131. Prayer and Fasting
All Christians believe in the importance of prayer and fasting. “This kind can come out by nothing, except by prayer and fasting.” (Mark 9:29 cf. Matthew 17:21)
132. The Third Day
The consensus of Christians who understand the phrase “the third day” (Matthew 7:23; Mark 9:31) is that it refers colloquially to ancient inclusive counting as any part of Friday to any part of Sunday, and not with modern exclusive counting as in day 0, day 1, day 2, day 3.
133. Taxes
All Christians agree that Jesus paid the temple tax (Matthew 17:24-27) and when asked by a group of religious and political leaders about paying taxes to Caesar, He wisely said, “Give therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.” (Matthew 22:17-22; Mark 12:13-17; Luke 20:20-26)
134. Hated
All Christians should understand what Jesus meant when He said that “The world can't hate you, but it hates me, because I testify about it, that its works are evil.” (John 7:7)
135. The Greatest
All Christians believe that, “Whoever therefore humbles himself as this little child, the same is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.” (Matthew 18:4) And that, “Whoever receives this little child in my name receives me. Whoever receives me receives him who sent me. For whoever is least among you all, this one will be great.” (Luke 9:48)
136. Not Forbidding
All Christians believe that historic Christian atrocities, persecutions and forbidding other Christian groups were wrong, as Jesus taught regarding someone not of our particular group, “Don't forbid him, for there is no one who will do a mighty work in my name, and be able quickly to speak evil of me.” (Mark 9:39 cf. Luke 9:50) These outsiders are also referred to as among the “little ones” and we are warned “See that you don't despise one of these little ones, for I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven. For the Son of Man came to save that which was lost.” (Matthew 18:10-11)
137. Little Ones
All Christians believe that even the smallest measure of hospitality shown to someone with a child-like faith will be rewarded. “Whoever gives one of these little ones just a cup of cold water to drink in the name of a disciple, most certainly I tell you he will in no way lose his reward.” (Matthew 10:42) All Christians agree that, “Whoever will cause one of these little ones who believe in me to stumble, it would be better for him if he were thrown into the sea with a millstone hung around his neck.” (Mark 9:42 cf. Matthew 18:6; Luke 17:2)
The importance of this is highlighted by the exaggerated language regarding cutting off a hand or foot or plucking out an eye that causes such offense rather than that offense causing one “to be cast into the Gehenna of fire” (Matthew 18:7-9; Mark 9:43-50).
138. Lost Sheep
All Christians believe that our responsibility to lost sheep is not to engage in hate speech as we are sometimes falsely accused of, but to “leave the ninety-nine, go to the mountains, and seek that which has gone astray” (Matthew 18:11-14 cf. Luke 15:4-7)
139. Rebuke Alone
All Christians believe that the first instance of rebuke ought to be most often in private (Matthew 18:15-17 cf. Luke 17:3).
140. Praying with Others
All Christians believe agreeing with others in prayer is important as Jesus said, “Again, assuredly I tell you, that if two of you will agree on earth concerning anything that they will ask, it will be done for them by my Father who is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there I am in their midst” (Matthew 18:19-20)
