Matthew 18:10-14

¹⁰ “See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. Because I am telling you that in the sky their angels always see the face of my Father who is in the sky.

^(11)[1]

¹² What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them has gotten lost, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go seeking for the one that got lost?

¹³ And if he finds it, honestly, I am telling you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never got lost.

¹⁴ So it is not the desire of my Father who is in the sky that one of these little ones should be destroyed.

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lost little ones

What should our attitude be toward believers who have strayed from the flock? Jesus had just told the disciples to be tough on themselves – even if it takes self-mutilation, they must remain pure at all costs. But then he tells them not to look down on the little ones. The parable about the one lost sheep shows that Jesus was talking about the apostles’ attitude toward the believers they were to lead. Those who leave the faith or get entangled with sin again are lost. they need to be carefully brought back into the flock — at all cost. We might even have to put our normal ministries on hold for a while and go searching for these lost little ones. The restoration instructions follow,[2] so it is clear that Jesus cares about the fallen as much as he does the faithful.

LORD, give us the wisdom and compassion to seek the lost little ones who leave us.

[1] Verse 11 is not found in the best manuscripts, and is omitted from most of the modern versions.

[2] 18:15-34.