Several times this last week, including worship Sunday, scripture with the phrase "Little Ones" has appeared.
Lets get deeper into it :-).
The Greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven
At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”
He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.
Causing to Stumble
“If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come! If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. And if your eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.
The Parable of the Wandering Sheep
“See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.
“What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.
Exposition from
Overview
18:1-35
This discourse of the fourth book of the gospel is often called the "church order" discourse, but it lacks most of the considerations usually connected with church order, such as various offices in the church and the duties of each, and deals principally with the relations that must obtain among the members of the church. Beginning with the warning that greatness in the kingdom of heaven is measured not by rank or power but by childlikeness (vv. 1-5), it deals with the care that the disciples must take not to cause the little ones to sin or to neglect them if they stray from the community (vv. 6-14), the correction of members who sin (vv. 15-18), the efficacy of the prayer of the disciples because of the presence of Jesus (vv. 19-20), and the forgiveness that must be repeatedly extended to sinful members who repent (vv. 21-35).
18:1
At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”
The initiative is taken not by Jesus as in the Marcan parallel (Mk 9:33-34) but by the disciples.
Kingdom of heaven: this may mean the kingdom in its fullness, i.e., after the parousia and the final judgment. But what follows about causes of sin, church discipline, and forgiveness, all dealing with the present age, suggests that the question has to do with rank also in the church, where the kingdom is manifested here and now, although only partially and by anticipation; see notes on 3:2; 4:17.
18:3
And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
Become like children:
the child is held up as a model for the disciples not because of any supposed innocence of children but because of their complete dependence on, and trust in, their parents. So must the disciples be, in respect to God.
18:6
One of these little ones:
If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.
The thought passes from the child of vv. 2-4 to the disciples, little ones because of their becoming like children. It is difficult to know whether this is a designation of all who are disciples or of those who are insignificant in contrast to others, e.g., the leaders of the community. Since apart from this chapter the designation little ones occurs in Matthew only in 10:42 where it means disciples as such, that is its more likely meaning here. Who believe in me: since discipleship is impossible without at least some degree of faith, this further specification seems superfluous. However, it serves to indicate that the warning against causing a little one to sin is principally directed against whatever would lead such a one to a weakening or loss of faith. The Greek verb skandalizein, here translated causes... to sin, means lit., "causes to stumble"; what the stumbling is depends on the context. It is used of falling away from faith in 13:21. According to the better reading of Mk 9:42, in me is a Matthean addition to the Marcan source. It would be better... depths of the sea: cf. Mk 9:42.
18:7
Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come!
This is a Q saying; cf. Lk 17:1. The inevitability of things that cause sin (lit., "scandals") does not take away the responsibility of the one through whom they come.
18:8-9
If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. And if your eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.
These verses are a doublet of Mt 5:29–30. In that context they have to do with causes of sexual sin. As in the Marcan source from which they have been drawn (Mk 9:42–48), they differ from the first warning about scandal, which deals with causing another person to sin, for they concern what causes oneself to sin and they do not seem to be related to another’s loss of faith, as the first warning is. It is difficult to know how Matthew understood the logical connection between these verses and Mt 18:6–7.
18:10-14
“See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.
“What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.
The first and last verses are peculiar to Matthew. The parable itself comes from Q; see Lk 15:3-7. In Luke it serves as justification for Jesus' table-companionship with sinners; here, it is an exhortation for the disciples to seek out fellow disciples who have gone astray. Not only must no one cause a fellow disciple to sin, but those who have strayed must be sought out and, if possible, brought back to the community. The joy of the shepherd on finding the sheep, though not absent in Matthew (v. 13), is more emphasized in Luke. By his addition of vv. 10, 14, Matthew has drawn out explicitly the application of the parable to the care of the little ones.
18:10
“See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.
Their angels in heaven... my heavenly Father:
For the Jewish belief in angels as guardians of nations and individuals, see Dn 10:13, 20-21; Tb 5:4-7; 1QH 5:20-22; as intercessors who present the prayers of human beings to God, see Tb 13:12, 15. The high worth of the little ones is indicated by their being represented before God by these heavenly beings.
18:11
Some manuscripts add, "For the Son of Man has come to save what was lost"; cf. 9:13. This is practically identical with Lk 19:10 and is probably a copyist's addition from that source.
After all of that :-).
Key points...In short lol, conclusions etc...
18:3
"And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."
"Become like children:
"The child is held up as a model for the disciples not because of any supposed innocence of children but because of their complete dependence on, and trust in, their parents. So must the disciples be, in respect to God.
(Sound familiar? Know anybody?)
The thought passes from the child of vv. 2-4 to the disciples, little ones because of their becoming like children.
("Little ones" doesn't always mean the child as in vv. 2-4. Past vv 4 in this passage it also means Disciples, think "lil Christ" because of their complete dependence/trust etc. It's the whole point of what I'm trying to get at here, the meaning of "little ones" depends on the context. If Christ meant "children" don't you think he would have said as much?
18:6 One of these little ones: If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.
However, it serves to indicate that the warning against causing a little one to sin is principally directed against whatever would lead such a one to a weakening or loss of faith. The Greek verb skandalizein, here translated causes... to sin, means lit., "causes to stumble"; what the stumbling is depends on the context.
Another point here is this:
Why would you even try to if you were on the right team?
Somebody wanna riddle me that one?
I'm all ears, pretty easy to find.
I'd love to hear how that works.
100% serious, I'd love to hear that explanation.
Conclusion:
Past verse 4, "little ones" = Disciples, think "Little Christ" in their Christlikeness, completely trusting and obedient to God to the point of death. Those who have become like children in their trust obedience etc.
Woe to them who would even try to weaken their faith.
Amen.
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