As A Little Child

AS A LITTLE CHILD.

Matthew 18:1-14.

1. The disciples came to Jesus, openly and unashamedly asking, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” (Matthew 18:1).

Jesus’ response was to call a little child to Himself. The child freely and willingly came. Jesus set him in the midst of the disciples as an example (Matthew 18:2).

“Amen I say unto you,” said Jesus. “Except you (all) be converted, and become as little children, you (all) shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3). This informs us of the need for conversion.

He turned their presuppositions between ‘least’ and ‘greatest’ on their heads: “Whoever humbles himself as this little child, the same is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:4). This informs us of the need for childlike humility.

A little child represents the least of the least, yet has a special place in the heart of Jesus. To receive “one such” is to receive Jesus (Matthew 18:5). And to receive Jesus is to receive God Himself (cf. Matthew 10:40).

2. There follows a series of serious sayings, warning us to be aware of the potential causes of stumbling within ourselves, and reminding us of the reality of hell (Matthew 18:6-9).

Jesus warns us not to “cause to offend” any of these “little ones who believe in me” (Matthew 18:6). Whether with reference to the child in their midst, or in the wider sense of new believers, Jesus unsparingly warns us what a serious matter this is. That is the force of the reference to the millstone, which normally a donkey (poor thing) was left to pull along.

The Greek word translated “offenses” in Matthew 18:6-7 is “skandalon” - literally, “stumbling-blocks.” “Woe to the world because of offenses,” continues Jesus (Matthew 18:7). “For offenses must come, but woe unto him by whom they come!’

This is one of several places where Jesus speaks in extraordinarily strong language about cutting off certain parts of our bodies (Matthew 18:8-9). Considering that the body of the Christian is the temple of the Holy Spirit (cf. 1 Corinthians 6:19), this can only be understood metaphorically.

Put simply, “Cutting off the hand” means ‘Don’t act upon the temptation!’ “Cutting off the foot” means ‘Don’t go there!’ “Plucking out the eye” means ‘Don’t look!’ The Apostle Paul calls this, ‘mortifying the deeds of the body’ (cf. Romans 8:13; Colossians 3:5).

3. Finally, Jesus introduces a retelling of the parable of the lost sheep in the context of the shepherd’s care of “the little ones” (Matthew 18:10-14).

“Despise not one of these little ones,” says Jesus, “for I say unto you that in heaven their angels do always behold the face of My Father in heaven” (Matthew 18:10). There are angels of nations (Daniel 10:13; Daniel 10:20-21). There are angels of churches (cf. Revelation 1:20; Revelation 2:1, etc.) What a reassurance to discover that there are angels before “the face of God” for even the least and most insignificant of believers!

“For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost” (Matthew 18:11, cf. Luke 19:10).

Here we are introduced to the caring shepherd who left his ninety-nine other sheep in order to seek the one that was lost, until he had found it (Matthew 18:12-13). This is an image which is familiar from both the Old Testament and the New (Ezekiel 34:11; John 10:11).

I am familiar with the bleating of lost sheep from my 11 year sojourn in the Western Isles of Scotland. Usually it was a lamb that had got the wrong side of the fence by the roadside, or a stubborn ewe grazing on the foreshore that had become separated from her companions by the incoming tide. They were unable to help themselves, and cried out in alarm.

Then a man with a crook would come to the rescue. The stubborn ewe would be waded through water, if necessary, to bring her to safety. The lamb would be lifted from the roadside and carried back into the field in one of the most evocative of Biblical illustrations: ‘He shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom’ (Isaiah 40:11).

In our text, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. Sinners resort to Jesus, and He receives them. He is the Good Shepherd. Jesus tells us that, “it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish” (Matthew 18:14). Notice the shift from “My Father in heaven” (Matthew 18:10) to “your Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 18:14). It is like our risen Lord’s words to Mary Magdalene (cf. John 20:17).