Despise Not Little Ones

Good afternoon and welcome to the Panhandle. Today we are going to be looking at Matthew 18:10. So come on in pull up a chair, sit a spell and let’s do some Biblesurfing.

Robert Fulghum wrote in the Kansas City Times, "Most of what I really need to know about how to live, and what to do, and how to be, I learned in kindergarten. Wisdom was not at the top of the graduate school mountain, but there in the sandbox at nursery school.

"These are the things I learned: Share everything. Play fair. Don't hit people. Put things back where you found them. Clean up your own mess. Don't take things that aren't yours. Say you're sorry when you hurt somebody . . . When you go out into the world, watch for traffic, hold hands, and stick together. "

This writer has captured part of what Jesus meant when he said, "Unless you become like little children, you won't enter the kingdom of heaven." - Hugh Duncan.

“Be careful. Don’t think these little children are worth nothing. I tell you that they have angels in heaven who are always with my Father in heaven.” Matthew 18:10

The caution itself; Be careful. Don’t think these little children are worth nothing. Christ Jesus is displeased with enemies of His church, if they wrong any of the members of it, even the least. He will also be displeased with those who hold a position in the church, if they despise the little ones (new Christians) of it.

We may understand this literally to be little children. Or, figuratively; true but weak, or new believers are the little ones, who in their outward condition, or the frame of their spirits, are like little children, the lambs of Christ Jesus flock.¹ I tend to believe that latter. Whether Christ Jesus was being literal or speaking figuratively, no one in the family of God is inconsequential or unimportant. Every person counts to God. His care is equally sincere for all, and He operates without respect of persons. It may have become cliche, but it is a true statement, “At the foot of the cross all have equal footing.”

We are not to despise or be condescending toward any, especially our brothers and sisters in Christ. I don’t know why but there is a temptation to look down on less confident or ‘successful’ brothers or sisters in Christ, when we should be lifting them up and helping them with their Christian walk. To ignore their spiritual needs, shows an attitude out of tune with God’s concern.²

Christ Jesus then proceeds to state the reason why we should not despise His feeblest and obscurest follower. That reason is drawn from the care which God exercises over them. “I tell you that they have angels in heaven who are always with my Father in heaven.”

Does this mean every person has their own guardian angel, as many of the Israelites believed? Well, I'm not sure; but maybe it means that the angels are, in general, the guards of all of Christ Jesus' followers, and they aid us and watched over us. So, says our Saviour, we should not despise the obscurest Christian, for they are ministered to by the highest and noblest of beings—by beings who can always be found at the throne of God.³

So, be careful to receive and not to offend, the very weakest believer in Christ Jesus: for as insignificant that some of these may appear to you, the very angels of God have a singular charge over them: even those angles of the highest order, who continually appear at the throne of the Most High.

Thanks for dropping by and studying God’s Word with me. I pray you will find something useful for your walk with the Lord. I also pray our Lord and Saviour, Christ Jesus’ watch care over you and yours.

Biblesurfer

1 Henry, M. (1994). Matthew Henry’s commentary on the whole Bible: complete and unabridged in one volume (p. 1705). Peabody: Hendrickson.

2 France, R. T. (1994). Matthew. In D. A. Carson, R. T. France, J. A. Motyer, & G. J. Wenham (Eds.), New Bible commentary: 21st century edition (4th ed., p. 928). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press.

3 Barnes, A. (1884–1885). Notes on the New Testament: Matthew & Mark. (R. Frew, Ed.) (p. 186). London: Blackie & Son.