Matthew 18:10

IV. YOUR HUMILITY AND SENSITIVITY TO THE WEAK IS MEASURED AGAINST HEAVEN'S CONCERN FOR THEM. (18:10-14)

Matthew 18:10 See that ye despise not one of these little ones. Despise (kataphronésete) means look down on, despise, scorn, treat with contempt; think lightly of or have the wrong ideas about; care nothing for, disregard, be unafraid of. (Arndt-Gingrich, 420) In their striving for position, the Twelve HAD to despise others of their number as little ones: it was the only way to get ahead in this world, but not in that of Jesus. Ironically, any disciple who had never indulged in the kind of status-seeking power-play that motivated the Apostles here would be tempted to sneer at others-' lack of maturity and murmur like a true Pharisee: Thank God I never made their mistake! Temptations to despise those who live below their own standard of righteousness or level of maturity are the peculiar scourge of the righteous, precisely because they have lived highly moral lives. This explains why Jesus shows that one of these little ones is but a straying sheep (Matthew 18:12-14) and a sinning brother (Matthew 18:15). These little ones now has a larger meaning since Matthew 18:6 where the least believer is indicated, so that, although Jesus is not excluding little children, He now includes weak disciples, the slow learners. To despise them is to consider them not worth our attention enough to take the time and trouble to turn aside our important business to assist them, patiently supporting them as they stumble forward toward perfection in Christ. To despise them is to think them beneath our notice, but to do so is sinful folly! (Proverbs 11:12; Proverbs 14:21) There are two reasons for this: first, there are so many of them that they are actually the world majority! Jesus presents the other: the problems of inferiors immediately involve the active, sympathetic concern of Heaven. He supports this with three arguments. Some see a crescendo of greatness in Jesus-' ordered argumentation:

1.

Angels, the servants of God, are concerned about little ones.

2.

Jesus, the Good Shepherd and Servant of Javéh, is dedicated to their rescue.

3.

God Himself, the eternal Judge of all, is unwilling that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

A. THE INFERIORS-' MINISTERING ANGELS HAVE GOD'S IMMEDIATE AUDIENCE. (18:10)

For I say unto you, that in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven. Several details lie right on the surface of Jesus-' statement:

1.

Jesus Christ affirms the existence of the angels. His argument stands or falls on the truth (or untruth) of their existence, since He argues: Do not despise little ones, because their angels have immediate access to God, If His reason were not true, then any fear of negative consequences for despising them would be groundless.

a.

If He were honestly in error because of His human limitations, then every other revelation of His would be undermined by the same argument, because there are no objective criteria by which one may separate revelations of truth from God and ignorant trash.

b.

If He were merely adjusting His teaching to popular Jewish beliefs, although He knew that what He affirmed was not true, then we must impute deliberate falsehood to Him who is the Truth. (John 14:6)

c.

The only other viable alternative is to see in Jesus-' word a guarantee that angels exist, and for those who trust Him the question is settled.

2.

Jesus affirms that little ones have their angels.

a.

The little ones are not merely children, but also struggling Christians (Matthew 18:6; see note on Matthew 18:2: One of these little ones: little children or weak Christians?) The one does not exclude the other. Since this expression collectively takes in both categories, there is no internal necessity to assume that the latter expression, their angels, be distributive either. In fact, thus far we have angels equally for little children and weak Christians.

b.

