Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Matthew 18:5
And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me.
5, 6. Christ’s Little Ones. Mar 9:37
The thought of Jesus passes from the dispute among His disciples to the care of His little ones, the young in faith, who, if they have the weakness, have also the humility of little children.
whoso shall receive ] It is a sacrament of lovingkindness when Christ Himself is received in the visible form of His little ones. To receive is to welcome, shew kindness to.
a millstone ] Literally, a millstone turned by an ass, and so larger than the ordinary millstone. Cp. Ovid ( Fasti vi. 318): “Et qu pumiceas versat asella molas.”
The manner of death alluded to appears to have been unknown to the Jews. But Plutarch mentions this punishment as being common to Greece and Rome. Cp. Juv. Sat. xiv. 16, 17, where, as in other places, it is named rather than the cross as a swift and terrible penalty for crime.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 5. One such little child] As our Lord in the preceding verses considers a little child an emblem of a genuine disciple, so by the term in this verse he means a disciple only. “Whosoever will receive, i.e. show unto such a child-like, unambitious disciple of mine, any act of kindness for my sake, I will consider it as done to myself.”
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Mark hath it thus, Mar 9:37, Whosoever shall receive one of such children in my name, receiveth me: and whosoever receiveth me, receiveth not me, but him that sent me. Then he addeth, Mar 9:42, And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea. Our Lord having declared that the little ones before mentioned shall be greatest in the kingdom of God, here cometh to show the care which he in his providence will take for them; that their friends shall be his friends, and their enemies his enemies: Whoso receiveth such a little child, that is, a humble Christian. In the next verse it is opened by, one that believeth in me. By receiving I conceive is here to be understood the showing of any favour or kindness to them: Christ declares that he would take it as done to himself. It is much the same with Mat 10:40-42. Mark addeth, He that receiveth me, receiveth him that sent me. The reason is, because he and his Father are one, and the Father takes any kindness done to Christ as if it were done to himself, and the Son takes any kindness or unkindness done to any humble, believing soul, as if it were done to himself: see Mat 25:34-46.
But whoso shall offend one of these little ones, &c. As offending signifieth the laying of a stumbling block before any, so it signifieth any motion or temptation to them to sin against God, whether it be by flattering or frowning arguments, though the latter seemeth rather to be understood here; so, by offending, it signifies the doing them any harm upon Christs account, because they own him, and make a profession of his gospel, which, besides that it is a stumblingblock upon which they fall and suffer as to their bodies and outward concerns, is also a stumbling block to their souls, such dangers being strong temptations to Christians, to turn them aside from the right paths of truth and holiness.
It were better for him that a millstone, &c.; mulov onikov, a stone in such a mill as asses were wont to draw, because of the heaviness of it. Some think our Saviour in this phrase alludes to some punishment of notorious malefactors, in use not amongst the Jews, but some other nations, by tying a stone about their necks, and throwing them into the sea: but whether it be such an allusion or no, is of no great moment; the phrase signifieth a certain destruction, both in regard of the weight of the stone and the depth of the sea. He saith, It is better that a millstone, &c., because of the punishment which shall be inflicted on such persons beyond this life.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
And whoso shall receive one such little child,…. Which is to be understood, not literally but metaphorically; meaning not such an one in age, but one, as the Syriac renders it, , “that is as this child”: like unto it for modesty and humility; one, that is as that, free from pride, ambition, and envy. Christ’s sense is, that whoever receives his disciples, that are meek and lowly, into their houses, or into their hearts and affections; that receives their ministry and message, embraces the Gospel preached by them with readiness and cheerfulness, with faith and love,
in my name; on his account, because they are his disciples, believe in him, preach his Gospel, and, as being sent by, and representing him,
receiveth me: it is so taken by Christ, as if he was personally present, and personally received, and had all the favours shown to his, done to himself in person; yea, such receive Christ in the ministry of the word, he being the sum and substance of it. This is said to encourage modesty and humility; and intimates, that proud and haughty persons will not be received as the disciples and followers of the meek and lowly Jesus; and to encourage persons to receive such that are modest and humble, since the respect shown to them, is all one as if shown to him.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
In my name ( ). For “one such little child” ( ) Luke (Lu 9:48) has “this little child” as a representative or symbol. “On the basis or ground of my name,” “for my sake.” Very much like in 10:41 which does not differ greatly from (Ac 10:48).
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
In my name [ ] . Lit., upon my name; on the ground of, or on account of; for my sake.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
5. And he that shall receive such a child. The term children is now applied metaphorically by Christ to those who have laid aside lofty looks, and who conduct themselves with modesty and humility. This is added by way of consolation, that we may not account it troublesome or disagreeable to exercise humility, by means of which Christ not only receives us under his protection, but likewise recommends us to the favor of men. And thus believers are taught in what way they ought to esteem each other: it is by every one humbling himself How is mutual friendship usually maintained among the children of the world but by every man complying with the wishes of another? The more desirous a man is to obtain renown, the more insolently does he grasp at power, that he may be raised to a lofty station, and that others may be ridiculed or despised; but Christ enjoins that the more a man abases himself, the more highly shall he be honored. Such, too, is the import of the words given by Luke, he that is least among you shall be great; for our Lord does not enjoin us to think more highly of those who justly deserve to be despised, but of those who divest themselves of all pride, and are perfectly willing to occupy the lowest place.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
II. YOUR HUMILITY IS MEASURED BY YOUR OPENNESS AND SENSITIVITY TO THE SO-CALLED INFERIORS IN THE KINGDOM: THERE ARE NO UNIMPORTANT PEOPLE IN THE KINGDOM!
(Mat. 18:5; Mar. 9:36 b, Mar. 9:37; Luk. 9:48-50)
A. RECEIVING THE LEAST IMPORTANT MEANS RECEIVING THE KING (18:5)
At this point Jesus took the little child into His arms for the second phase of His visual lesson: To get to me, you must get to the child too-love me, love my little one! Jesus thought naturally flows from becoming what a child is, to welcoming what in older people the childs weakness stands for, because there is but little distance between conflicts over greatness and contemptuous harshness toward ones inferiors. Cruelty and aggression are congenital defects of selfish ambition. Where there is this aspiration, this will to power, wanton trampling on others cannot help but follow as a matter of course. Therefore, the Lord must furnish a motive adequate to stop the mad climbing to the top of the pile that pushes everyone else out of the way. Jesus knows how tempting it is in our highly competitive world to admire the self-confident, aggressive, ruthless people who, in the worldly sense, succeed in life.
