Matthew 18:14

C. GOD HIMSELF HAS NO DESIRE TO LOSE ANY WE MIGHT DESIGNATE AS INFERIORS! (18:14)

Matthew 18:14 Even so, in the same way angels have the interests and needs of these little ones on their hearts, in the same way Jesus the Good Shepherd came to seek and save the least wayward one, so also your Father who is in heaven cares about each single one. And the man who can be arrogantly indifferent to them sets himself against Almighty God! When the Father spends so much effort to rescue a lost stray, how monstrous it must be to be the cause of his loss, the stone over which he stumbles! (Matthew 18:6-9) Does this not indicate how great, how important and how exceedingly precious one of these little ones must be?

It is not the will of your Father. that one of these. should perish. This affirmation sheathes a threat. While it is your Father who is in heaven who cares for you with a tenderness unequalled anywhere in the universe, it is, however, His will that not one of these, who are the special objects of His concern and care, be lost through neglect or deliberate mistreatment by those who deem themselves their superiors. Anyone who would dare despise their inferiors and block their salvation and so emperil their soul, will find themselves in the extremely dangerous position of endangering their own! (Cf. Psalms 10:1-18, esp. v. Psalms 10:14; Psalms 68:5 f; Psalms 94; Psalms 146:5-9) God is the special defender of the weak and feeble. (Psalms 82) He who knows the number of hairs on our head, could He fail to be personally interested in each single one of us? (Cf. Matthew 10:30) He personally rejoices when even one of these perishing ones is redeemed. (Luke 15:7; Luke 15:20-24) He longs for His people's return. (Deuteronomy 5:29; Psalms 81:13; Isaiah 45:22; Isaiah 48:18 f; Ezekiel 18:23; Ezekiel 18:32; Ezekiel 33:11; 2 Peter 3:9)

But, because one of these little ones is a sinning disciple, God has far more right and reason to despise him than do we who so closely resemble him. Nevertheless, He against whom our brother has sinned does not hold him in contempt, but gladly sacrifices Himself to redeem him. Because these little ones are dear to God's heart, each disciple must test his own spirit by God's personal attitude and relation to them. With these lines Jesus just wipes out the cocksure, proud person who is always comparing his talents and accomplishments with those of his peers to their disadvantage, because, according to Jesus, every single proof he can adduce of their limitations and imperfections is reason for him to build them up, care for them, endeavor to develop in them all that is high, holy and godly!

Perish. Then, is anyone correct to teach that God wills the salvation of babes, and, therefore, they ought to be baptized? No, because while Jesus is adamant that the little children must be tenderly cared for and no death-traps set for them by unthinking disciples, lest they perish, He intends that they be cared for according to the means He has actually established for them, rather than misapply what was not intended for them. The false assumption of inheritable sin pushes desperate people to save what was not lost. Jesus came to seek and save what was really lost. This chapter is itself illustration, for it was not until the unforgiving servant was apprised of his debt to the king that he really needed to seek mercy, although his debt had been piling up long before that moment. (Matthew 18:23-35; also notes on Matthew 19:13-15)

Right here is our basis of security and contentment: are there any other honors equal to belonging to Jesus Christ? And, if this dream be ours, how could such earthly distinctions enrich us? But, if we were not the special objects of God's concern, to what extent would earthly glories fill up our loss? What would our real loss amount to, if God be ours, if we were only partially to reach earth's highest prizes? Is it then thinkable that all their bright allurement and noblest excellences would even be missed, if God's concern and care for us is guaranteed? (1 Corinthians 3:21-23)

To this point Jesus has been dealing mainly with the question of not seeking one's own greatness, not being haughty or conceited, but Christ-like or God-like, so as to be able to live in harmony with one another, give oneself to humble tasks and associate with the lowly. (Cf. Romans 12:16) Now, He must clinch it with that other Kingdom principle of self-forgetfulness which looks not only to its own interests, but also to those of others by seeking the good of an offending brother. (Philippians 2:3 f)

See Matthew 18:22-35 for Fact Questions.