Well, I invite you to turn this morning to Matthew chapter 18. We continue our study in the gospel of Matthew, and this morning we come to 1 through 14. I think you will see it would be easy to read this as three disconnected sort of sections here. They are, as you'll see by the end, connected by the theme of the little ones. So 1 through 14 is a unit, and important that we take it as such. So we're going to read page 978, Matthew 18, 1 through 14. This is the word of the Lord as we come to the table this morning. May we come in confidence of the Lord's shepherding care.
"At that time, the disciples came to Jesus saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, Truly I say to you, unless you turn and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me. But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe to the world for temptations to sin, for it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the one by whom the temptation comes. And if your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than with two hands or two feet to be thrown into the eternal fire. And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into the hell of fire. 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. 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? And if he finds it, truly I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish
May the Lord bless the hearing of his word. Well, as we come to the table of our Lord this morning, I think we have a wonderful text set before us that showcases everything that the Christian ministry is about. It really does capture the heart of Christian ministry, if you will, and the heart of what Jesus has come to do and who he has come to save. So what a text for the supper this morning to come with that single great purpose that is set before us.
Think of all the challenges we have in ministry today, and think of all the things that we've witnessed. We've heard the stories and seen in the life of the church, and some people become very disillusioned with it all because of the abuse in ministry or the self-aggrandizing in ministry. The problem with stardom in Christianity and the problem that we all have of trying to make ourselves great. Jesus is here correcting all of this. Jesus is here setting straight the ministry. This is sort of a premier passage that really should be preached to anyone and all of us who claim to be servants in the kingdom of Christ. And hopefully by the end today, this morning, you will see why the Lord's Supper is a wonderful attachment to what has unfolded in his word to encourage the flock this morning.
So Jesus here is still coming to a close Second prediction has happened. Coming to a close where He is headed to the cross. He is still training his disciples for the ministry, and now some very crucial things come up here in chapter 18 and 19, to before we have the triumphal entry and the events that will come to his sacrificial death. Jesus is explaining the necessity for humility in the kingdom, in service, against the great and real propensity of the human heart to self-exaltation, explaining the sad effects of that in the life of his kingdom, and then, of course, he wants to redirect all of our focus to the heart and purpose of why we are here and what the gospel mission is all about. That's what we're looking at this morning.
Jesus is having here a very serious confrontation in dealing with pride in his disciples, a warning of the consequences of serving with that kind of mindset, and then the redirecting that he gives. Those are the three points. As you come to this text this morning in Matthew 18, all of this is rooted in the second prediction that he had given: "I'm going to go die. I'm going to lay down my life. I'm going to die for you. Son of man has to go and has to do this." And the Father had said at the transfiguration, "Listen to my son. Hear my son, what he's telling you." They had not. They had not.
In fact, what seems to have happened in the midst of this is that a spirit had overcome, if you will, the disciples of rivalry. A rivalry spirit had developed right in the heart of this prediction. It's really amazing, isn't it? It's really amazing to think about that. I'm going to die for you, and a rivalry spirit comes out in them. And I suppose it all had to do with Peter. the last chapters, Peter has been the focus. Jesus has been speaking to Peter. Peter walked on water none of the other disciples walked on water like that Peter went up on the mountain with James and John and the other disciples didn't go along with them at the Transfiguration. Peter was told, "You are this rock, and I will build my church." Peter had also been seriously confronted: "Get behind me, Satan. You are an offense to me," as he stood in the way of the cross. So clearly on the disciples' minds, as Jesus is giving the prediction "I'm going to go and I'm going to die," is: well, who's going to fill the void? Who's going to be the great one among us to lead us in his absence? They don't understand.
So what we have in chapter 18 is the heart of the disciples in pride put on display. We read in verse 1 of 18: "At that time the disciples came to Jesus saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?
Now, if you were to compare this with other gospel accounts, you know, at one point Jesus walked up and said, "What were you guys talking about on the road?" He has knowledge of everything that's happening here. Well, it comes out. It comes out here where they have a question for him: "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" Heaven.