Mat. 18:5 Whoever shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me. Whoever means that the inimitable privilege of being host to the King is open to anyone who takes seriously the condition Jesus lays down. The condition is receiving one such little child in my name.
1.
Receiving the child and receiving Jesus must be the same kind of reception, for the word is identical for the one as for the other: dxetai ( = take, receive, accept, treat as a guest, grant access to someone, show oneself open to, receive favorably, welcome, embrace; cf. Arndt-Gingrich, 176; Thayer, 130; Rocci, 430). To treat Jesus and/or the child as a guest properly means to be sensitive to what he considers his needs. It is to dispense with stereotyped categories and notions about what he has to be or like, and to take him seriously as a person, to listen to him as if no one else mattered. To be able to do this sincerely requires putting oneself on his level and seeing things through his eyes.
2.
One such little child means that Jesus intends to be understood literally, at least primarily, because there was one such little child right there in His arms. (Mar. 9:36) Barclay (Matthew, II, 196) helps us to see Christ in the child:
To teach unruly, disobedient, restless little children can be a wearing job. To satisfy the physical needs of a child, to wash his clothes and bind his cuts and soothe his bruises and cook his meals may often seem a very unromantic task; the cooker and the sink and the workbasket have not much glamour; but there is no one in all this world who helps Jesus Christ more than the mother in the home. All such will find a glory in the grey, if in the child they sometimes glimpse none other than Jesus Himself.
Ironically, these very disciples shortly after this lesson started hustling little children away from Jesus, not improbably frowning upon them as insignificant and unimportant to Him, just getting in the way of the more important aspects of His ministry! But the child is a practical beginning point for the disciples practice,
a.
Because a little child lacks experience and, because of his weakness and dependence, can more easily be appreciated despite his mistakes. We tend to show tender compassion to the naturally weaker.
Jesus could say this to disciples trained in revealed religion, because it is by no means a matter of course for humans to treat children as little human beings and worthy of respect. Brutality to children, whether in child sacrifice or social contempt, is in stark contrast to the practice of peoples governed by Gods revelations of the importance of others, especially the weak.
b.
It is at this point that Jesus implies the kind of character one must have in order to arrive at the ideal He symbolizes in the stature of a child. Since to the little child every one else is literally physically, morally and spiritually greater than he, the disciple must develop in himself those characteristics which will enable him to appreciate the greatness and importance to God that is there in every human being. This is the genuine humility of the old gentleman who tipped his hat to young boys, and when asked about this unusual gesture, he responded, It is not to the boys as such that I tip my hat, but to that gentleman that each of them will become. What a majestic concept of the preciousness and potential greatness of everyone else, Jesus would have us hold!
c.
Then, having learned to consider a little child important in his own right and treat him with the same cordiality and respect one would show the Lord Himself, one can see more clearly how to apply the same principles when dealing with grown-ups whose similar weaknesses and imperfections would formerly have bored or disgusted him, What ramifications is this principle going to have in husband-wife relationships, especially where the wife is no longer the beautiful, sweet young thing he married, or her weaknesses no longer seem to offer him scope to protect her, but rather merely bore him? See Jesus approach to this practical problem. (Mat. 19:1-12) In the process of transferring our knowledge gained in working with children to working with older people, we learn that we are all ignorant merely on different subjects. We all lack certain experiences, we are all dependent and need help, that we are all just older children struggling toward maturity. Contrarily, the person who has arrived is damned to stagnation, self-righteousness and the ulcer he developed fighting to get to and stay at the top.
d.
Luke (Luk. 9:48) confirms this conclusion: For he who is least among you all is the one who is great. This paradoxical statement may mean:
(1)
He who willingly makes himself the least and servant of all is by that act truly the greatest. This harmonizes with Mar. 9:35.
(2)
He who by nature is the least among you is the most important. Because of his greater needs, his natural weakness, his moral or spiritual fragility, he is the most in need of the attention of the strong. (Rom. 15:1; Gal. 6:1) This harmonizes with Mat. 18:10-14.
3.
In my name limits the reception of the King (receiveth me) to those who, because Jesus tells them to, open their heart and life to little children. Jesus is not automatically blessing all orphanages and adoptive parents merely because they take in children to raise and educate. Non-Christians who do this in the name of philanthropy or human parent love will receive a human parents reward or a philanthropists satisfaction, but no more, since they did not do it on the basis of Jesus authority and instruction. (ep t onmat mou, see Arndt-Gingrich, 575; Rocci, 1339; Thayer, 447) Not fondness for children is the question, but welcoming and caring for them because they represent Christ. (See on Mat. 10:40-42; Mat. 7:22; Mat. 12:21; Mat. 18:20; Mat. 21:9; Mat. 23:39; Mat. 24:5; Mat. 28:19; Mar. 9:38 f)
4.
Receives me. No one is qualified to receive Jesus as the Guest of his life and serve Him in whatever capacity at whatever level of status in the Kingdom (Mat. 18:1) who has not learned to consider people important and treat even the least with respect. Even if Jesus had never affirmed His intense concern for and personal identification with weak, straying sheep (Mat. 18:10-14), we could understand how dear they are to Him, because, here, He identifies Himself with them in a manner so close that whatever is done for or against them is done for or against the Lord Himself. (Mat. 25:40; Mat. 25:45; Act. 26:9-15) In fact, the moment was coming for these disciples when neither they nor anyone else could serve Jesus, except by the useful service they rendered to the sick, hungry, naked and imprisonedthe little ones.
There is another sense in which the servant of children receives me. Every generous self-forgetful act opens his life to understand his Lord more fully, to assimilate His spirit more completely and to live in closer communion with Him. This is why this kind of ministry is the path to genuine greatness in Gods Kingdom, which is contingent upon how much of His character has been developed in our life.
