“See that you do not despise (μὴ καταφρονήσητε) one of these little ones; for I tell you that in heaven their angels always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven. For the Son of Man has come to save (σῶσαι) that which was lost.” (Mt 18: 10-11)
Here, at the beginning of Chapter 18 of the Gospel according to Matthew, our Lord is talking about small children, – and not only about small children, but about those among us who “humble” ourselves (Mt 18: 4), allowing ourselves to be vulnerable and in need of others, as small children do. What our Lord stresses here, when He mentions their “angels” in heaven, who “always behold the face of” God, is our underlying unity in our One Creator; of all of us, God’s creation, the visible and invisible, the weak and the strong.
“See that you do not despise (μὴ καταφρονήσητε, do not look down upon)” this kind of vulnerability, my Lord says to me today, – either in yourself, or in others. Because we are all weak and vulnerable, compelled to “humble ourselves,” at some point or another. And this is not a bad thing. We are sometimes “lost,” and need to be “saved” or “found” by the Son of Man, Who has come to do that for us, and through “us,” the community of His followers.
So, if I’m “lost” today, let me not fear or despise this state of affairs. Let me not fear being “one of these little ones,” and remember that my “angels” always behold the face of my Father Who is in heaven, even when I lose sight of Him. Let me reach out for help, to the Son of Man and others He sends my way, when I am vulnerable and in need of help. Thank You, Lord, for coming, again and again, to save that which was lost, including me.