Now, that might seem like a harmless question, but this is how we think. Who is the greatest in the Escondido URC? Who do you think? It gets to the heart of matters. Why we're doing what we're doing and why we have ministry and of all the problems that we've ever seen in the life of the Christian church, it can really be boiled down to this: incessant problem of pride. And then it takes shape in all kinds of ways.
I mean, this was Corinth. Corinth fell into this into pride. But it comes in such ways that we don't think about as the body of Christ, that we don't really see in our very own approach to the kingdom of God. This very point of pride is in all of us. Think of the questions that we ask about the kingdom of God. If it's worship, who has the best? If it's gifts, who has the best? If it's music, who has the best? And then think: if that's the mindset facilitated in the life of the people by the leaders themselves, the people will be trained to think this way.
Jesus knows this would have dire consequences on the whole purpose of Christian ministry. This would wreck it. Keep in mind, he just said, "I'm going to die," and what's on their minds? Who's the greatest? Lord is so patient, isn't he? He's really amazing in how patient he is with us. He's strong here, but you see his goal: to correct this and to put this fire out right away. One would think he would be done with people like this, but he's not done with people like this.
At this moment, Christ does something that I think, as has been observed, deserves, as one pastor said, all the praise that has ever been ascribed to it and more than that. In verse 2, notice what it says: "And calling to him a little child." I so badly wanted to call some children forward this morning. My wife said, "That might not be a good idea," but I really do right now.
Jesus calls a little child. Obviously, children were following Jesus. Children were notice in this text, these were believing children. It says that in verse 6, whatever causes one of these little ones who believes in me. These were covenant children. Covenant children. So Jesus here calls a little child among them to come up. Obviously, along the way, the disciples had been frustrated with this at times. They had told Jesus to send these child away. They're hindrances. They're in the way of the ministry. And you can't help but to think of what a powerful illustration this was. It was a powerful illustration in the moment. Children, think about what they teach us, right? What is it about children? I'm thankful for them. I'm sure as grandparents now, we like the fact that we've already raised ours and we can watch our grandchildren. What a blessing, though, children are. They believe what you tell them. I'm going to make them sound really good right now. We believe in total depravity, and we believe that they came out of the womb in sin. But there is something very true about development that we learn in the kingdom of God, something about children. They trust you, right? You say something in general, they will go do what you tell them. In general, in general, They're full of humility. They're frank. They have this great idea at the 4th of July picnic to set the pastors out and have these water balloons from all the children throw them at the pastors. So I walked up to all the children and I said, "If you hit me with a balloon today, I'm going to look at you from the pulpit Sunday." And you wouldn't believe how many balloons came right at me. Kind of fearless, aren't they? They'll tell you just what they're thinking.
Most of all, they're weak. They're very weak. They cannot provide for themselves. They need guidance. They need direction. They're happy in general, aren't they? Is there something blessed about listening to children play? Just listen to it. Jesus loved the children. He always had time for the children. And how do children look at their fathers? With awe. They imitate. And we don't stop enough and think about the amazing illustration of what God put in in providence into his creation about the development and growth of children.
But as we grow, everything contrary seems to happen to us. We begin to exercise independence. We begin to seek to make ourselves greater than everyone else. We begin to worry. We begin to become miserable. Whatever childlike qualities were there, we know that what happens is we begin to become focused on us.
Now think about this. Think about this. They're asking about the greatness, and he sets a child in front of them, and he says, "If you want to enter my kingdom, this has to happen to you. This has to happen to you." In other words, you need to be born again. Putting it in John 3 terms, one of the great reasons here, I believe in infant baptism, by the way. Why would you exclude the sign of the kingdom if of to such belongs the kingdom? It's a remarkable thing. They enter the kingdom, but don't give them the sign? Jesus is pressing us here. Pressing us with what we think of children. What does it mean, and what does it look like?
Jesus says something beautiful: "Whoever humbles himself and becomes like this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." Which means that the children are greater than the one standing here. Or, "Whoever welcomes in my name one such child like this welcomes me."