With this simple declaration Jesus drives us all back to the wonderful childrens land of make-believe! He says simply: Try to imagine now every person whom you are tempted to consider as your inferior. Now, lets play like that person were I, your King. Now, offer him the consideration and respect you would have shown me. What an act of faith this would require, what imaginativeness, what creativeness! Most of us will have to drop all of our stereotyped categories and nice little labeled boxes into which we have stuffed others. But since to all superficial observers we are serving not the King of the universe, but just our little neighbors, no one can praise us but He, because only He knows better! And in our childs play, we have arrived at a greatness to which the selfish of the world are all blind. We are the only ones who can see it now, because we dare to make believe, Is it any wonder Jesus takes this approach? By so doing, He intends to develop our likeness to our Creator by making us seek creative ways to serve. But to be creative we need a vivid imagination like that of a child who sees everything and everyone with fresh eyes. If it seems irreverent to conceive of Jesus development of a fertile imagination which reorganizes everyones mental filing cabinets, reclassifying everyone else as a personal embodiment of Jesus Christ, then reconsider His use of creative fancy in the Golden Rule of which our text is but an illustration. (See notes on Mat. 7:12.)
Had not Jesus Himself already seen possibilities in His followers that even they dared not dream were there? Had He not received them in humility despite their outward rudeness? Had He not known, for example, that there was an Apostle under the rough exterior of that fisherman, Peter? Could He not see through the marble exterior of a hard-nosed publican and make out the facial features of a Christian teacher who could organize the very Gospel we are reading together? And did He not call these rough-hewn stones and lovingly sculpture them by His own company, patient instruction and endless repetition, until He found them ready for the final polish by the Holy Spirit? And the rest of the mixed bag of followers around Jesus seemed unreliable material out of which to make anything, much less the Kingdom of God! But He welcomed them, He served them, He built them, He made them great! Is there any doubt that, because of this, HE is the greatest in Gods Kingdom? And it is to this, His ministry and method that He calls us.
What a shock it must have been to these Apostles who, in their day-dreaming, had seen themselves as pompous officials, now hear themselves reduced to baby-sitters for children and other feeble, fumbling folk! But, as events proved, they were to learn that the social contract of the Kingdom of God requires that the strong, the mature Christians and the weak in the faith, the overscrupulous Christians, must accept each others existence and take a specific stance of mutual concern for each other. The weak must not condemn the strong, nor the strong despise the weak, but receive one another as Christ has welcomed them to the glory of God. (Rom. 14:1 to Rom. 15:7) Even before Jesus terminated His discourse, the implication for the Apostles is immediately obvious: rather than despise other disciples as potential rivals jockeying for position, they must see them as marked by Jesus Christ for potential greatness and usefulness to God. And, as He will say in Mat. 18:6; Mat. 18:10, they dare not trample that greatness nor hinder its development by their own blind rush to realize their own unworthy ambitions!
As did the Apostles, so every Christian congregation must learn that not only the weak need the strong, but the strong cannot do without the weak. The weak offer us so many excellent opportunities to learn the spirit of Christ by our helping them, strengthening them, lifting them, encouraging them. The strong are capable, efficient, self-confident, polished, needing nothing but the experience that can only come by plunging into the service of the little ones. Is it possible for anyone to be more important to the growth of the strong, than the weak and insignificant who lay the privilege of serving them within the grasp of the strong? Who on earth could be greater than those who, because of this fact, are the veritable ambassadorial representatives of Jesus Christ Himself?
Right here begins the ministry of mutual edification as each disciple seeks to develop that unique likeness of Jesus Christ latent in each of his brethren. (Rom. 12:5; Rom. 15:14; Eph. 4:16; Heb. 3:12-13; Heb. 10:24-25) Because true greatness lies in serving others to help them be what, by Gods grace, they may become, our Lord has practically turned every one of His disciples into amateur artists to use the painters palette and brushes or the sculptors tools to bring out by creative artistry all of the best and the beautiful and the God-like in his fellows. Now this concept of the to-be-completed master-piece will develop in us that tolerance that honors each human being as a unique representation of Gods and ones own handiwork in varying stages of development!
James (Mat. 2:1-13) has painted the best satire on the kind of partiality Jesus is attacking here. Whereas men customarily welcome certain persons of importance on the basis of their wealth, talents or power, or because they belong to the same clubs (cf. Mat. 5:46 f), Christian disciples are to be equally concerned about the usually unimportant, commonly unnoticed members of the Christian community, as well as the children, because THESE are the true VICARS OF CHRIST on earth. How ironic that in the only context where Jesus was asked to announce His projected hierarchy, He bypassed Peter and all the rest and enthroned the child! Later, when He announces the special authority and honor of ordinary believers (Mat. 18:17-19), He establishes the common local congregation as His visible, earthly expression, and men will despise this too in favor of something more impressive, like an episcopal college or synod, and dethrone the ones whom Jesus promised to bless with His presence and concern.
And yet the graciousness of Jesus promise seems almost unbelievable, for what an honor would we esteem it to be permitted to welcome Christ into our home for even an hour! Is there anything more splendid than the true greatness of ministering vicariously to the King by our reception of and ministry to His choicest representatives?
B. THE UNAFFILIATED WORKER OF MIRACLES: A LESSON ON EXCLUSIVENESS AND BIGOTRY VERSUS TOLERANCE
(Mar. 9:38-41; Luk. 9:49-50)
WHY INCLUDE THIS SECTION IN MATTHEW?
The question of the unaffiliated worker of miracles is a lucid illustration of what it means to receive a little one in the name of Christ (Mat. 18:5) and to cause one of these little ones who believe in me to stumble. (Mat. 18:6) John and the others had blocked the path of this isolated disciple on his way to serve God. They choked off his enthusiasm for Jesus discipleship. Stunned, he could have wondered, If these are special disciples of Jesus and they treat me like this, I wonder whether the scribes and Pharisees would have given me any worse treatment! So the disciples would have been responsible for a disappointment so deadening that he might never have recovered. Also, we include this section here because it so adequately illustrates the difference between the real inferiority of littleness and the greatness of magnanimity. The great ones have no fear that God could fail even when His work is done by imperfect and otherwise irregular means; the small-souled nervously challenge and check everything and everyone, blocking everything they cannot totally approve, no matter how glorifying to Christ it might be. (Study Num. 11:24-30 and Php. 1:15-18.)
