Why does Jesus use such extreme language about cutting off hands or gouging out eyes? In this episode, Rohan Bell explores Matthew 18 and its parallels, showing how Jesus’ hyperbolic words drive home the urgency of becoming childlike, protecting the vulnerable, and taking sin seriously—for our sake and for others.

👀 What you’ll discover in this episode...

✅ 👶 Why Jesus pointed to children as the model for entering the kingdom of God

✅ ⚠️ The cultural context of children’s low status in the first century

✅ 🔨 Why rabbis used hyperbolic exaggeration to emphasise urgency and seriousness

✅ 💔 The ripple effect of sin: how bitterness and selfishness harm not only us but those around us

✅ 🎄 How to live this out practically during Christmas gatherings by choosing humility, sacrifice, and blessing others

⏱️ Timestamps

00:00 – Who is the greatest? Jesus points to a child

01:00 – Hyperbolic language: cutting off, gouging out, drowning with a millstone

02:30 – Why rabbis used exaggeration to make urgent points

04:00 – The destructive ripple of sin when it harms others

05:30 – Becoming childlike: humility, sacrifice, and blessing others this Christmas

🙋‍♂️ Reflection and Application

What “blackness” or destructive habit do you need to cut off before it hurts others as well as yourself? And how can you intentionally choose the low seat at the table this Christmas—valuing, protecting, and blessing those around you?

💬 Share your thoughts below or in the comments — we’d love to hear from you!

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