Matthew Chapter 18 focuses on teachings about humility, forgiveness, and community discipline. Jesus uses a child to illustrate the need for humility and childlike faith to enter the kingdom of heaven. He warns against causing believers to sin and emphasizes the value of every individual by telling the Parable of the Lost Sheep.
Jesus outlines steps for addressing sin within the community: confronting the person privately, then with witnesses, and finally before the church. If the person remains unrepentant, they are to be treated as an outsider. Jesus assures His followers that whatever they bind or loose on earth will be bound or loosed in heaven, highlighting the power of communal agreement in prayer.
Peter asks about the limits of forgiveness, and Jesus responds with the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant, teaching the importance of forgiving others as God forgives.
