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Calvin's Commentaries
The Harmony of the Gospels (Volume XVI)
MATTHEW 18:1-10
1. At
that time the disciples came to Jesus. It is evident
from the other two Evangelists, that the disciples did not
come to Christ of their own accord, but that, having
secretly disputed on the road, they were brought out
of their lurking-places, and dragged forth to light. There
is nothing inconsistent with this in the account given by
Matthew, who hastens to Christ’s reply, and does not relate
all the circumstances of the case, but passes over the
commencement, and relates in a summary manner the reason why
Christ rebuked the foolish ambition of his disciples for the
highest rank. When Christ makes inquiry about a secret
conversation, and forces the disciples to acknowledge what
they would willingly have kept back, this teaches us that we
ought to beware of all ambition, however carefully it may be
concealed. We must also attend to the time at which this
occurred. The prediction of his death had made them sad and
perplexed; but as if they had received from it unmingled
delight, as if they had tasted of the nectar which the poets
feign,
they immediately enter into a dispute about the highest
rank.
How was it possible that their distress of mind vanished in
a moment, but because the minds of men are so devoted to
ambition, that, forgetful of their present state of warfare,
they continually rush forward, under the delusive influence
of a false imagination, to obtain a triumph? And if the
apostles so soon forgot a discourse which they had lately
heard, what will become of us if, dismissing for a long
period meditation on the cross, we give ourselves up to
indifference and sloth, or to idle speculations?
But it is
asked, what occasioned the dispute among the disciples? I
reply, as the flesh willingly shakes off all uneasiness,
they left out of view every thing that had given rise to
grief, and fixed on what had been said about the
resurrection; and out of this a debate sprung up among idle
persons. And as they refuse the first part of the doctrine,
for which the flesh has no relish, God permits them to fall
into a mistake about the resurrection, and to dream of what
would never take place, that, by mere preaching, Christ
would obtain a kingdom, an earthly kingdom, and would
immediately rise to the highest prosperity and wealth.
There were
two faults in this debate. First, the apostles were to blame
for laying aside anxiety about the warfare to which they had
been called, and for demanding beforehand repose, and wages,
and honors, as if they had been soldiers that had served
their time. The second fault is, that, instead of laboring
with one consent, as they ought to have done, to render
mutual assistance, and to secure for their brethren as large
a share of honors as for themselves, they strove with wicked
ambition to excel each other. If we wish that our manner of
life should receive the approbation of the Lord, we must
learn to bear patiently the burden of the cross that has
been laid on us, till the proper time arrive for obtaining
the crown, and, as Paul exhorts, in honor preferring one
another, (Romans
12:10.) To the first of these faults is closely allied
the vain curiosity of those persons in the present day, who,
leaving the proper duties of their calling, eagerly attempt
to fly above the clouds. The Lord, who in the Gospel invites
us to his kingdom, points out to us the road by which we are
to reach it. Fickle persons, who give themselves no concern
about faith, patience, calling on God, and other exercises
of religion, dispute about what is going on in heaven; as if
a man who was about to commence a journey made inquiry where
a lodging-place was situated, but did not move a step. Since
we are commanded by the Lord to walk on the earth, those who
make the condition of departed saints in heaven the subject
of eager debate will be found, in so doing, to retard their
own progress towards heaven.
2. And Jesus called a
child to him. The general meaning is, that those who
desire to obtain greatness by rising above their brethren,
will be so far from gaining their object that they do not
even deserve to occupy the lowest corner. He reasons from
contraries, because it is humility alone that exalts us. As
we are more powerfully affected by appearances presented to
the eyes, he holds up to them a little child as an
emblem of humility. When he enjoins his followers to become
like a child, this does not extend indiscriminately
to all points. We know that in children there are many
things faulty; and accordingly Paul bids us be children,
not in understanding, but in malice, (1
Corinthians 14:20;) and in another passage he exhorts us
to strive to reach the state of a perfect man, (Ephesians
4:13.) But as children know nothing about being
preferred to each other, or about contending for the highest
rank, Christ desires that their example should banish from
the minds of his followers those eager longings after
distinction, which wicked men and the children of the world
continually indulge, that they may not be allured by any
kind of ambition.
It will
perhaps be objected, that children, even from the womb, have
a native pride, which leads them to desire the highest honor
and distinction; but the reply is obvious, that comparisons
must not be too closely or too exactly carried out, so as to
apply at all points. The tender age of little children is
distinguished by simplicity to such an extent, that they are
unacquainted with the degrees of honor, and with all the
incentives to pride; so that they are properly and justly
held out by Christ as an example.