Why would he say that? Because this is the kind of Savior he was. He had come in denial of himself, and he was in the world not esteemed great by anyone. He came in total humility. The clothes he took on, the human nature he took on was not a beautiful body. It was not for pomp. It was not for show. Everything he did at the heart of what he did had a denial of himself. For those in ministry to think that this is about greatness would mean that those who receive our ministry will be trained this way. But Jesus is testing the heart, you see, and Jesus is focused here upon a child.
When Jesus came to make himself nothing, his ministry was about helping the helpless. Here's the tie: so much so that the true test of a sincere ministry will be witnessed in whom we give our attention to and whom we help. You see, the little child the imagery of a little child should be so imprinted on our minds right now as a mental picture of what ministry represents: the weakness of those whom Jesus came to save. And so the Lord calls us to humility, and I'm the one that needs it the most. I know that as a pastor.
At this point, Jesus turns the moment to address the consequences when ministry is not like this. And this is meant to be a check to goals and purposes all throughout the history of the church. What he is about to say is one of the most important warnings about the neglect of children. Little ones.
When we think of all the abuse that has happened to children in this world, the disregard of them, I mean, we have legally now, legally murdered them in the womb, right? What has the world done to its children? What does Christ think of his children?
Think about this: "Whoever causes one of these little ones to stumble, it would be better if a millstone were hung around his neck and he's drowned in the midst of the sea." There's our Lord's perspective on little ones. Millstone was that top heavy stone that was used to crush grain. In the middle was a hole so that it fed the grain when crushed. It would come up. Jesus says, "When any of these little ones are led into sin or they are neglected, I want you to know I care so much for them. Their judgment, that person's judgment is so severe it would be better if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were taken out into the middle of the Pacific Ocean and dropped down to the depths." This is where our Savior's heart was.
You saw over the news the terrible things that happened to children this last week. Carried away in a flood. Awful. I just couldn't even handle it. The Lord loves your children. Your children. Your covenant children. You know the greater thing he's concerned about? Is that spiritually they're not wasted and carried away. Did you hear me? He cares a lot more about that than physical even physical death. Because they're immediately carried to his arms, his covenant children. Oh, he's worried about spiritual, spiritual issues.
You know, Ligonier was just in the study the other day, Chris Larson, and said, one of the statistics: 15% of Christian parents think that passing down their faith, they do not think that is important. Only 15% think that's important today of passing the faith to their children. The very spirit of neglect of them is just what the disciples asked: "How can we be great?" And with that mindset, these are the ones who will inevitably always be forgotten when we're all focused on us in the most important things.
Jesus is thinking of those terrible things that would cause them to stumble, and in this context comes this stark warning of where self-exaltation leads. It leads to the neglect of the little ones. "For is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the one by whom temptations come."
You know what he's saying? My servants as my servants there are all kinds of temptations in context to make yourselves great, and there are leaders in this you're concerned about out this who will become the greatest. The one who thinks that way leads others into that kind of thinking. This is what leads to abuse. He's stopping it at the gates. I love this. This is so important for us. I can't emphasize I learned so much this week. And in this regard, the tie to sin in our lives comes in this context of self-exaltation and pride.
"If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It's better for you to enter life crippled or lame than with two hands or two feet to be thrown into the hellfire. Or if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out or throw it away. It's better for you to enter life without eyes than with two eyes and be thrown into the hellfire."
That's metaphorically speaking. Cut this sin out right away is what he was saying. Those sins that are all about us self-serving exalting us to the neglect of the little ones. See why this would matter for the gospel ministry?
Jesus is not just literally speaking of children. Indeed, he is, but not just. He's speaking of all the little ones. And who is that? We can't help it to think he had the Pharisees on his mind when he was saying this, not the disciples.
