Become a lowly, little one - literally! ~ Matthew 18:1-9 (Jesus Said What?! series)

18 At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” ² He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. ³ And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. ⁴ Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. ⁵ And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me. ⁶ “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. ⁷ Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come! ⁸ If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. ⁹ And if your eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell. ~ Matthew 18:1-9

 

In 2005 the editor of the Oxford English Dictionary gave an interview on NPR about the word “literally.” He noted that he encountered more and more people upset by the use of the word in ways like, “His head literally exploded,” when they should have used the term “figuratively.” However, rather than agree with these grammatical critics he argued that using the word “literally” to intensify statements that were themselves figurative or metaphorical has a long and esteemed history, particularly among works by authors we are often told to emulate.

He pointed out that the ground was not especially sticky in Little Women when Louisa May Alcott wrote that “The land literally flowed with milk and honey.” Tom Sawyer was not turning somersaults on piles of cash when Mark Twain described him as “literally rolling in wealth.” Jay Gatsby wasn't shining when Fitzgerald wrote that he “literally glowed.”

Well, “literally” is a word that often gets tossed around with our passage this morning, Matthew 18:1-9. What does Jesus mean when he tells us “unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom”? Should I cut off my foot or hand to keep myself from stumbling? What are we to do? Well

      1.    Take him literally! Become lowly by welcoming a child.

What’s the question of our passage? Verse one reveals it’s the disciples concern about “greatness.” A recurring question in the Gospels. One the disciples can’t seem to let go of, nor can we. “Jesus, who’s the best?” “Who’s the top disciple?” “Who is your favorite?” The Gospel of Thomas, which didn’t make it into the Bible, has the disciples ask Jesus, “We know that you will go away from us; who is it that will be great over us?’”

Jesus’ response does not replicate our sense of fame and power. He does not evoke a military conqueror, charismatic rabbi, or successful merchant, as the model for greatness.

Instead he turns to the margins, to the visual aid of a “literal” child (Matthew 18:2-5). In the ancient world, children did not signify purity and innocence. They signified powerlessness. Without Social Security or Medicare, parents cared for them, protected them, and valued them for their future economic contributions and providers of care and support for elderly parents.

Yet, they were often vulnerable and insignificant, without position or power. High infant mortality rates underscored their fragility. They were excluded from, and subject to, an adult male world. They were not ignored, unloved, and unappreciated as some have claimed. But they were not the center. And yet, Jesus takes a child, places her in the very middle of the adult disciples, and says “be like that” – literally. Jesus’ instruction to be like a child requires his followers to be re-socialized. We must unlearn cultural commitments to greatness and competition. As children we are literally to embrace a downward path marked by a lowly social location and humble social interaction.

Jesus’ comments stress that this is an activity as much as an attitude, whereby his follower “takes the lowly position” (vs. 4). It demands an action. I won’t be so silly to tell you exactly what that would be because I imagine that it will look different for many of us who find ourselves in different social settings but it must be something that you do. What will you do? And yet, Jesus does define one activity that is critically linked to “taking” the lowly position – literally welcoming a child in his name (vs. 5). This next year I believe that Jesus is calling us to accept a lowly position and welcome children in our midst. This will demand more than a mindset but action, volunteers, increased giving, etc.

I know this message about welcome is a message that you’ve already heard. If it feels too familiar, don’t blame me, blame Jesus and our stubborn hearts for needing to hear it over and over again.

Because we’ve already heard that welcome is about God’s redemptive work. That the gospel and welcome are one. We’ve already learned that when we welcome the marginal we are welcoming Jesus. We’ve already understood that we are to welcome the misfit, the mighty pain-in-the-butt BEFORE we see change.