3.
Unless you are converted. To the example of little
children must be referred the conversion of which
he now speaks. Hitherto they had been too much habituated to
the ordinary customs of men; and if they would gain their
object, they must pursue a totally different course.
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Every one wished for himself the first or the second rank;
but Christ does not allot even the lowest place to any man
who does not lose sight of distinctions and humble
himself On the contrary, he says,
4. Whosoever shall
humble himself like this little child, he is the greatest in
the kingdom of heaven. This is intended to guard us
against supposing that we degrade ourselves in any measure
by freely surrendering every kind of distinction. And hence
we may obtain a short definition
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of humility. That man is truly humble who neither claims any
personal merit in the sight of God, nor proudly despises
brethren, or aims at being thought superior to them, but
reckons it enough that he is one of the members of Christ,
and desires nothing more than that the Head alone should be
exalted.
5. And he that shall
receive such a child. The term children is now
applied metaphorically by Christ to those who have laid
aside lofty looks, and who conduct themselves with modesty
and humility. This is added by way of consolation, that we
may not account it troublesome or disagreeable to exercise
humility, by means of which Christ not only receives us
under his protection, but likewise recommends us to the
favor of men. And thus believers are taught in what way they
ought to esteem each other: it is by every one humbling
himself How is mutual friendship usually maintained
among the children of the world but by every man complying
with the wishes of another? The more desirous a man is to
obtain renown, the more insolently does he grasp at power,
that he may be raised to a lofty station, and that others
may be ridiculed or despised; but Christ enjoins that the
more a man abases himself, the more highly shall he be
honored. Such, too, is the import of the words given by
Luke, he that is least among you shall be great; for
our Lord does not enjoin us to think more highly of those
who justly deserve to be despised, but of those who divest
themselves of all pride, and are perfectly willing to occupy
the lowest place.
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6. But whosoever
shall offend one of those little ones. This appears to
be added for the consolation of the godly, that they may not
be rendered uneasy by their condition, if they are despised
by the world. It is a powerful obstruction to the voluntary
exercise of modesty, when they imagine, that by so doing
they expose themselves to contempt; and it is hard to be not
only treated disdainfully, but almost trodden under foot, by
haughty men. Christ therefore encourages his disciples by
the consoling truth, that, if their mean condition draws
upon them the insults of the world, God does not despise
them.
But he appears
to have had likewise another object in view; for a dispute
had arisen amongst them as to the first place of honor, from
which it might naturally have been inferred that the
Apostles were tainted with sinful ambition. Every man who
thinks too highly of himself, or desires to be preferred to
others, must necessarily treat his brethren with disdain. To
cure this disease, Christ threatens a dreadful punishment,
if any man in his pride shall throw down those who are
oppressed with poverty, or who in heart are already humbled.
Under the word
offend he includes more than if he had forbidden them
to despise their brethren; though the man who gives
himself no concern about offending the weak, does so
for no other reason, than because he does not render to them
the honor to which they are entitled. Now as there are
various kinds of offenses, it will be proper to
explain generally what is meant by offending If any
man through our fault either stumbles, or is drawn aside
from the right course, or retarded in it, we are said to
offend him.
Whoever then desires to escape that fearful punishment which
Christ denounces, let him stretch out his hand to the
little ones who are despised by the world, and let him
kindly assist them in keeping the path of duty; for Christ
recommends them to our notice, that they may lead us to
exercise voluntary humility; as Paul enjoins the children of
God to
condescend to men of low estate, (Romans
12:16,)
and again says
that
we ought
not to please ourselves, (Romans
15:1.)
To hang a
millstone about a man’s neck, and drown him in the
sea, was the punishment then reckoned the most
appalling, and which was inflicted on the most atrocious
malefactors. When our Lord alludes to this punishment, we
are enabled to perceive how dear and precious those persons
are in the sight of God, who are mean and despised in the
eyes of the world.