Mar. 9:38 John said to him, Teacher, we saw a man casting out demons in your name; and we forbade him, because he was not following us. Luke (Luk. 9:49) says: . . . because he does not follow with us. The Apostles may have encountered him during their own evangelistic tour months before, but only bring it up now. (Mat. 10:1 to Mat. 11:1) What was the connection in Johns mind that spurred him to interrupt the flow of Jesus thought by this question?
1.
Jesus had spoken earlier of humility as the absolutely essential condition for entrance into the Kingdom (Mat. 18:3-4). Had they acted with arrogance in interfering with the miraculous ministry of the other?
2.
Jesus had just spoken of the greatness and blessing of receiving the lowliest child, whatever his weakness, imperfection or need. This stirred Johns memory and pricked his conscience, leaving him half wondering, half fearing whether their actions were justifiable. So sure before, he is now plagued with misgivings, because, rather than receiving him and encouraging him in the good work he was accomplishing in Jesus name, they had ordered him to stop altogether. Could it be that this very disciple they had intercepted was not an opponent to be stifled, but one such little child after all, to be warmly reassured and taken to their hearts? Perhaps he had deserved more sympathetic treatment.
3.
Plummer (Luke, 259) sees John as possibly seeking to qualify Jesus previous, apparently universalistic statement: Whoever accepts a child embraces God.
His words are those of one who defends his conduct, or at least excuses it and might be paraphrased, But the principle just laid down must have limits, and would not apply to the case which I mention. . . . One who remains outside our body is not really a follower of Thee, and therefore ought not to receive a welcome.
The only justification John can muster in defense of their procedure is because he was not following (with) us. They were probably actuated by a mixture of motives:
1.
They were jealous of their official prerogatives.
a.
THEY had been established as Apostles, not he. (Mat. 10:1-4; Luk. 6:12-16) What right had others not of the Apostolic company to furnish divine credentials for a ministry which, as far as they knew, had not been authorized by the Lord?
They remind us of the zeal for Moses prerogatives shown by Joshua, when Eldad and Medad received Gods Spirit and prophesied in the camp, although they were not personally present among the group of seventy elders who officially received the Spirit and prophesied at the Tabernacle. The response of the great-hearted Moses is remarkably similar to that of his Lord here. (See Num. 11:16-30.)
b.
They probably deceived themselves by mingling their own interests with those of Christ, so that their concern for the honor of His name was only a veil for their personal pride.
c.
The less important fact that the isolated miracle-worker did not follow them, completely blinded them to the far more important fact that he honored their Lord.
d.
They were sincerely jealous for the good name of their Master in whose service they labored and whose authority gave their ministry power. They may have argued, How can anyone be sincerely devoted to Jesus and actually enjoy being isolated from His disciples?
e.
Bruce (Training, 224) thinks that
In so far as the disciples acted under the influence of jealousy, their conduct towards the exorcist was morally of a piece with their recent dispute who should be the greatest. The same spirit of pride revealed itself on the two occasions under different phases. The silencing of the exorcist was a display or arrogance analogous to that of those who advance for their church the claim to be exclusively the church of Christ . . . In the one case the twelve said in effect to the man whom they found casting out devils: We are the sole commissioned, authorized agents of the Lord Jesus Christ. In the other they said to each other: We are all members of the kingdom and servants of the King; but I deserve to have a higher place than thou, even to be a prelate sitting on a throne.
2.
They ignored the live possibility that Jesus had authorized the man without informing them. The very fact that he was succeeding in Jesus name should have been presumptive evidence of a commission from Jesus. Was the mans power from God or from Beelzebul? (Study Mat. 12:22-36; 1Co. 12:3; 1Co. 15:10; Php. 2:12 f.) Where was their moral sense? Were they ready to declare that power to work a miracle came from any other source than God? If not, is not he who has the God-given ability to cast out demons in the name of Christ, therefore, a true supporter of Christ? In absence of proof to the contrary, his God-given miracle-working power should be thought evidence that he was not among the enemies of Jesus, and could not be an antagonist of the Apostles.
3.
His only fault was his lack of affiliation with the officially authorized true believers, and THEY claimed a monopoly on the Messiah! It never seemed to occur to them to invite him to join them in following their common Master, or give him the right hand of fellowship. They apparently did not inquire about his allegiance to Jesus or his character. Their superficiality was satisfied by the fact that he was outside their charmed circle, as if all inside it, even Judas Iscariot, could do no wrong, and anyone having the misfortune to be caught outside it were a lesser breed of follower, if not downright damned. They are motivated by sectarian pride.
The importance for our understanding of Matthew 18 lies in the fact that John and his associates, in cruelly silencing the man, had acted in perfect sincerity. As Bruce (Training, 224) taught,
In so far as the intolerance of the twelve was due to honest scrupulosity, it is deserving of more respectful consideration . . . That the scrupulosity of the twelve was of the honest kind, we believe for this reason, that they were willing to be instructed. They told their Master what they had done, that they might learn from Him whether it was right or wrong. This is not the way of men whose plea of conscience is a pretext.
But it is for this reason the more dangerous, because the very devotion of mind and the tender, intense attachment to Jesus and the scrupulous conscientiousness in their actions when void of the humility and mercifulness Jesus inculcates here, made them bigoted and intolerant. Their suppressing this nonconformist was of a piece psychologically with their persecuting spirit that was ready to call fire from heaven to consume the Lords enemies. (Cf. Luk. 9:51-56)
C. JESUS ANSWERS
1.
Mar. 9:39 Do not forbid him.
a.
This means that Jesus is Lord and giver of commissions and He can empower whomever He will. They are not at the helm; He is Chief of Operations and if He desires to empower a thousand such miracle-workers not belonging to the apostolic group, without ever informing them, what was that to them? (Cf. Joh. 21:21 f)
b.
