Devotion

QT 24/02/2026 Tue. Matthew 18. The Type of Heart for Disciples’ Teamwork 门徒团队合作的属灵品格

QT 24/02/2026 Tue. Matthew 18. The Type of Heart for Disciples’ Teamwork 门徒团队合作的属灵品格

QT 24/02/2026 Tue. Matthew 18 The Type of Heart for Disciples’ Teamwork
READ http://www.esv.org/matthew18

(1) Who Is the Greatest? – A Childlike Heart  (18:1–14)

The disciples dared to ask the question many of us quietly think: “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” (Matt. 18:1). It’s not hard to imagine this question surfacing in churches, ministries, worship teams, boards, and leadership circles:

  • Who is the top disciple?
  • Who is the most anointed?
  • Who is the real leader?
  • Who gets the recognition?

Jesus did not rebuke them with anger. Instead, He responded with a living illustration—a child。

  • A Childlike Heart (18:2–5): In the ancient world, children had no status, power, or rank. By placing a child in their midst, Jesus overturned their value system.

Greatness in the kingdom is not:

  • Platform
  • Position
  • Visibility
  • Title

Greatness is:

  • Humility
  • Dependence
  • Teachability
  • Trust

Teamwork in God’s kingdom collapses when pride enters the room. It flourishes when humility fills it.

  • A Protective Heart (18:6–9): Jesus gives a sobering warning: causing a “little one” to stumble is spiritually catastrophic. He even uses severe metaphors—cutting off a hand or plucking out an eye—to show how serious sin and stumbling blocks are.

In disciples’ teamwork:

  • We do not compete.
  • We do not manipulate.
  • We do not exploit.
  • We do not use influence to damage weaker believers.

A mature team protects the vulnerable.

  • A Shepherd’s Heart (18:10–14): Jesus describes the Father as a shepherd who leaves ninety-nine sheep to seek one that wandered. Kingdom teamwork requires:
  • Patience with strugglers
  • Pursuit of the drifting
  • Refusal to discard the weak

In worldly systems, the weak are replaced. In God’s kingdom, the weak are pursued.

(2) Forgiveness – The Glue of Kingdom Community (18:21–35)

Jesus then shifts from humility to forgiveness through the parable of the unforgiving servant. One servant is forgiven ten thousand talents—an unpayable fortune.
Yet he refuses to forgive a fellow servant one hundred denarii—a minor debt in comparison. It is like being forgiven $600,000 and then choking someone over $1.

  • The Heart Issue: The problem was not financial—it was spiritual. The servant received mercy but did not allow mercy to reshape his heart.

In ministry teamwork, sooner or later:

  • We will misunderstand one another.
  • We will disappoint one another.
  • We will hurt one another.
  • We will fail one another.

Without forgiveness, teams fracture. Jesus ends with a sobering warning:

“If you do not forgive your brother from your heart…” (18:35)

Notice these crucial words, “from your heart”. It is not merely polite words, nor surface reconciliation, nor strategic peace (i.e., not current peace, only for future victory in open war). But deep, gospel-shaped forgiveness.

Application: Matthew 18 reveals four essential heart qualities:

(a) A Humble Heart: Not asking, “How great am I?” But, “How can I serve?”

(b) A Protective Heart: Not causing others to stumble. Guarding the spiritual safety of the weak.

(c) A Pursuing Heart: Seeking the wandering one. Refusing to write people off.

(d) A Forgiving Heart: Freely giving what we have freely received.

Application Questions for Leaders & Teams

(a) Is there subtle competition among us?
(b) Have we created a safe environment to discuss pride and ambition?
(c) Is anyone quietly stumbling because of our behaviour?
(d) Is there someone I need to forgive—from the heart?

Closing Reflection: The greatest disciple is not the most gifted, visible, or celebrated.
The greatest disciple is the one whose heart most resembles Christ: Childlike in humility.
Shepherd-like in care. Cross-shaped in forgiveness. Healthy kingdom teamwork is not built on talent—but on transformed hearts.

