About the Text
(2) What kind of "little children" was Jesus
referring to? In the original Greek language, the word for "little
children" refers to two, three, and four year olds.
(3) Aren't little children often demanding and self-centered? Why does Jesus want us to
become like them? While children are far from innocent, they nevertheless know nothing
about the prideful competition between adults. While an adult, for example, seeks to
someday become vice-president of his corporation (a position of prestige and wealth), a
child on the other hand seeks to become a fireman when he grows up. A child just eats,
sleeps, plays, and depends on his parents for everything. He does not spend time
maneuvering into a positions of wealth and prestige.
(5) Why does Jesus say that "whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name
welcomes me"? We serve Jesus, by serving the forgotten, humble, and
insignificant ones in the church. We are to always serve and never despise those whom the
world thinks are "losers" among God's people.
(6) Is Jesus still referring to little children when He says, "little ones"? No, not just little children. The original Greek word behind "little ones" (micron) is different from the Greek word for "little children." In this verse, Jesus is now referring to all humble, dependent, simple, insignificant people in the church in general.
(6) Isn't Jesus too harsh in speaking about the
"large millstone hung around his neck"? No. In this and the
subsequent verses, Jesus is simply pointing out the seriousness of causing the seemingly
"unimportant" ones in the church to sin.
(7) Now, come on. Does Jesus really want us to cut off our body parts if they cause us
to sin? No, because Jesus has now died for our sins, and took on the punishment that
we deserved. If He had not died on the cross for us, then, yes, we would need to start
cutting off body parts in order to deal with sin. But if you believe that you are a sinner
saved by Jesus Christ's sacrifice of His life for you, then God commands you to honor Him
with your whole body (1 Cor 6:19-20, Rom. 12:1).
So what is Jesus saying to us in this passage? Sin is seriously offensive to God. We should always thank God for releasing us from the harsh punishment that we deserve. Out of our thanksgiving for the salvation He gave us, we should also do all we can to stop offending God with our sinful habits.
Insights
In the church, Jesus Christ highly esteems the humble, over the ambitious who jockey for high position. (1-5)
Christ hates it when the powerful ones cause the humble ones to stumble (6-9)
God specially cares for the humble. (10)
The Bottom Line
Don't look down on the "losers." We are all the same. We are all sinners saved by the grace of God through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This truth is often understood most clearly by those who are humble, simple, perhaps untalented, and lowly. Therefore, we must not look down on others in the church, no matter how poor, young, or uneducated they are.
Key Memory Verse
"Therefore, whoever humbles himseff like this child
is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 18:4)