This command is an implied rebuke of their past attitude and an order for the future. The over-protective spirit toward Jesus shown by John and others in the case of the isolated disciple is identical to that which provoked Jesus to rebuke them later in the case of the little children: Forbid them not! (Mat. 19:14 = the verb is the same: m kolete autn, aut) Hindering the weak, unknown, unimportant disciples in any way when they are feebly struggling to please Jesus is dangerous business! The Lord forbids this kind of forbidding. They must forbid, if at all, only those who maliciously slander Christ, To every other, even if he has not arrived at a perfect understanding of truth, they are to offer kind leadership and patient understanding, However imperfectly each has begun to stammer Jesus name, he is to be loved and instructed for that flicker of discipleship he confesses.
2.
No one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon after to speak evil of me.
a.
Since the man was succeeding, whereas the nine Apostles had just miserably failed because of their little faith and prayerlessness (Mat. 17:17; Mat. 17:19 f; Mar. 9:29), it should have been obvious that he really believed in the efficacy of the name of Jesus and was, by their own admission, making use of it for good. (Cf. Mat. 12:22-28) Such great faith is proof against quick apostacy. Further, a man who would abandon the religio-magic enchantments of the Jewish exorcists and stand up for Jesus of Nazareth in the teeth of a Jewish society growing more disenchanted with Him could not be too far from the Kingdom.
b.
While later apostacy is always possible even for miracle-workers (Mat. 7:22 f), it would probably not occur contemporaneously with their miracles, otherwise God would seem to be furnishing divine credentials to confirm their apostacy. (However, see Deu. 13:1-5 and How to Avoid Becoming a Pharisee after Mat. 15:1-20.) Jesus main thrust here is that a person is not likely to be a traitor and a devoted follower simultaneously.
For this reason it is unlikely that the question discussed in this section has anything to do with the problem of objective criteria for distinguishing true from false prophets. Jesus counsel of tolerance has nothing to do with prophets who are not expressly or implicitly disciples of Jesus, hence members of the Church. (Cf. Gonzalez-Ruiz, Marco, 171)
This warns the disciples to pause before judging, hastily and on so little evidence, that any man could be chargeable with unfaithfulness to God. Until valid reasons for changing their minds appeared, He would have them consider the fruit of the others lives as proof of the sincerity of their faith and belonging to Him. (Cf. Mat. 7:15-20)
c.
The tragedy of it all was that, if we may decide on what little grounds we have, the Twelve had silenced a sincere, honest man, whose heart had been impressed by the ministry of Jesus and His disciples, and who desired to imitate their zeal in doing good! (Bruce, Training, 224)
3.
Mar. 9:40 For he who is not against us is for us.
a.
Whoever is not actively opposed to you, permits you to work! Everyone who is not hindering you is giving you every opportunity you need to do my work. They may not be an immediate, positive assistance to you, but if they give you no trouble, rejoice and do my work! But the man, however imperfect may have been his discipleship, was not neutral. Jesus argues that unless a person is openly hostile, he should be considered an ally. In a time when intensified opposition makes discipleship difficult, any assistance should be welcomed by disciples who would need every friend they could find. Learn who your friends are!
b.
The barely noticeable difference between Marks against us . . . for us and Lukes against YOU . . . for YOU is to be explained by thinking that Luke is emphasizing the Apostles ministry, whereas Mark quotes Jesus as speaking of us in a general way, probably referring specifically to the Apostles, because they (He and the Twelve) labored in the same cause.
c.
There is no contradiction between this saying and that recorded in Mat. 12:30 (Whoever is not for me is against me.), because Jesus is not discussing here the problem of feigned neutrality or aggressive refusal of His ministry, but the question of methodology among those obviously committed to Him. Mat. 12:30 refers to inward unity with Christ; Mar. 9:40 and Luk. 9:50 discuss external conformity to a group of His people. Inward unity with Christ may exist independently of outward conformity with other groups. It is this inward unity that unites real Christians, whatever their affiliations and external distinctions. The difference in the texts is the question of methodology versus allegiance: in the one case it was a question of not being with Christ; in the other a question of being not against the disciples in their work. (See note on Mat. 12:30.)
d.
Edersheim (Life, II, 118) has it: Not that it is unimportant to follow with the disciples, but that it is not ours to forbid any work done, however imperfectly, in His Name, and that only one question is really vitalwhether or not a man is decidedly with Christ.
4.
Mar. 9:41 Whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear the name of Christ, will by no means lose his reward. Whoever helps you in the smallest way will be rewarded. Appreciation for Jesus disciples even in the common, mundane things of life, convenient to whatever circumstances they are in, is appreciated by the Lord who accepts this as helpfulness shown directly to Him. (See note on Mat. 10:42; Mat. 18:5; cf. Heb. 6:10) Whoever, while certainly including the humblest, poorest in His Kingdom who show their love for Jesus by doing good even with the feeblest assistance, is not limited by our Lord. Our sectarian reaction is to limit Jesus promise to bonafide members in good standing of the church of Christ, but Jesus rejoices in righteousness and generosity wherever He finds it. (Cf. 1Co. 13:6) Acts of love done by any man who helps Christians, because they are Christians, though often curtly turned out of the Kingdom by the orthodox, will not be forgotten by the Lord. His reward is not stated, but since our attitude toward him is to be tempered by Jesus magnanimity and openness to him and interest in him, we will long to bring such a generous contact all the way to the Lord whose name he honored in us.
It is worthy of note that here it is the disciples themselves who are on the receiving end of the generosity of others. Jesus is not at this point instructing them to share generously with the little ones. Rather, they themselves belong to that group, and, ironically, they will need the sympathetic assistance from these very outsiders whose ministry they had so arrogantly decided to impede!
Merely because Matthew omitted the incident of the isolated miracle worker, many assume that Jesus answers to Johns question given in Mark and Luke ended with those texts. However, the disciples present would have heard the complete discourse without break. This means that the successive material might well have been considered by the Twelve as further amplification on the general question of John. If so, then, in addition to the above, Jesus answers continue:
5.
Do not despise little ones who believe in Jesus (Mat. 18:6-14)
6.
If your brother is wrong, go to him and seek his salvation (Mat. 18:15-17)
7.
