David Bahn – Reflections

Little ones to him belong. They are weak but he is strong… Few people would call me a “little one.” While there are a few people who are physically larger than I am, I seldom think of myself as small. I can sing the song, “Jesus loves me,” and believe that important truth. But I think of it as speaking more to children than to adults. So are these words warning or comfort for us n0t-so-little ones?

Matthew 18:10-13

[Jesus says,] “See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven. ¹² What do you think? If a man 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? ¹³And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. ¹⁴So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.

On other occasions Jesus uses an argument from lesser to greater. God cares for the birds of the air; he will take care of us. We are of more value than the birds. Earthly fathers don’t give their sons serpents instead of bread or scorpions instead of fish (Luke 11:11-13). God will much more give good gifts to those who ask him. Perhaps he is making that point here: if God cares for little ones, how much more will he care for big, important, and powerful people?

Not so fast. If one thing is clear about Jesus’ love and God’s favor and salvation, it is that God looks with favor on the humble and weak. The beatitudes of Jesus  (Matthew 5:2-12) offer comfort and blessing to the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, and the merciful. That’s not exactly a list of the strong and mighty among us. Mary sings her song of praise about God who has thrown down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of low degree (Luke 1:46-56). Paul is taught that when he is weak then he is truly strong: “For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10).

We may well need to be warned against causing a little one to stumble. We need to remember that their guardian angels are in the presence of the King of the Universe. But we can take comfort in knowing that we, too, are weak and little when it comes to eternal things. We can be thankful that our God looks with kindness on us and wants none of us to perish.