If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying?

 "Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven.  For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.  What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying?  And if he should find it, assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray.  Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.

"Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone.  If he hears you, you have gained your brother.  But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that 'by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.'  And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church.  But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.  Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.  Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven.  For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them."

- Matthew 18:10-20

Yesterday, we read that the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"  Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.  Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.  Whoever receives one little child like this 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 if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea.   Woe to the world because of offenses!  For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes!  If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you.  It is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the everlasting fire.  And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you.  It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire."

 "Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven."  My study bible tells us of this verse, "No one should despise humble Christians, because their guardian angels occupy foremost positions before God.  The angels always see the face of God, not in His divine essence, but in His divine glory, His energy, according to the measure of their capacity (John 6:46).  Only the Son and the Holy Spirit can behold God perfectly (11:27; 1 Cor. 2:10).  It is not the nature of God, but the weakness of men, which requires the angels' service.  They are sent for the sake of those who will inherit salvation (Hebrews 1:14)."

"For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.  What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying?  And if he should find it, assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray.  Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish."  A note here tells us:  "The search for the lost sheep is an act of God in mercy and love for each person who goes astray.  No first-century Palestinian shepherd would dare leave ninety-nine to find one, lest the wolves come and devour the flock (Luke 15:4).  But God's love is so great He would seek even the one that is straying."  Here the "lost sheep" and the "little ones" converge in image in Christ's teaching.  The message is that even the marginal in the community are those for whom there must be a concern -- and that this reflects the concern and love of God for each of them.  There is a longing expressed here that expresses true love, like that of a loving parent.

"Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone.  If he hears you, you have gained your brother.  But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that 'by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.'  And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church.  But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector."  A note reads:  "These verses set forth a classic form of Church discipline based on mutual correction, in three expanding stages.  Sin and repentance are private unless the offender refuses to repent; then the issue may have to be made public and corporate, coming before the whole Church.  All discipline must be done with great care and humility, for it is easy to be hypocritical in the way we judge (see 7:1-5)."  My study bible additionally points out that the term "church" occurs only in Matthew among the Gospels, and it refers to the people of God, the community of faith.  "Jesus came to establish a congregation, gathered by Him and united with Him, in the power of the Holy Spirit."

"Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.  Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven.  For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them."   A note explains:  "Temporal rulers have the power of binding, but they bind only the body.  God, however, bonds with a bond which pertains to the soul itself, a power which God has not given even to angels.  God is with us.  He has a special presence in heaven and in every church as well, through His grace and the sacraments.  Mutual correction, which sometimes necessitates expulsion from the community, makes the Church strong and invincible through the love of Christ."

At first glance, it would seem as if there is not too much connection between the earlier verses in today's reading, and the latter verses.  How do the two tie together in answer to the question of the disciples in yesterday's reading, "Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"  If we think about it, everything in today's reading reveals to us an ultimate concern for community.  But in this ultimate concern is the core and the heart of Jesus in the concern for the "little ones" and the "least of these."  That is, the ones on the margins:  the strays, the powerless, the seemingly unimportant socially -- and those who may err so that there may be a break with the group.  At the core of Jesus' love is the overall concern for community, for keeping the flock together, even those who may be straying in various ways.  We are reminded of course of the parable of the Prodigal Son, found in Luke's Gospel.  Jesus' heart is with the strays, and He teaches His followers that those who would be great among them must be concerned, too.  In this correction plan in the Church, we find a kind of self-regulating mechanism for those who would cause offense within the Church, and it begins with a one-on-one respect for privacy, only gradually growing in scope when there is no correction.  The thread that links all of these things together is concern for the community, but especially in the form of the care of the lost, straying, and "least of these."  So, the emphasis remains on the image in the littlest ones, and the great love of One who would leave the ninety-nine to seek the one who has gone astray.  There is a love here that is found in the key to understanding the mind of God, or perhaps the kingdom of heaven:  He rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray.  Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.  Jesus has taught that He has come to the "lost sheep of the house of Israel."  But He's come for each of us who may be "lost sheep" of His community.  It really doesn't matter what place we hold, this is the love that teaches us about our God, our Creator, our Savior.  It is the love that won't let go without a great effort.  Tellingly, it is only after three attempts -- and one by the whole of the community -- that one who is determined to stray is let go apart.  It should be noted that when Jesus uses the word "lost" He's really using the Greek word for perdition or destruction; this is "lost" as in a complete and ultimate loss of life.  When Jesus speaks of bonds, and His presence where even two or three are gathered, it is giving us a deep understanding of how this community works.  It is through His power, His presence and love, through the presence or "energies" of the Spirit, that this community is kept together.  When we act "in His name" we are hereby cautioned to remember what He is truly about, where His heart is, so that we can be "like Him."  Those who would be greatest among us, those who would lead, are most strongly cautioned about the use of power.  It is the littlest ones who must always be kept foremost in mind, the ones who are straying, whose angels always behold the face of His Father in heaven.  It is the power and Spirit of this great loving parent that binds us, guides us, shapes community and -- especially -- gives us our notion of what relatedness and community is to be like, what real leadership is all about.