He entered the synagogue, and a man was there with a withered hand. And they watched Jesus to see whether he would heal them on the Sabbath so they might accuse him. And he said to the man with the withered hand, "Come here." And he said to them, "Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?" But they were silent. And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at the hardness of their heart. And he said to the man, "Stretch out your hair. And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored. Jesus cared about his hand. The Pharisees went out and immediately held counsel with the Herodians how to destroy him.
Here was a needy man. Here was a little one. They didn't care about him. It was all for their own glory. And this is all over the Gospels, beloved, as we think about this. Matthew's already taught us at the end of 9: "He looked out at the multitudes with compassion. Why? The multitudes, the peoples with compassion, because they were sheep without a shepherd and they were harassed by these guys." And he faced nothing but criticism for going after and was lambasted for dining with the tax collectors and sinners and the Canaanite woman and the woman with the flow of blood, or summarily, the lame, the blind, the paralyzed, and the sick.
Can you imagine not having this passage today? It's a total preventative. And you see the compassion of the good shepherd. "I want you to care about my little ones."
And so Jesus redirects us here. "See to it, see who says? You do not despise one of my little ones. For I tell you that in heaven, their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven. 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? And if he finds it, truly I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that went astray. So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish."
Our attitude to people, the little ones, is frustration and anger and disregard. You tend to despise the weak, says Jesus, the needy, the children. But you need to understand this: the very angels in heaven are given the great assignment to minister to these. They are objects of their love and care, and they see the face of my Father. And then Jesus gives a little parable.
"What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and just one of them, just one of them goes astray? Think about this. Think about this. He's not losing one of his sheep. This is the great comfort of the gospel. If one of them, does he not leave the 99 and go in search of that one that went astray? Of course he does. That's your good shepherd. He wasn't out showcasing himself for greatness. He didn't seek for the praise of others." We humans do. We sinful human people do. But it's got to be put in check.
And notice he's going out after the wandering sheep. The whole parable of the prodigal son from Luke originates from this. And Jesus is reminding us, beloved, "This is my mission. I want you concerned with this. Where your aspirations and your efforts are. not in degrees, not in name, not in publication. Important as those things may be. When sheep wander, the Pharisees care less. But I care." See? That's what he's saying. "They despise them. But I go after them."
How can somebody focused merely on themselves ever care about the needy and the lost and the broken? "For it is not the will of my Father in heaven, listen, that one of these little ones should perish. I won't lose one of my sheep, and you need to be about that. You need to care about that."
How powerful an illustration today in closing as we come to the table with a little child sitting there. Look at your children today. Look at how needy they are. What do you think that's teaching you? The Lord is saying, "If you love me, you will love them. If you're serving me, you will go get them. Feed my sheep."
And what a message for us. We must first, beloved, enter the kingdom as a little child. At the heart of that is: you must have life put in your heart by the Holy Spirit to be born from above. And then you'll understand what it means to help little children.
When we see our Lord loving us. the unlovable, the hard-hearted, the stubborn, that's us. That's just me. In all the ways that we sin. How many ways did you sinned last week? Maybe you're in a web of it right now. You're a sheep. He's not letting you go. And he put a ministry in place to keep you. As Paul said, "I'm the chief of sinners." Anyone who's become a little one and entered the kingdom knows that.
When we understand the gospel love of the Lord who's come after us, then we turn. We turn away from ourselves, and we become like little children dependent upon him for grace and for help. We then share the same burden and denial of ourselves to seek and to save that which is lost.
The table's for you this morning if you're a little one. Are you a little one? Do you see your sin? Do you know what he's done for you and how great his love and patience he's been for you? Have you turned and come to him to receive forgiveness, and repentance and faith? Do you care to walk with your brothers and sisters and love and humility? Come then, if you can say yes. Taste and see that the Lord is good. The table is for you. The ministry is for you.
Let's pray. Heavenly Father, thank you for this wonderful text this morning, and thank you for encouraging us. We are so weak. We are little children, but we come to you as little children, messy and sinful and broken and needy and yet trusting. Hear our prayer, oh Lord, and give us confidence as we partake. In Jesus' name we pray, amen.