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10 Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven. 11 For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost. ~ Matthew 18:10-11
Today, we return to our study of Matthew 18 where the Lord Jesus has brought a young child in front of His disciples to teach them a very valuable lesson about greatness. The subject of greatness had been introduced earlier due to a discussion the disciples had among themselves as they walked down the road with the Lord Jesus. With the young child standing before them, the Lord Jesus told His disciples what greatness looks like. Greatness is realized in the lives of those who embrace humility. This is why the Lord Jesus called up the little kid who was needy and dependent and humble. Greatness is seen in servants who are learning the dangers of selfishness.
In v.10 of today's passage we read, "Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven."
The word "despise" means "to think little of" or "to think nothing of." Every person has value due to the fact that God created them. It is quite unwise for the believer in Christ to have a dismissive attitude towards others. To despise them is to despise Him. In Philippians 2:3 we read, "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves." Greatness is realized by those who learn to reject selfish ambition and vain conceit. "Selfish ambition" is to elevate oneself or to put one’s own interests before another. It is a self-above-others approach to life. "Vain conceit" means "empty glory." When the Lord Jesus "made himself nothing," or literally, "emptied Himself," God exalted Him so that every tongue should confess that He is THE Lord. Christ sought not His own glory but that of the Father, and in so doing, He was glorified.
As was the case with the disciples, having been made in the image of God but damaged by sin, we are in need of being transformed. And, through our relationship with the Lord Jesus, we are being changed from the inside out, so that we may be able to value humility and to reflect His glory. But, when we seek our own glory, seeking to establish a reputation for ourselves, we will always arrive on a street called emptiness. This is so because it is fabricated by the self and it renders nothing and has no lasting value. Humility is the key here and it is humility which aids unity among believers. In context, the Lord Jesus mentioned the angels because they are created beings who aid us in our journey through this fallen world. And, when we are being motivated by our own selfishness we hinder the power to be found in our unity which comes out of being a part of the family of God.
Every believer in the Lord Jesus Christ is served by at least one of God's angels. The writer of Hebrews wrote, "Angels are ministering spirits sent to serve or minister to those of us who are heirs of salvation." This could mean that we each have our own personal angel. The point the Lord Jesus was making is, if children of God are served by God's angels, then we are wise to recognize their value and to treat them with dignity, otherwise, we may be in danger of causing one of these little ones to stumble in their walk with the Lord.
In v.11 of today's passage we read, "For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost."
This verse explains why it is so important for us to care for all believers because of God's redemptive plan. At the center of God's redemptive plan is the gospel which is the message that God sent His Son into this world in order to save that which was lost. This section in Matthew 18 began with the disciples asking, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” The Lord Jesus answered, "Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." This is the gospel which is God's unifying message. And, to look down upon anyone is to minimize the gospel.
In Matthew 10:42 we read, "Whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward."
The quickest road to unhappiness is the highway of Self. And if we get on that highway, we will discover that it is packed. There's a lot of people on it. But, it is a dead end street, going nowhere but to frustration. On the other hand, when we get on the Humble Road, although it's quite lonely, it is the quickest road to real joy that is not daunted by our circumstances. Even when we do the most insignificant for the most insignificant, the attentiveness of God is triggered to the point of reward for all involved. One of those rewards is joy. The wonder of it all is not that angels serve us, but that we recognize the value of servanthood and we then serve others.
We must not treat others in belittling ways because "in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven." This means the angels have the immeasurable privilege of enjoying the immediate presence of God. We do well to resist despising anyone, especially those who seem to be unimpressive. The reason for this is due to the fact that God sent forth His Son to die for us all. There is no way to announce someone's value more than to lay down your life for them. The ally of unity is "humility," which begins with a proper assessment of ourselves as being dependent upon our Creator. When we humble ourselves before God, we will see that we are valuable in His eyes, but no more valuable than anyone else.
