The Gospels: The Parable of the Lost Sheep
Matthew 18
(v.4) As we teach our kids the Word, they listen and take in all that we teach them. God wants us to be like that, where we seek God's wisdom, and check the Scriptures to make sure they are so. We are not to act childish, but to act like a child...eager to learn and obedient to authority.
(v.6) Teaching our kids is a big responsibility...we need to make sure we are teaching from the Bible, and not some other version or addition to the Bible. Satan has deceived many to trick them into thinking that the Bible is not the complete Word of God. 1 John 4:1
(v.10) Here we have a verse that alludes to Guardian Angels...angels assigned to each of us, to watch over us and report to God. We don't know to what extent they affect our lives, but it's still nice to know that besides an all-knowing God, we have His angels looking out for us as well.
(v.13) Like the story of the Prodigal Son, this doesn't mean that we should act sinful all our lives and repent in old age...first, we may die before old age, and also, we really won't be joyful and at peace unless we're following God. This just shows us to what lengths God will go to bring us back to Him!
(v.15) God hates gossip and the ways of the world. Nowadays, when someone feels wronged, they post it on the internet and seek a lawyer. God wants us to be honest and truthful to our brothers and sisters in Christ. If they won't listen, then we bring trusted brothers and sisters into the discussion in order to get a consensus.
(v.35) We need to have a forgiving heart like our Heavenly Father does, or we won't be like His Son.
children are certainly eager to learn by nature, but certainly not sponteneously submissive. The point in this text has to do with the status of children at that time: opposite to greatness, they counted for nothing and were a symbol of absolute waekness. Christ wants to teach power-hungry men how to relate to weak people: identifying with them and protecting them.
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