The power of fellowship and unity must not be underestimated. (Mat. 18:18-20)
A man who loves good for its own sake and God for His, will joyfully welcome and approve all the good that is accomplished by others and rejoice that the Kingdom of Christ is advanced. Although this entire context demands that we do everything in our power to edify the weak, instruct the ignorant and be patient with everyones failings and infirmities, our Master lets us rejoice in every good thing done in His name, no matter how imperfectly or irregularly it might be done. (Cf. Php. 1:15-18!) Regardless of our fears that some will not be resolute in their goodness and efforts for Jesus, we may permit them to continue, when they seem to be at all useful and desirous to please Him. God Himself authorizes these workers and it is He who performs the good they do. (Study Mat. 12:22-36; see also Php. 2:12; 1Co. 12:3; 1Co. 15:10.) The first century Jewish readers of the Gospels desperately needed the instruction of this incident and the Lords reaction to it. They would certainly have seen practical applications of its teachings as they reacted to the liberating, limit-bursting universal Christianity of Paul.
It is right that we should identify ourselves emotionally WITH the Lords work in some area to get work done. It is wrong when we identify ourselves AS the Lords work, i.e. the exclusive expression of it in that place. True greatness does not depend upon following us and our brotherhood, but upon faithful service to Jesus, and, whether we like it or not, those two things CAN BE exclusive! A man MUST know Christ, but he does not have to know or follow along with us to be Jesus servant. We must keep in mind that others may read the Bible and obey the Word without following our traditions. (We even have the tradition of saying that we have no traditions!) With these Apostles, we assume too readily that affiliation equals fellowship, but this is the loyal church fallacy (=We are the one true, authorized church of Christ!) Too often we do not care how badly mistaught a man may be, or how dead his zeal, or how polluted his morals, just so he is in our company, hence has a ticket out of hell. But men do not have to be approved by us to be our brethren! We are to invite men to Christ: it is He that they must obey to be pleasing to God and in the Kingdom. Has anyone a monopoly on Christ and Christian service? We must beware of jumping to conclusions about a mans spiritual condition based on merely superficial shibboleths and titles, without being concerned about his zealous allegiance to God and the Bible. We have the duty to recognize and willingly encourage all who truly love Christ and avail themselves of His help in combatting evil within and around them.
So, while Jesus did not teach a universalistic indifferentism toward those who do not belong specifically and openly to the Church which would eliminate any need for evangelism or correction, yet He did emphasize the openness which the Christian community must show those who show an attitude of benevolent sympathy toward it. And in showing Himself a model of excellence in His gentle treatment of Johns wrongness and sectarianism, He shows us how to be of service to all men, especially the denominationalists. Our business is to minister to the needs of people and extend the reign of GOD (not the rule of our sect) in mens hearts.
See Mat. 18:22-35 for Fact Questions.
Fuente: College Press Bible Study Textbook Series
(5) Whoso shall receive one such little child.The words are memorable as the first utterance of the truth afterwards proclaimed as the law of final judgment in Mat. 25:40, and as giving to that law the widest possible range of universality. No child of man is excluded from those whom Christ calls His brethren.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
5. Whose shall receive one such little child Not the actual child but the spiritual child, whom grace has made. Receiveth me In receiving him who is my spiritual image. For our Lord here passes from the symbol to the thing symbolized, from the child by nature to the child by grace.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
“And whoever will receive one such little child in my name receives me.”
(Some of the verbs continue as second aorists and could therefore be translated as perfects – ‘whoever has received one such little child in My name receives Me’ – thinking, however, in this case of an action that will be ‘past’ in the future, for a major purpose of the second aorist is in order to be ‘timeless’ and rather to indicate a particular action, a purpose retained in the translation).
‘One such little child.’ This probably refers back to those who have ‘become as little children’ (Mat 18:4), that is, all true disciples. Once they have chosen to become His children He has a special care for them. Thus from now on He describes them as ‘little ones’.
‘In My Name.’ Compare here the one who gives a cup of cold water to a child ‘in the name of a disciple’, that is because the child is His disciple (Mat 10:42). Here then His disciples are to receive their fellow-disciples ‘because they are His and bear His name’. They are ‘received in His Name’ because they bear the name of Jesus, that is they declare themselves to be His followers, to be ‘Christ’s men’. They believe in Him and declare Him to be their Master.
The word ‘receive’ regularly means ‘to receive with hospitality, to welcome’ (compare and contrast Mat 10:14), but its meaning here is wider. Those who ‘receive’ others offer an open-hearted acceptance. And when they do that to one who believes in Him, however humble, they receive Jesus Himself (‘Me’ is emphatic). We can compare also how when they are persecuted, Jesus Himself is seen as being persecuted (Act 9:4-5). And when they are in need and fed and clothed etc. it is as though it was done to Him (Mat 25:35-36). The oneness of His people with Himself is made very clear here. In Jesus’ eyes what is done to His true people is done to Him.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
A Powerful Warning Against Being A Cause Of Stumbling To Young Believers (18:5-10).
Jesus now moves on from a consideration of the need for His disciples to have become ‘as little children’ in regard to service for Him, to the equal need for them to recognise the importance of all ‘little ones’. This change of description draws attention to the fact that He now has in mind those who have become ‘as little children’ because they have believed on Him. In those days children were not seen as too important outside their own family, (although the Jews did take great trouble within the family to teach their children the Law, as the Law itself required), but the disciples were to recognise that to God such children who believe in Him are very important, and are to be seen as very important, as are all who become as little children because they believe. All such are therefore to be nurtured and encouraged, and every effort must be made to prevent their stumbling, for as believers they are the Father’s children. Indeed they are so important to Jesus Himself that not only is to receive and welcome them into fellowship and a sphere of caring similar to receiving and welcoming Him (compare Mat 25:35-40), but also causing them to stumble or to be entrapped is a heinous offence punishable in the most dreadful way, for the latter is an offence which reveals the one who is deliberately or carelessly involved in it as being outside the mercy of God. By it they will be demonstrating that they themselves are too high above themselves and have not ‘become as little children’. For the one who has become as a little child will receive them and care for them and tend them with greatest care.
