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Jesus is Present
Jesus is Present!
“For where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in their midst” (Mt 18:20). This passage is often referenced to prove that Jesus promised to be with groups as small as “two or three” when they are assembled for worship. Is that what Jesus said? Was He promising to be with a small group, who assembled for worship or does He have another subject in mind? Let us consider this text together.
Please read Mt 18. Avoid the thought, at least momentarily, that Jesus is talking about an assembly for worship. Here is a summary of the text: While His disciples were concerned with who would be greatest in the Kingdom (vs 1-5), He sternly warns against causing one of His “little ones” to sin (vs 6-9), and illustrates His purpose with a shepherd looking for and finding a lost sheep (vs 10-14). (We’ll look at verses 15-20 shortly). Jesus then answers Peter about forgiving others with the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant and some significant statements about forgiveness (vs 21-35).
The entire context relates to a spirit of forgiveness that must exist between members of His body, the importance of God’s “little ones” living righteously and godly, and how essential it is to discipline the Lord’s “little ones” as He has outlined. Who are His “little ones?” Every child in God’s House, all saints in His Kingdom, every member of His body, every priest living a sacrificial life before Him. It matters not at all about the size of the local congregation of these disciples, all of them in any place, at any given time, are under consideration here.
In the very familiar part of the chapter (verses 15-20) our Lord gives a step by step procedure
that those consecrated to Him must follow. It is simply: 1) Go to the sinner privately, and if no repentance is found, 2) Take one or two with you to confirm the facts, and if no repentance, 3) Tell it to the church, and if no repentance, 4) Consider this one as “a tax collector and heathen.” Each step requires godly decisions to be made by the saints involved.
Man (inspired or uninspired) never legislates for God. God allows man to reason with Him about His decisions, as did Abraham about Sodom and Gomorrah, Moses about Israel, etc. We may today partner/reason with Him about our fellow disciples, but only on His terms. In other words our God wants our involvement with Him in the saving of souls. He wants us to be longsuffering, patient, and loving. He wants us to suffer for others as He does, doing His bidding in disciplining His “little ones,” but never legislating.
Being fully aware that He is present should make one and all humbly submissive to Him, to His purpose for them, so that all decisions would agree with Him, because His Spirit is not only present, but guiding. Therefore, whatever that group decides will be bound or loosed in heaven, and only on that basis. In such a setting all will have the “mind of Christ,” all will be esteeming others more highly than self, all will be servants of others as was Jesus, all will function by Jesus’ authority. With these attitudes, with this purpose and calling, the Lord is present.
The words of the song “Others” (#92 in HW) are sobering and empowering. My relationships with everyone could be improved immensely, if I could maintain His Mind in my heart, if I would allow His Spirit to dwell in me, if I would totally love and trust Him, if I would completely surrender my will – “Never-the-less, Thy will be done.” Because His grace will supply my need, nothing will be too difficult, I can be filled with joy continually, my strength will be sufficient for every circumstance, Jesus is present. jkg
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