The Messiah’s Disciples and Their Behavior Towards One Another (MATT 18:1-35)
Written by:
Dr. Harold Sawyer)
The Warning against Offending a Child, Matt. 18:5-10
(18:5-10) Christians—Responsibility: Christ used the child (Mt. 18:1-4) as an object lesson to teach that believers have an awesome responsibility for watching over one another. The Jews used the word child in two ways. It referred either to a small child or to a disciple of some teacher, a beginner in the faith. In this passage, Jesus used the word child to refer to three persons.
1. It means a small child.
2. It means a beginner in the faith, someone who has just been converted and become a newborn child of God. This person is a new Christian; therefore, he knows little about the Lord and about how he is to live. Hence he is very impressionable, and he can be easily misled or confused.
3. It means any believer who has a childlike spirit and character. This childlike spirit is the very spirit about which Christ has just spoken (Matt. 18:3-4). It is the spirit He desires and expects in every follower of His.
Christ cares deeply for children, for all who have the childlike spirit and character. He calls those who follow Him “little ones” (18:6; 10:42). The depth of His care is clearly seen in this passage, a passage that lays a terrible responsibility upon all men—a responsibility that is unmistakably clear and so desperately needed. Christ gives three terrible warnings against offending a child, and He spells out the three terrible offenses against a child, “little ones who believe in” Him (v.6).
1. The child represents Christ (v.5).
2. Offense 1: Leading a child astray (v.6).
3. Offense 2: being a stumbling block (v.7-9)
4. Offense 3: despising a child (v.10).
(18:5). Children: the child represented Christ. The word for “shall receive” (decheta) means to receive a child in every way possible.
1. It means to receive the child as a person: with tenderness, warmth, care, affection and love—no matter how low or unimportant or poor. Christ is contrasting the child with the greatest person, the person over whom the disciples had just been arguing
2. It means to receive the child when he is in need physically or materially: to feed, cloth, shelter, visit, and help him (Mt.25:35f; Jas.1:27).
3. It means to receive the child spiritually: to help him grow, build him up, encourage, and motivate him to follow Christ and to share his faith.
Note two reasons why we are to receive the child.
1. The child represents Christ. To receive a child is to receive Christ. Whatever is done for the child is done for Christ.
2. Christ cared for each child, every single one. He said, “one such little child”; that is, that single child is important to Christ. Christ does not want that child…
• Left out, feeling like a non-person, uncared for and unloved.
• Left in need physically or materially, having to scrap and scrounge around, surviving all alone.
• Left alone, not knowing how to follow Christ and how to grow spiritually.
Christ clearly said: to receive and help “one such child” is to receive and help Him.
Thought 1. Welcoming and being receptive and open to people and their needs are of utmost importance to Christ
Thought 2. There is an unbelievable lesson here, a lesson that is so often unheard of among men: to minister to people is much more important than “being the greatest” in any earthly kingdom. The point is simply this: to receive another person is to receive Christ, and receiving Christ is much more important than being the greatest. (to be continued)
May the Lord Jesus Christ bless, keep, strengthen, and heal you today is my prayer for you.
| 2.5 |
This is a great message! Yet, it seems so hard for us as human beings to utilize it. If we could be like Christ in this and other areas, so much of what we struggle with would at least make sense, if not decrease to the point of living an easier life.