7. Woe to the world on
account of offenses! This passage may be explained in
two ways. It may be taken actively, as meaning that
Christ pronounces a curse on the authors of offenses;
and then by the term world, we must understand all
unbelievers. Or it may be taken passively, as meaning
that Christ deplores the evils which he perceives to be
rapidly coming on the world on account of offenses;
as if he had said, that no plague will be more destructive,
or attended by more fearful calamities, than the alarm or
desertion of many on account of offenses. The latter
meaning is more appropriate; for I have no doubt that our
Lord, who had spoken on another occasion about offenses,
proceeded to discourse more largely on this subject; in
order to make his disciples more attentive and watchful in
guarding against them. That Satan may not gain advantage
over us through our sluggishness, our Lord breaks out into
an exclamation, that there is nothing which we ought to
dread more than offenses; for as Satan has
innumerable kinds of them in his hand, he constantly, and at
almost every step, throws new difficulties in our way; while
we, through excessive tenderness or sloth, are too ready to
yield. The consequence is, that there are few who make
tolerable progress in the faith of Christ; and of the few
who have begun to walk in the way of salvation, there is
scarcely one in ten who has the courage to persevere till he
reaches the goal. [ Now since Christ intended to strike his disciples with terror
on account of offenses, and thus to arouse them to
exertion, woe to our indifference, if each of us does
not earnestly apply himself to overcome those offenses
For offenses
must come. To awaken more powerfully their care and
anxiety, our Lord reminds his disciples that there is no
possibility of walking but in the midst of various
offenses; as much as to say, that this is an evil which
cannot be avoided. Thus he confirms the former statement;
for Christ shows us how great are the inconveniences which
arise from offenses, since the Church never will be,
and indeed never can be, free from this evil. But he does
not state the reason of this necessity, as Paul does, when,
speaking of heresies, he says that they arise, that the
good may be made manifest, (1
Corinthians 11:19.) It must be held by us as a fixed
principle, that it is the will of God to leave his people
exposed to offense, in order to exercise their
faith, and to separate believers, as the refuse and the
chaff, from the pure wheat. Does any one object or complain,
that blame attaches to our Lord for giving loose reins to
Satan, to accomplish the destruction of wretched men? It is
our duty to think and speak with the deepest reverence of
the secret purposes of God, of which this is one, that
the world must be disturbed by offenses
But woe to
the man by whom the offense cometh. After having
exhorted his disciples to beware of offenses, he
again breaks out against those who occasion them. To impart
the greater vehemence to the threatening, he adds, that
neither a right eye nor a right hand ought to
be spared, if they occasion offense to us; for I
explain these words as added for the purpose of
amplification. Their meaning is, that we ought to be so
constant and so zealous in opposing offenses, that we
would rather choose to pluck out our eyes, or cut off our
hands, than give encouragement to offenses; for
if any man hesitate to incur the loss of his limbs, he
spares them at the risk of throwing himself into eternal
perdition. What dreadful vengeance then awaits those who by
offenses shall bring ruin on their brethren! [ As those two verses have been already explained [ under
Matthew 5:29,30, it was sufficient, on the present
occasion, to glance at the reason why Christ repeats here
the same statement.
10. Beware of despising
one of these little ones As pride is the mother of
disdain, and as contempt hardens men in giving offense,
our Lord, for the purpose of applying an appropriate remedy
for curing this disease, forbids his disciples to despise
the little ones. And certainly, as we have already
hinted, no man who has a proper care for his brethren will
ever allow himself, on light grounds, to give them
offense This conclusion of our Lord’s discourse has the
same tendency as the commencement of it, to remind us that
we ought to strive with each other who shall be most
submissive and modest; for God embraces with wonderful love
the little ones It would be strange indeed that a
mortal man should despise, or treat as of no
account, those whom God holds in such high esteem. He proves
this love from the fact, that angels, who are ministers of
their salvation, enjoy intimately the presence of God. Yet I
do not think that he intended merely to show what honor God
confers on them by appointing angels to be their
guardians, but likewise to threaten those who despise
them; as if he had said, that it is no light matter to
despise those who have angels for their
companions and friends, to take vengeance in their behalf.
We ought therefore to beware of despising their
salvation, which even angels have been commissioned to
advance.
The
interpretation given to this passage by some commentators,
as if God assigned to each believer his own angel,
does not rest on solid grounds. For the words of Christ do
not mean that a single angel is continually occupied
with this or the other person;
and such an idea is inconsistent with the whole doctrine of
Scripture, which declares that the angels encamp around
(Psalm
34:7) the godly, and that not one angel only, but
many, have been commissioned to guard every one of the
faithful. Away, then, with the fanciful notion of a good and
evil angel, and let us rest satisfied with holding that the
care of the whole Church is committed to angels, to
assist each member as his necessities shall require. It will
perhaps be asked, Do the angels occupy a station inferior to
ours, because they have been appointed to be our ministers?
I reply, Though by nature they take rank above us, this does
not prevent them from rendering service to God [ in dispensing the favor which he freely bestows upon us. For this
reason they are called our angels, because their
labors are bestowed on us.
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