Matthew 18: Others First (3)
Pray Psalm 28.1, 2.
To You I will cry, O LORD my Rock:
Do not be silent to me,
Lest, if You aIre silent to me,
I become like those who go down to the pit.
Hear the voice of my supplications
When I cry to You,
When I lift up my hands toward Your holy sanctuary.
Sing Psalm 28.1, 2.
Angel’s Story: O Jesus, I Have Promised
I cry to You, our Savior, O, be not deaf to me!
LORD, speak to me with favor, lest I should dying be.
Hear now my supplications when for Your help I cry.
Receive these, my oblations, before Your throne on high.
Read Matthew 18.1-14; meditate on verses 10-14.
What is God’s will for you? What does that mean?
Prepare.
1. How is it clear that the Lord cares for His “little ones”?
2. Why did Jesus come to earth?
Meditate.
In the Kingdom of God, we’re all “little ones.” Think how little we must be to God, Who contains the entire vast cosmos within Himself. Think how little we must seem among the teeming billions who populate this earth. Yes, we are all “little ones”—the “little ones” of the Lord. And as Kittie L. Suffield reminds us, “Little is much when God is in it.” And He is in us!
Jesus delights to think of us as His “little ones.” We are like silly, frolicking lambs, and He is our Good Shepherd. From our text, it is clear that though we are little, the Lord cares for us greatly. Apparently, each of us has an angel (or angels) who stand before the face of our heavenly Father, ready to come to our aid or defense at His Word (v. 10). We don’t make as much of angels as we should, probably because we don’t see them at work. But they’re there, doing whatever the Father decides and Jesus commands, to care for us in our pilgrimage to the lush meadows and still waters at the end of life’s journey.
Jesus came to earth to seek (v. 11, cf. Lk. 19.10) and find those who are lost. He tracks us down in our lostness and takes us to Himself. Little ones can easily become lost. Indeed, we’re born lost, and need Jesus to find us. The longer we’re lost, the “loster” we become. But we can’t be so lost that Jesus can’t find us. Ask Saul of Tarsus.
Our Father in heaven will not allow a single one of His “little ones” to perish. The Good Shepherd has died to pay the cost of our lostness; and He sends His Spirit to seek and save each one the Father has set apart for Himself. We are perhaps daily reminded of our littleness and our tendency to get lost. Rejoice, little ones, the Good Shepherd and His angels are on the job, and nothing can separate us from Him (Rom. 8.38, 39).
Treasure Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162
As little ones, we are still being told by Jesus,
“Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones” (Matt. 18.10).
He is warning against little one on little one crime. None of us gets a pass for being little.
Little as we are, we are called to obey Him and be kind to others—not “despising” them.
And those angels who protect both them and us:
“always see the face of My Father Who is in heaven.”
And live.
Little ones are not to be warring against other little ones;
nor is it “the will of your Father Who is in heaven
that one of these little ones should perish” (Matt. 18.14).
Not you, not them.
How we treat one another is not only the measure of our greatness (Lk. 9.48); but God’s willingness to lift judgment is dependent upon it.
“For thus says the LORD of hosts:
‘Just as I determined to punish you when your fathers provoked Me to wrath…
and I would not relent,
so again in these days I AM determined to do good…do not fear.
These are the things you shall do:
Speak each man the truth to his neighbor;
give judgment in your gates for truth, justice, and peace;
let none of you think evil in your heart against your neighbor;
and do not love a false oath.
For all these are things that I hate,’ says the LORD” (Zech. 8.14-17).
No matter how little you are: young, old, short, tall, mature, immature—if you are a little child of God’s, you must make sure, “if it is possible, as much as depends on you, [to] live peaceably with all men” (Rom. 12.18).
“Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous/humble; not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing” (1 Pet. 3.8, 9).
Also, “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2 Pet. 3.9).
“But you, Bethlehem…though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, for everlasting” (Mic. 5.2).
Little Bethlehem hosted the birth of The King.
We littles proclaim The King.
But in all our proclaiming, we must wish one another—all the littles—well.
Reflect.
1. What “littles” do you expect to see today? How will you bless them?
2. How would you like them to bless you? Pray that you will bless them this way.
3. What does seeking the Lord’s lost little ones require of you?
How much grace the Lord has toward each one believing in Him He Himself declares when He shows their angels always beholding the face of the Father who is in heaven. Great is the grace of the angels toward all who believe in Christ. Chromatius (fl. 400), Tractate on Matthew 57.1
Pray Psalm 28.3-9.
Praise and thank the Lord, throughout the day, that He is your Good Shepherd, your strength, your shield, and your saving refuge. Once you were lost, but now you are found. Give thanks and praise to God!
Sing Psalm 28.3-9.
Angel’s Story: O Jesus, I Have Promised
LORD, count me not among those who walk in sinful ways.
With words of peace their tongue glows while evil fills their days.
Your works they disregard, LORD, while evil fills their hands.
Destroy them by Your Word, LORD, and let them no more stand.
Blessed be the Name of Jesus, for He will hear our prayer.
His strength protects and shields us with mercy and with care.
In You our heart rejoices; You help us by Your Word.
To You we raise our voices to praise and thank You, LORD.
Our strength are You, O Savior, our strong defense and sure.
Anointed with Your favor, we rest in You secure.
Save us, and bless us, Jesus, upon us turn Your face.
With shepherd’s care, LORD, keep us forever in Your grace.
T. M. and Susie Moore
If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment to give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).
Other columns of interest: This week: Our Read Moore podcast continues our readings from the book, The Joy and Rejoicing of My Heart. Our Crosfigell teaching letter is pursuing a series on the spiritual poetry of the Celtic Revival. The ReVision column is working through a study of the role of reason in the life of faith. Click here to see all the other columns and writers available to you.
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Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter.
