Mateus 18
G. Campbell Morgan · Citado em PreceptAustin
Mateus 18
Morgan - The Bibleless Peoples - Borrow From this Verse page 208 The world’s largest missionary force, Wycliffe Bible Translators, was started by a question posed in 1918 to missionary Cameron Townsend. Townsend had come to Guatemala to sell Spanish Bibles, which many of the nation’s tribal groups could not read. As Townsend tried to distribute his wares among the quarter-million Cakchiquel-speaking people, one man asked him an unforgettable question: “If your God is so great, why can’t He speak my language?” Townsend was so challenged that he settled among the Cakchiquel, studied their language, and began translating the Bible. A local religious leader called it “the work of the devil,” but having little else to read, this man devoured the Cakchiquel Bible and was converted. He burned his false gods, saying, “I served them all my life. I thought it was time they served me, so I made kindling wood out of them and cooked my beans.” Thus the Cakchiquel Church was born. Townsend soon began asking, “If God is so great, why couldn’t He speak all the languages of Brazil and Mexico and Africa and Asia?” Traveling to Chicago, he shared his vision with missionary leaders, but they advised him to devote his life to the Cakchiquels. Townsend returned deeply troubled, uncertain of himself, unsure of the future. In desperation, he asked God to guide him, then opened his Bible and put his finger on a verse at random. It was Matthew 18:12: “What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying?” That was Townsend’s answer. “Yes, Lord,” he prayed, “I’ll leave the 250,000 Cakchiquel and go in quest of the Bibleless peoples.” The worldwide work of Wycliffe began in the heart of “Uncle Cam” Townsend then and there. Over 2,000 language groups have now at least part of the Bible in their language, and nearly 6,000 translators are currently working in over 50 countries. C H
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Morgan - In this question we have an instance of a method which our Lord often adopted in His teachings, which is arresting, and most suggestive. It was that of appealing to men to test Divine actions by their own. In doing this, He was assuming man's capacity for understanding God, and His assumption was based upon His knowledge of human nature. He knew its depravity, and once, in making use of this very method of appeal, He declared it as He said, "If ye then, being evil." Nevertheless, He also knew that if man could be brought to true thinking, to reasoning with God, he could understand God. In some senses this was a superlative instance, for here He was interpreting God's attitude toward the lost; and He appealed to that instinct in man—"any man," as He said—which would send him out to the mountains to seek the one sheep which had gone astray. Is there not something here which we should do well to remember and imitate in our dealing with men, when we desire to explain and justify the ways of God to them? It must be done with carefulness. We cannot argue the ways of God from the ways of men, but we may be perfectly sure that the ways of God may be illustrated to men by what they will understand of themselves, if they will think simply and truly. (Life Applications from Every Chapter of the Bible) Matthew 18:13 “If it turns out that he finds it, truly I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine which have not gone astray. he rejoices: Ps 147:11 Isa 53:11 62:5 Jer 32:37-41 Mic 7:18 Zep 3:17 Lu 15:5-10,23,24 Jn 4:34-36 Jas 2:13 THE SHEPHERD'S JOY IN RESTORATION OF ONE STRAY If (see note) it turns out that he finds (heurisko) it, truly (amen) I say to you, he rejoices (chairo) over it more than over the ninety-nine which have not gone astray (planao) - One would have thought the shepherd might be frustrated and angered by having to exert extra effort to find one when 99 were so obedient. But this not the shepherd's heart (surely picturing Jesus) and instead of anger he expresses joy. John