Analysis.
a
b “But whoever shall cause one of these little ones who believe on me to stumble, it is profitable for him that a great millstone should be hanged about his neck, and that he should be sunk in the depth of the sea” (Mat 18:6).
c “Alas to the world because of occasions of stumbling! for it is necessary that the occasions come, but alas for that man through whom the occasion comes!” (Mat 18:7).
b “And if your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off, and cast it from you. It is good for you to enter into life maimed or lame, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into the eternal fire, and if your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out, and cast it from you. It is good for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into the Gehenna of fire” (Mat 18:8-9).
a “See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you, that in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven” (Mat 18:10).
Note that in ‘a’ the believing child is to be received and welcomed as a believer in His Name, and to receive and welcome him is therefore to receive Jesus, and in the parallel the child who is a believer is not to be despised for he is ever represented by angels who are welcomed in the presence of His Father. The child is thus seen to be beloved of both Jesus and His Father. In ‘b’ to cause a young believer to stumble or fall into a trap is so dreadful a crime that the worst of deaths is preferable, and indeed in the parallel His disciples are to go to the most extreme of lengths so as to ensure that they themselves do not stumble, either in this way, or in any other way, lest they prove false and finish up in eternal destruction. Centrally in ‘c’ we have the recognition of the inevitability of occasions of stumbling arising, and the sad position of those through whom they happen.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Mat 18:5-6. And whoso shall receive, &c. “All who in the sense above explained are little children, are unspeakably dear to me; therefore help them all you can, as if it were myself in person, and see that ye offend them not; that is to say, that ye neither turn them out of the right way, nor hinder them in it.” Dr. Clarke thinks, thatlittle ones mean plain and sincere Christians, before compared, for their simplicity and sincerity, to little children; and that to offend them signifies to cast a stumbling-block before them, to cause them to sin, to discourage them in their duty, or attempt to offend them. So that whoever, by a scandalous life, should lead others to think ill of the Christian profession in general, or should bypersecution discourage the weak, or by sophistry, bad example, or otherwise, pervert them from the way of truth and goodness, would fall under the weight of the terrible sentence here denounced. Casaubon, Elsner, and others, have shewn at large, that drowning in the sea was a punishment frequently used among the Syrians, Greeks, and Romans; and that the persons condemned had sometimes heavy stones tied about their necks, or were rolled up in sheets of lead, , to sink them with the weight. It seems to have grown into a proverb for dreadful and inevitable ruin. See on ch. Mat 14:28 and Mintert on the word . probably signifies a mill-stone too large to be turned, as some were, by the hand; and requiring the force of asses to move it, as it seems those animals were generally used by the Jews on this occasion. See Raphelius, Riping, Antiq. Rom. lib. 2. 100. 7 and Lightfoot.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Mat 18:5 . Comp. Mar 9:37 ; Luk 9:47 . The question of the disciples has been answered. But His eye having lighted upon this child who happened to be present, Jesus now seizes the opportunity of inculcating upon them the duty of taking an affectionate interest in such little ones, an exhortation, of which the jealous and ambitious spirit evinced by their question in Mat 18:1 must have shown they stood but too much in need.
] such a little child , i.e. according to the context, not a literal child (Bengel, Paulus, Neander, de Wette, Arnoldi, Bleek, Hilgenfeld), which would give a turn to the discourse utterly foreign to the connection, but a man of such a disposition as this little child represents one who with child-like simplicity is humble and unassuming. So Chrysostom ( ), Erasmus, Beza, Calvin, Grotius, Wetstein, Kuinoel, Olshausen, Kern, Baumgarten-Crusius, Ewald, Keim. Jesus well knew how much the unassuming, child-like disposition, free from everything like self-assertion, was just that which others, animated by an opposite spirit, were in the habit of overlooking, slighting, and thrusting aside.
] a single one . So very precious are they!
] denotes a loving reception with a view to further care for the soul; the opposite to this is , Mat 18:6 .
] on the ground of my name (Mat 24:5 ) i.e. on account of my name, which, however, is not, with de Wette, to be taken subjectively, and referred to the faith of the one who receives (whosoever confessing my name, on account of his faith in me, etc.), but is to be understood as referring to the that is to be received (Mar 9:41 ; Mat 10:42 ), because my name (Jesus the Messiah) contains the sum of his belief and confession (“non ob causas naturales aut politicas,” Bengel).
] comp. Mat 10:40 , Mat 25:40 ; Joh 13:20 .
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
5 And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me.
Ver. 5. And whoso shall receive one such, &c. ] St Luke Luk 9:48 hath it, “whosoever shall receive this child in my name.” Meaneth our Saviour the child, or those that were humble as that child? Both surely. See here how highly Christ regards and rewards humility, even the picture of it in little ones. Now, if the shadow of this grace have such a healing virtue, what then hath the body? If the leaves be so sovereign, what then the fruit?
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
5. ] Having shewn the child as the pattern of humility, the Lord proceeds to shew the honour in which children are held in His heavenly kingdom; and not only actual, but spiritual children for both are understood in the expression .
The receiving in My name is the serving ( Mar 9:35 ) with Christian love, and as belonging to Christ (see also ch. Mat 25:40 ).
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Mat 18:5-7 .
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
Mat 18:5 . : the discourse passes at this point from being child-like to gracious treatment of a child and what it represents. : the real child present in the room passes into an ideal child, representing all that the spirit of ambition in its struggle for place and power is apt to trample under foot. So in effect the majority of commentators; a few, including Bengel, De Wette, Bleek, Weiss, hold that the reference is still to a real child. In favour of this view is Luke’s version: “Whoso receiveth this child ,” etc. (Luk 9:48 ). But the clause raises the child into the ideal sphere. The reception required does not mean natural kindness to children (though that also Christ valued), but esteeming them as fellow-disciples in spite of their insignificance. A child may be such a disciple, but it may also represent such disciples, and it is its representative function that is to be emphasised.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
5.] Having shewn the child as the pattern of humility, the Lord proceeds to shew the honour in which children are held in His heavenly kingdom; and not only actual, but spiritual children-for both are understood in the expression .
The receiving in My name is the serving ( Mar 9:35) with Christian love, and as belonging to Christ (see also ch. Mat 25:40).
