Kingdom Little Ones
Matthew 18:1-14
Purpose: true disciples accept Jesus the King fully, like whole-hearted children
- Who is Greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?
Matthew 18:1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus and said, "Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" 2 And He called a child to Himself and set him before them, 3 and said, "Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 "Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 "And whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me;
The "living parable" of children
One must humble himself to be "like" a child
Unless you are "converted" in this way, you will not enter the kingdom.
Receiving a true disciple is tantamount to receiving King Jesus Himself
The "greatest" is the disciple who truly believes, who receives Jesus
- Don't Deny Disciples!
Matthew 18:6 but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea. 7 "Woe to the world because of its stumbling blocks! For it is inevitable that stumbling blocks come; but woe to that man through whom the stumbling block comes!
8 "If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; it is better for you to enter life crippled or lame, than to have two hands or two feet and be cast into the eternal fire. 9 "If your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and throw it from you. It is better for you to enter life with one eye, than to have two eyes and be cast into the fiery hell. 10 "See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven continually see the face of My Father who is in heaven. 11 "For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.
Woe to the one who causes the "little ones" to stumble (v. 6-7)
Cut off stumbling blocks, and do not despise the "little ones" (vv. 6-11)
- The Father Loses Not One!
Matthew 18:12 "What do you think? If any man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go and search for the one that is straying? 13 "If it turns out that he finds it, truly I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine which have not gone astray. 14 "So it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones perish."
Jesus teaches the parable of the 99 & 1 sheep
The Father's will is to save the "little ones"
The "little ones" describes the true disciples of Jesus Christ!
Jesus is the Good Shepherd (Jn 10) and not one disciple will perish!