One of These Little Ones.

“Truly I say to you, if you are not converted and become as the little children, you shall never enter into the kingdom of the heavens. Therefore whoever will humble himself as this little child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of the heavens. And whoever shall receive one such little child in My name, receives Me. And whoever shall cause to stumble [one of these of the little ones believing in Me,] it is better for him that a heavy millstone should be hung around his neck, and he be sunk in the depth of the sea.” Matthew 18:3-6

Who is Jesus speaking of? The point of His conversation is how one might enter the kingdom of God and [be great]. In the gospel of John He has taught how one must be born again and here the Lord uses the term, “to be converted and be as a child” to describe the same process. We become as children, as to be born again because we are new to the the kingdom of God and the knowledge of it, and as babes we need to be fed to grow. So when He says, one who “receive one such little child in My name, receives Me.” Then He is speaking of one converted to become as a little child, in whom there is the Spirit of Christ. Jesus speaking of His disciples said, “The One receiving you receives Me, and the one receiving Me receives the One having sent Me.” Matthew 10:40

Then, He adds, but if anyone causes “one of these of the little ones believing in Me,” to sin. [Causes who to sin?] The bible says, “For before the boy knows enough to reject evil and choose good,” Isaiah 7:16 then there is a period of grace given to children. However, here the Lord uses the expression, “one of these little ones,” to refer to His disciples, as He has done in another place, “And whoever shall give to drink [to one of these little ones] only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple,” Matthew 10:42 Then the Lord, is not speaking of the little child He is holding, who is there as a visual illustration of spiritual truth. “And having summoned a child, He set it in their midst, and said,” Matthew 18:2-3

The Lord further stipulates, “one believing in Me,” nowhere in the bible does it say, “children having heard the word believed and were baptised.” But it does teach us saying, “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.” Proverb 22:6 [AND] “Permit the little children, and do not forbid them to come to Me, for of such is the kingdom of the heavens.” Matthew 19:14 Nevertheless here, the Lord is referring to a person who has lived in the world and is saved through the knowledge of Christ; to become a child of the kingdom of God. And the Lord says, if such a child is lead astray as to make them commit sin and stumble, the one responsible would bare the judgment of God.

Then the Lord, exhort His disciples of the care they ought to have for one another and says, “See that you do not despise one of these little ones.” [vs. 10] That is do not disregard, take lightly, or brush aside the least of the sinners who have turned back to God, because they are the joy of haven. And compares them to a lost sheep, whom the Shepherd has gone out to bring back to the flock. Of such He says the Sphered rejoice over them more than the 99 that remained. Showing the great value one such soul is held in the sight of God. “it is not the will of your Father who is in the heavens that one of these little ones should perish.” [vs. 14]

Paul also in his letter to the Romans and Corinthians rebukes and exhorts the disciples how they ought to have care for the ones who are weak in faith. Teaching do not let your knowledge or liberty be a cause of offence to another. “But be careful, lest somehow this right of yours becomes an occasion of stumbling to those being weak. … For the one being weak is destroyed through your knowledge—the brother for whom Christ died. And thus sinning against the brothers and wounding their being weak conscience, you sin against Christ.” 1 Corinthians 8:9,11-12

The magnitude of the offence, is the devaluing of the price Christ has paid for each and every soul. Therefore, he exhorts us, “determine this, not to put any stumbling block or snare before your brother.” Romans 14:13