved, and sometimes age-old conflicts,
are Johnny and Billy. Oblivious to it all, they
have long since forgotten this mornings dirt
clod incident. At the moment, they are sitting
right next to each other, on a couch, eating a
bowl of popcorn, while they watch a good
movie. Later on, since the weather is good,
they are going outside to ride their bikes. And
after that, they plan to take a ball and play
some catch. Life is good when you have a
friend like Billy.

54