QT 24/02/2026 星期二. 马太福音 18 门徒团队合作的属灵品格
阅读 http://m.bbintl.org/bible/ncv/mat/18/

(1) 谁为大？——孩童般的谦卑心 (18:1–14)

门徒大胆问出了我们许多人心中默默的疑问： “天国里谁是最大的呢？”（太18:1）。不难想象这个问题在教会、事工团队、敬拜组、理事会及领导圈中浮现：

  • 谁是最顶尖的门徒？
  • 谁蒙恩膏最深？
  • 谁才是真正的领袖？
  • 谁该获得认可？

耶稣并未怒斥他们。反而用一个鲜活的例子回应——一个孩童。

  • 孩童般的心（18:2-5）：在古代世界，孩童毫无地位、权柄或名分。耶稣将孩童置于众人中间，颠覆了他们的价值体系。

天国里的伟大不在于：平台， 职位， 曝光度或头衔。伟大在于：谦卑，依靠， 可教性，信任。骄傲侵入时，神的国度团队便分崩离析；谦卑充满时，团队方能蓬勃发展。

  • 保护之心（18:6-9）：耶稣发出严正警告：使 “小孩子” 跌倒将招致属灵灾祸。祂甚至用 “砍掉手”、“挖出眼” 等严厉比喻，昭示罪与绊脚石的严重性。

在门徒团队中：

  • 我们不相互竞争
  • 我们不操纵他人
  • 我们不剥削弱者
  • 我们不利用影响力伤害软弱信徒

成熟的团队守护脆弱者。

  • 牧者的心肠（18:10-14）：耶稣将天父比作牧人，舍弃九十九只羊去寻找那只迷途的羊。天国团队需要：
  • 对挣扎者有耐心
  • 追寻漂泊者
  • 不弃绝软弱者

世俗体系淘汰软弱者，神国度里追寻软弱者。

(2) 宽恕——国度群体的粘合剂（18:21-35）

耶稣继而通过 “不饶恕的仆人” 的比喻，将话题从谦卑转向宽恕。某仆人被免去 “一万他连得”——这笔巨债根本无力偿还。他却拒绝赦免同伴 “一百个第纳尔”——相形之下微不足道的债务。这好比被免除六百万元债务后，却因一元与人争执不休。

  • 核心症结：问题不在金钱，而在心灵。仆人蒙受怜悯，却未让怜悯重塑其心。

在事工团队中，迟早会发生：

  • 我们彼此误解
  • 彼此失望。
  • 彼此伤害。
  • 彼此辜负。

若无宽恕，团队必将分崩离析。耶稣以严正警告作结：

“如果你们各人不从心里饶恕你的弟兄，我的天父也必这样待你们。”（18:35）

注意这关键的措辞 “从心里”。这绝非客套话语，亦非表面和解，更非战略性和平（即为未来公开对抗的胜利而维持的暂时休战）。而是由福音塑造的深刻宽恕。

应用：马太福音18章揭示了四种核心心志特质：

(a) 谦卑之心：不问“我有多伟大？”而问“我如何服侍？”

(b) 守护之心：不使他人跌倒，守护软弱者的属灵安全。

(c) 追寻之心：寻找迷途者，拒绝放弃任何人。

(d) 宽恕之心：将所领受的恩典毫无保留地施予他人。

领袖与团队应用问题:

(a) 团队中是否存在隐性竞争？
(b) 我们是否营造了坦诚讨论骄傲与野心的安全环境？
(c) 是否有人因我们的行为而默默跌倒？
(d) 是否有人需要我发自内心宽恕？

终结反思：最伟大的门徒并非天赋最高、最显赫或最受赞誉者。最伟大的门徒是那颗最像基督的心：怀着孩童般的谦卑，展现牧者般的关怀，以十字架的形状施予宽恕。健康的国度团队并非建立在才华之上——而是建立在被改变的心上。

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