Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish

 

 "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 at this time in His ministry, the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Who then is the 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.  For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost."  Little ones, we remember from yesterday's reading, include all those with childlike humility and simplicity, all who are poor in spirit.  They are the faithful who will come for guidance, instruction, and shepherding by these disciples who will be the bishops and pillars of the Church; that is, all who will be dependent upon the Church's leaders for their faith.  My study Bible comments that St. John Chrysostom teaches that not only the saints, but all people have guardian angels.  However, the angels of humble people have greater boldness and greater honor before the face of God, because of the humility of the person they guard.  It is not the nature of God, but the weakness of human beings, that requires the service of the angels.  

"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."  Unlike earthly shepherds, my study Bible says, Christ sees such value in one sheep that He will leave the others at risk in order to save it.  The ninety-nine sheep represent the righteous who remain faithful to God (Luke 15:7).  According to various patristic teachings, this is also an image of the Incarnation, in which the ninety-nine represent the angels in heaven.  Christ descended from heaven in order to pursue the one sheep -- humankind -- who had fallen into corruption on earth.

"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."  Here Christ lays out a system for church discipline, which is based on mutual correction in three expanding stages.  We must note that sin and correction are to remain private here unless the offender refuses to repent.  My study Bible says that all correction must be done with great care and humility, with the highest concern being the salvation of the offender (see 1 Corinthians 5:5; Galatians 6:1).  

 

 There seems to be an important link between the first part of today's reading and the second.  In the first part of the reading, regarding the "lost sheep" that Christ is so careful to say are essential to God, He makes the point clear that every effort must be made out of love for them.  God so loves those sheep that even at risk to the other ninety-nine of a hundred, a single straying sheep should be sought out and brought home to the flock.  It makes the point very clear that for God, even one missing from God's people or community is one that is mourned and deeply desired to be found and returned.  But in the second part of today's reading, regarding discipline within the Church, there is an interesting process at work.  All discipline should begin in private, with each "offender" given the chance to repent, and thus mending community.  But should the breach not be mended, there is a process for expanding the work of community, and if that does not work, to finally include the whole of the community in the effort.  At that stage, one who does not acknowledge the fault is allowed to be considered outside the community, "like a heathen and a tax collector."  What does this mean and how should we understand it in terms of God's deep desire and that "in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven?"  First of all, "little ones" implies a context of those who are humble, who will be dependent upon the disciples and those who follow them as shepherds and guides of the Church.  Second, for purposes of Christ's teaching, the assumption is that the complaint against a brother is true ("if a brother sins against you").  Even the notion of the word "brother" in this context seems to imply not necessarily one of the "little ones," but one of more equal stature in the community.  Let us keep in mind that He is speaking to His disciples, and that all of this discussion follows a demand among them to know who will be the greatest in His Kingdom (see yesterday's reading, above).   In terms of allowing a person who fails to repent or acknowledge the offense within community to be considered as an outsider, we also turn to St. Paul, who writes that he does not wish his flock to keep company "with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner—not even to eat with such a person.  For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside? But those who are outside God judges. Therefore 'put away from yourselves the evil person'" (the quotation is a reference to various passages in Deuteronomy); see 1 Corinthians 5.  The most important sense we take away is that God judges the outsider, and the Church does not.  So when Christ speaks of putting one outside the community who fails to acknowledge an act of harm to the community, it is in this sense, that the person is left to God.   He does not say that this is a permanent state, nor that this person will not eventually come to repentance and return.  In effect, I believe, we are to presume that God always deeply desires the return of lost sheep.  If the actions and efforts of the Church cannot restore community, a person left "outside" remains in the hands of God, and therefore it is with this understanding that Christ gives His teachings.  We don't know what ways God can work in a person's life to bring them "home" -- see, for example, Christ's parable of the Prodigal or Lost Son (Luke 15:11-32).  Whatever we understand from Christ's teaching, we should not forget that God's love always calls back, always seeks the lost, and even those "outside" can find their way back.