Tempting My Little Ones – Matthew 18:1-14

He used her for sex. His own daughter! That she came to faith in Christ is a testimony to how Jesus ministered to her in this most terrifying and tragic time in her life. The imprint of this ghastly misdeed on her father’s part was a belief that sex is what she was good for, what she was valued for, a lie, of course, from the pit of hell. She had trouble trusting God as a Father. And she suffered the ill effects of traumatization for most all her life.

Jesus said that tempting one of his humble disciples to sin was just like abusing a child. The penalties are severe.

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 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. (Matthew 18:1-14 ESV)

Blessed are the poor in spirit, Jesus had taught, and the disciples still don’t get it.  Their question about who is the greatest portrays that fundamental lust they still have for power and prestige.  But it is the disciple who is like a child in humility, not seeing himself as in control or bringing something special of himself to the table, but is entirely dependent upon the Lord, he or she it is that is great, indeed greatest in the kingdom.

Consequently, it is a spiritually dangerous thing to cause such a disciple to stumble, as much so as it is to damage a child.  One’s judgment will be severe if he or she is the cause of such stumbling.  And though temptations to sin abound, beware that you not be the temptation of such a disciple to sin. Do whatever you can to prevent that.  God has special concern for His humble children as evidenced by their angels having special access to Him on their behalf.  Like a shepherd who loves his flock, the Father will go to any length to rescue His humble disciples, and the implication from Jesus is that this is how we must be toward each other.  We must value each other and do all we can to prevent each other from straying.