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Mat 18:5. , shall receive) sc. humbly, lovingly, to the profit of his soul, as appears from the contrast in the next verse.-, such) For little children also are sometimes corrupt.[805]-The same termination occurs in Act 21:25.[806]-, one) Gods providence is exercised also on individuals; see the next verse. One is frequently mentioned in this chapter. , in My name) Not from natural or political causes.-, name) see Mat 18:20.-, Me) sc. who am in the little ones which believe on Me, as the Father is in Me. In like manner it may be said that, in Justification, when God receives a believer, He receives Christ.
[805] Therefore He marks out one endued with humbleness of heart.-V. g.
[806] , , , Att. also , which however is also found in Od. vii. 309, and xiii. 330; and seems to prevail in Herodotus. Liddell and Scott.-(I. B.)
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
receive: Mat 10:40-42, Mat 25:40, Mat 25:45, Mar 9:41, Luk 9:48, Luk 17:1, Luk 17:2
receiveth: Mar 9:37, Joh 13:20, Gal 4:14
Reciprocal: Pro 25:9 – with Mat 5:20 – ye Mat 10:14 – whosoever Luk 10:16 – heareth you Joh 1:12 – received Rom 14:1 – receive Phm 1:17 – receive
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
18:5
Such little child means the same as the little children of verse 3. To receive such a person means to be friendly with him or show hospitality because of his humble character. This is to be done in the name of Christ or because he is a humble disciple of his and is trying to mold his life after his teaching.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Mat 18:5. And whoso shall receive one such child. The consequence and evidence of humility; still more prominent in the other accounts. The primary reference is to children in years, but the context (comp. Mat 18:6; Mat 18:9) extends it to children in spirit. The general application is to those apparently small, those needing and receiving instruction, forbidding pride and a hierarchical spirit on the part of Christs disciples. Shall receive, i.e., into spiritual fellowship. This implies that little children can be Christians and members of Christs Church.
In my name, i.e., on the ground of my name; referring either to those who receive, or to those who were received, probably to both.
Receiveth me, since the little one represents Christ. Mark and Luke insert here a remark of Johns, about one who cast out devils in Christs name, without following with them. The hierarchical spirit manifested in forbidding him was rebuked in part by what follows.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
Our Saviour having declared, that the humblest persons should be always highest in his esteem; he next declares how exceeding dear and precious such christians are to him, who resemble little children in humility of heart, and innocency of life: assuring the world, that whatever kindness and respect is shewn to such for his sake, he reckons shewn to himself; and all the disrespect and unkindness which is offered to them, be accounts as done unto himself: so near is the union, and so dear the relation, betwixt Christ and his members, that whatever good or evil is done unto them, he reckons as done unto himself.
Fuente: Expository Notes with Practical Observations on the New Testament
Mat 18:5-6. And whoso shall receive one such little child Whosoever shall entertain or discover an affectionate regard to any one of my humble and meek followers; receiveth me I shall take the kindness as done to myself. As if he had said, And all who are in this sense little children, are unspeakably dear to me. Therefore help them all you can, as if it were myself in person, and see that ye offend them not: that is, that ye turn them not out of the right way, neither hinder them in it. The original expression, , is literally, Whosoever shall cause to stumble one of these little ones that believe in me Whosoever shall tempt them to sin, or lay obstructions in their way, and render it rough and difficult, and shall thereby impede their progress in it; it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck Casaubon and Elsner, not to mention others, have shown at large that drowning in the sea was a punishment used among the ancients, and that the persons condemned had sometimes heavy stones tied about their necks, or were rolled up in sheets of lead. It seems to have grown into a proverb for dreadful and inevitable ruin. The term, , (as Erasmus, Grotius, Raphelius, and many others observe,) properly signifies a millstone too large to be turned, as some were, by the hand, and requiring the force of asses to move it; as it seems those animals were generally used by the Jews on these occasions.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
The seriousness of impeding the progress of a disciple 18:5-14 (cf. Mar 9:37-50; Luk 9:48-50)
The major sub-theme of this discourse is offenses (Gr. skandalon, stumbling blocks). The humble disciple will be careful not to put a stumbling block in the path of another disciple as that one proceeds toward the kingdom.
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)
The child in view in these verses is not a literal child but the disciple who has humbled himself or herself and in so doing has become childlike (Mat 18:3-4). Jesus was speaking of receiving a humble disciple of His in Mat 18:5. (Jesus taught the importance of receiving a little child in Mar 9:36-37 and Luk 9:48.) Whoever does this "in Jesus’ name" welcomes the disciple because he or she is one of Jesus’ disciples, not because that one is personally superior, influential, or prominent. The person who welcomes one of Jesus’ humble disciples simply for Jesus’ sake virtually welcomes Jesus Himself (cf. Mat 10:42). In this context, as well as in chapter 10, Jesus was speaking of welcoming in the sense of extending hospitality with its attendant encouragement and support. "To receive" (Gr. dekomai) means to receive into fellowship. [Note: Thayer, s.v. "dekomai," p. 130.]
The antithesis in Mat 18:6 involves not welcoming a disciple but rejecting or ignoring him. Withholding supportive encouragement would cause a disciple to stumble in the sense that it would make it harder for him to do his work. Jesus was not speaking of causing the disciple to stumble by leading him or her into apostasy. The contrast makes this clear. Discouraging the disciple amounts to rejecting the Master. Consequently drowning at sea would be better for the offender than having to face Jesus’ condemnation in hell for rejecting Him (Mat 18:8-9). Again, hyperbole presents the consequences as extremely bad. "Little ones who believe in me" (Mat 18:6) defines the disciples in view. This is the only place in the Synoptics where "believe in me" occurs. This phrase is very common in John’s writings.
Drowning was a Greek and Roman method of execution but not a Jewish one. [Note: Carson, "Matthew," p. 398.] The type of millstone in view was a large one that a donkey would rotate, not the small hand millstone that every Palestinian woman used to prepare her flour. [Note: Edersheim, The Life . . ., 2:120.] Drowning in this way would be horrible, but it would be better than perishing in the lake of fire (Mat 18:8).