Day 23: Matthew 18 | 2026 Lenten Reading Plan

Thank you for joining us for the twenty second reading in our Lenten Reading Plan. Find all the resources you need below: Read Matthew 18 on Bible Gateway: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2018&version=ESV Listen to Matthew 18: https://share.transistor.fm/s/4b20e19f Download your own Lenten Reading Plan Bookmark: https://higherthings.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/HT_Lenten-Reading-Plan-Bookmark-2601-PRINT-at-home.pdf Download the 2026 Lenten Reading Plan Study Guide: https://higherthings.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/HT_Lenten-Reading-Plan-Study-Guide-2511.pdf In Matthew 18, Jesus takes on worldly ideas of greatness by setting a little child as the model. True greatness is humble reception of God’s gifts, especially salvation, not self-made achievement. Jesus’ shocking “cut off hand/eye” language isn’t literal self-mutilation (you’d just be a stumpy sinner). It’s about the gravity of protecting the body of Christ. A member who persistently leads others into sin may need to be cut off, aka excommunication. This is painful, never gleeful, and always aimed at repentance, not rejection. Jesus tells the Lost Sheep parable: the Shepherd leaves the 99 to rescue the one. God pursues even the wandering with relentless mercy. The famous Matthew 18 “church discipline” process is misused when treated as a checklist to justify getting rid of people we dislike. Jesus gives it as a roadmap to win your brother back: private conversation → witnesses → church → restoration. Only if someone utterly refuses repentance are they treated “as a Gentile and tax collector,” and remember, Jesus ate with Gentiles and tax collectors because He came to seek and save the lost. The chapter ends with 70×7 forgiveness because we’ve been forgiven an unpayable debt. Real Christian unity flows from receiving Christ’s total forgiveness and extending it freely. Contributor Rev. Harrison Goodman is the Higher Things Executive Director of Missions and Theology. #higherthings #lcms #lutheran #lent If you have questions or topics that you'd like discussed on Higher Things, email them to content@higherthings.org Subscribe to our channel to get notifications when we go live: http://youtube.com/@HTgospel4all To support the work of Higher Things®, visit https://higherthings.org/morehi/giving/ For more information about Higher Things, go to http://higherthings.org ------ Join the conversation on Social Media: http://facebook.com/higherthings http://instagram.com/higherthings https://www.tiktok.com/@higherthings