Matthew 18:10-14
“Take care that you do not despise one of these little ones; for, I tell you, in heaven their angels continually see the face of my Father in heaven. What do you think? If a shepherd has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. So it is not the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones should be lost.”
Again with the little ones. Except that now I keep wondering whether Jesus is speaking about the children – or at least only the children – or is speaking about all those who believe in him and have become like children in acknowledging their vulnerability and need. If this is the case, then his words of warning and exhortation, and even more his parable, give witness to the tremendous care and devotion God has for each of us. If this is the case, then this parable reminds and assures us that God wants nothing more than to be in relationship with us and would risk everything to seek us out.
I realize that can sound a little self-serving. And, indeed, it can lead to a rather self-centered, even triumphalistic kind of Christianity where we assume we are the most important people in the world to God and that therefore we are entitled to treat others differently. But keep in mind three things. First, Matthew’s community didn’t have the luxury of that kind of delusion. They were down and out, struggling to hold their community and beliefs together in the face of external pressure and extremely difficult circumstances. They are a small, somewhat battered community and in that context Jesus’ declaration that he takes sides with the weak and vulnerable gave them hope that they might make it. Not power, not privilege, not social status, not delusions of grandeur, but hope that they were not abandoned and that God knew of their need and cared about them amid their struggles.
Second, perhaps the “little ones” includes anyone who is vulnerable and in need. If so, then it’s not so much a matter of Jesus aligning himself solely with those who believe in him but with those who are most vulnerable. In which case the church, in order to be a gathering of disciples rather a social club, must itself follow his example and be aligned with those who are in the greatest need and should hear the warning in Jesus’ words about caring for those who are weak.
Third, even admitting that the fortunes of Christian communities have changed dramatically over two thousand years and that we enjoy far more privilege and power than Matthew’s community could ever have imagined, yet there are moments in each of our lives when life feels like its crumbling around us, when we are wracked by disappointment or sorrow, and when hope is scarce and the future dim. At those moments, remember just how much God loves you – enough to leave ninety-nine sheep on the mountain, seek you out, draw you back into a loving embrace, and rejoice that you are safe and sound again.
Prayer: Dear God, help us to believe that you love us more than anything, and then enable us to believe that you love everyone else just as much. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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