Their angels does not affirm or deny anything about others-' angels, as if only children or only new converts were the object of special guardian service. In fact, other Scriptures inform us that angels are considered as God's ministering spirits to help the people of God. (See Hebrews 1:13-14; Hebrews 2:2; Psalms 91:11; cf. Matthew 1:20; Matthew 1:24; Matthew 2:13; Matthew 2:19; Matthew 4:11; Matthew 24:31; Matthew 26:53; Matthew 28:2; Luke 1:11; Luke 1:13; Luke 1:18 f, Luke 1:26; Luke 1:28; Luke 1:30; Luke 1:34 f, Luke 1:38; Luke 2:9 f, Luke 2:13; Luke 2:15; Luke 2:21; Luke 12:8 f; Luke 15:10; Luke 16:22; Luke 22:43; Luke 24:23; Acts 5:19; Acts 7:30; Acts 7:35; Acts 7:38; Acts 7:53; Acts 8:26; Acts 10:3; Acts 10:7; Acts 10:22; Acts 11:13; Acts 12:7-11; ?Acts 12:15; Acts 12:23; Acts 27:23; 1 Corinthians 11:10?; Galatians 3:19; 1 Peter 1:12; Revelation 1:1; Revelation 22:6; Revelation 22:16; perhaps also Matthew 1:20; Matthew 2:1; Matthew 2:8; Matthew 2:12; Matthew 2:18; Matthew 3:1; Matthew 3:5; Matthew 3:7; Matthew 3:14 and many more.) These texts speak of the keen interest God's messengers, the angels, have in the salvation and conduct of His people. Even their participation at the judgment implies their interest and function as God's servants. (Matthew 13:39; Matthew 13:41; Matthew 13:49; Matthew 16:27; Matthew 25:31; 2 Thessalonians 1:7) Also, from the point of view of our personal weaknesses and imperfection, each of us is in need of all the help he can get. Rather than leave us to face a bleak, empty universe alone, Jesus Christ has given us the heavenly vision of ministering angels ascending and descending upon every son of man, caring, ministering, protecting, until we lay down our weary clay to be carried by the angels to our Father's house. (Cf. Genesis 28:10 ff; John 1:51; Luke 16:22) Who would dare despise the friendly assistance of these supernatural helpers who watch with sympathetic eyes the fortunes of Apostle (1 Corinthians 4:9) and repentant sinner alike (Luke 15:10)? So, if God sends angels to help the whole people of God, then Jesus-' affirmation includes a portion of the larger body of angels. Without denying that anyone else has angels assigned to him, Jesus merely reminds the Apostles that the very little ones whom they in their own bid for greatness had been tempted to despise are the special concern of their angels.

3.

Jesus affirms that their angels do always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven.

a.

There are angels who stand in the presence of God. (Gabriel: Luke 1:19; Luke 1:26; cf. Daniel 8:16; Daniel 9:21-23; Michael: Daniel 10:13; Daniel 10:21; Daniel 12:1; Jude 1:9; Revelation 12:7; Revelation 8:2; Isaiah 63:9) Are these the ones who do always behold the face of my Father? But do not all angels, in a certain sense, stand in God's presence? (Cf. 1 Kings 22:19; Revelation 5:11; Revelation 7:11)

It is no small temptation to follow Edersheim (Life, II, 122) who sees in Jesus-' words a contrast to the standard Jewish angelology: We seem to see Jesus still holding this child, and, with evident reference to the Jewish contempt for that which is small, point to him and apply, in quite other manner than they had ever heard, the Rabbinic teaching about Angels. In the Jewish view, only the chiefest of the Angels were before the Face of God within the curtained Veil. while the others, ranged in different classes stood outside and waited His behest, The distinction which the former enjoyed was always to behold His face, and to hear and know directly the Divine counsels and commands. This distinction was, therefore, one of knowledge; Christ taught that it was one of love, (See also his Appendix XIII, 748ff, where he concedes this view as based on Talmudic references, not necessarily held by Jews of Jesus-' day, although the roots of such views may well have been.)

b.

In what sense is it true that these dwellers of the heavenly world always (dià pantòs) behold the Father's face, even during their missions on behalf of His people? Does it not mean that while they execute their service they have instant audience with the Father, so that, even while ministering on earth to the little ones, they are in simultaneous communication with the Throne? They are never out of radio contact with God.

The main thrust of Jesus-' argument, then, is that God's highest, most glorious messengers (ángeloi as opposed to profêtai) and who have immediate access to the great God of heaven, are commissioned with the humble service to the weakest disciple or little child! And if these dwellers of heaven, great in might and power, intercede for the lowliest before the Most High, who is the man who would dare despise them? Bruce (Training, 199) thinks that Jesus is utilizing an argument similar to that of Peter (2 Peter 2:10 f; cf. Jude 1:9):

The inhabitants of heaven. are loving and humble; ye are selfish and proud. What hope can ye cherish of admission into a kingdom, the spirit of which is so utterly diverse from that by which ye are animated? Nay, are ye not ashamed of yourselves when ye witness this glaring contrast between the lowliness of the celestials and the pride and pretensions of puny men?

Whereas Jesus speaks here of angels, He implies how precious every single little one is to God who grants ready access to their angels. So, even here, it is God who values them so highly that no man may safely treat any of them as if they did not count. Is this not true greatness? If He is aware of all that happens to His little weak ones on earth, He certainly sees what we do with them, and whether we treat them with tender care or neglect.

See Matthew 18:22-35 for Fact Questions.