Context for Matthew 18:1-35
The dangers of the devil, the world, and our own sinfulness fill the path to Heaven. Each of these forces wants to strip our faith away from us, and it is our job, through faith, to persevere through those threats until we reach Heaven.
The righteousness of God is not some ephemeral thing. Indeed, scripture clearly defines what that righteousness is, including in these verses, yet this righteousness is not our salvation, but rather it is the faith that leads to this righteousness.
However, through faith, we cannot help but turn our lives to righteousness. Such actions are the natural expression of a life lived by faith, and without such an expression, our faith becomes constrained and diminishes.
The Word provides these examples, then, as a guide to help us in our life of faith as we constantly work to conform ourselves to God’s will. These examples provide us things to strive for, through faith, to keep us concentrated on the Word, from which our faith comes.