But here’s the thing. Perhaps this is the one thing that I haven’t said enough. That we haven’t learned. It’s not comfortable. Taking the lowly position and welcoming the lowly, the lonely, the down-and-out, the dirty, the druggy, the despairing, the child, isn’t easy or romantic or thrilling. Welcoming little ones as a little one will require that you divest yourself of your own autonomy, some of your rights, some of your preferences. It will mean that you don’t necessarily get to pick, or have your way, or get what you want. Welcoming little ones from the lowly position means that you don’t come first, may not get to decide. The three-year-old does not get to determine what happens at every moment and Jesus tells us that that is the role we should take

– the lowly position. I went to the Union Gospel Mission lunch this past week with Jim Sumner and heard one person share about how he was an usher at a local church and when some men from the Mission were getting off the bus to come in found himself looking at a particular individual and thinking, “Nope! Not in my church!” Friends, to offer the welcome of the kingdom, however, is to hear Jesus tells us, “You don’t get to decide, you’re a child.” It means hearing Jesus say, “Yes, in my church.” The litmus test for how well we are doing Jesus’ kingdom ministry has everything to do with how well we treat the ones with no status. But that’s still not enough.

              2.    We literally must help others and maim ourself.

Verses 6-9 warn against causing other followers, and oneself, to stumble (Matthew 18:6, 7 [3x], 8, 9). The language of children shifts to synonyms of “littles ones” and “believers” (18:6); and the language of “life” replaces the
“kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:8, 9). “Stumbling” or

causing offense is the central image, repeated six times (Matthew 18:6, 7 [3x], 8, 9). The tone becomes increasingly one of dire warning. But don’t be silly. It’s literally hyperbole! It’s exaggeration to talk about consequences in the present and not simply the future. That doesn’t mean it’s not serious. Millstones and maiming are powerful metaphors but the problem isn’t that we don’t take them seriously. It’s that we misunderstand and misuse them.

Stumbling in our passage is described as two things: 1) the first is about things which cause trouble for the world and other disciples; 2) the second refers to the danger in one’s own life (marked by the use of the second person singular). Notice, however, that these are dealt with differently. The first has to do with not welcoming little ones, the lowly, the hurting. In some translations skandalizo is translated “cause to sin” but that is too specific and not the exact meaning. A better translation is “cause to lose their faith.” It’s deeply hurting a believer “in the name of Jesus.” Discipleship isn’t easy; but woe to the one who makes it harder than it should be. Stumbling, Jesus goes on to explain in vs. 10, is the product of “despising” little ones and a failure to seek them out as God does.

The second comment about stumbling has to do with a refusal to deal with sins in my own life, for which drastic measures are called for. The warning of vss. 8-9, however, is expressed in the second-person singular: it is for individual

disciples to work out for themselves where their particular danger of “stumbling” lies and to take appropriate action. Yet, we often reverse the actors. I prefer welcoming myself and maiming others. In your confrontation with sin, don’t cause someone to stumble by focusing on your own sin. How often we accuse others of causing us to stumble and want to maim them. But, we aren’t told to tie millstones around the necks of neighbors or place knives next to other’s feet or hands. 

My best friend is a surfer. One Spring he showed up in Santa Barbara with the aim of teaching me how to surf. As we sat on our boards, moving up and down with the waves, I asked him what to do if we encountered a shark. He looked at me and said, “I’m glad you asked because there is a lot of misinformation out there and people panic and often do the wrong thing.” He then said, “I often keep a small knife with me in wetsuit and if I see a shark . . .” He leaned in toward me, “I stab the guy I’m surfing with and swim for shore.” Friends, don’t be that Christian. Don’t stab another in a competition to save yourself or feel better about your own sin. Deal with your own sin ruthlessly and other’s sin carefully (Matthew 18:15-20). You are only to use the knife on yourself. Finally, . . .

      3.    Don’t be woeful. Literally be like Derek’s Dad.

I want to end with a short clip from the 1992 Olympics – the 400 meter dash and Derek Redmond, who was predicted to win. I don’t want to tell you any more than that but ask you to watch the race as a parable for how to help those who stumble and to see how God loves and cares for the broken. After our passage, Jesus goes on to tell a parable about a shepherd who leaves the flock of sheep to find the one (Matthew 18:10-14).  This is my parable for you. Watch with the "literal" eyes of faith.

Derek Redmond's Olympic Race (Click here)