St. Matthew 18:1-10

At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

“Whoever receives one such child 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 to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.

“Woe to the world for temptations to sin! For it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the one by whom the temptation comes! And if your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than with two hands or two feet to be thrown into the eternal fire. And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into the hell of fire.

“See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven.

September 29th is St. Michael’s Day in the church year. It’s named after the angel from our epistle lesson, the one fighting, along with other angels, against the dragon or devil when that angel was expelled from heaven (Rev. 12:7-12). Angels are mentioned also in our Old Testament lesson—ascending and descending on a ladder between earth and heaven in Jacob’s dream.

We take the opportunity to remind ourselves on this Sunday, of these mostly unseen beings of God’s creation, whose purpose is to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation (Hebrews 1:14). The writer to the Hebrews, who says that, is talking about you. You’re the ones who are inheriting salvation, and for whose sakes the angels serve. Kind of an interesting thought.

Along with this reminder about the holy angels, we have an important lesson this morning about humility. Makes sense, seeing as how St. Luke’s gospel contains even another instance of these disciples disputing amongst themselves, who is to be considered the greatest among them (22:24). Whenever whatever it is that caused the devil to be thrown out of heaven is discussed, sinful pride is what’s talked about; that’s what got the devil out of heaven (Did he even ask himself, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven, suggesting himself as the question’s answer?). In a lot of ways, sinful pride is the thing he used to tempt the first people (aren’t I just as wise as God; is what he wanted Eve to be asking herself?). It’s what he used to tempt Jesus in the wilderness as well (of course he failed in that tempting; Jesus bearing up under it, resisting any sinning).

Look how Jesus responds to His disciples’ prideful question in our text: he calls a child over there, and puts the child right in the midst of them. You can imagine the looks on their faces when you remember that just beyond this occasion, when people are bringing their children to Jesus, the disciples will be rebuking them (these parents)—telling them to get these kids out of here.

Stop wasting Jesus’ time with them, they will mean by it (19:13). They aren’t important like we are, they’ll also mean. Having brought this child into their midst, then, of course, Jesus says something shocking to them: unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. And then, He answers their question in a similarly shocking way: Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

It can be presumed, that each of them had expected to hear his own name given as the answer to the question: you, Peter, are the greatest; you, Matthew…; you, Bartholomew…; you, John…

No, no, says Jesus. You’ve got it all wrong. Who’s the greatest—the most important? As far as God is concerned, it’s a child like this. You know, this one you wouldn’t give a second thought to? This one whose parents you’d tell to get him out of here because he isn’t important? God considers this child so important He guards him with His angels.

And it isn’t that children aren’t sinners like everyone else; that isn’t the point Jesus is making. It’s just that He knows His disciples tend to think of themselves as more important than children. That’ll be the easiest way to make the point about their pride. He takes the type of person they’re most likely to look down on to show them this sinful thing they tend to do. But the fact is, they’re proud like that toward others too (who aren’t children).

You can relate to this, can’t you? After all, you’re better than the idiot on the road who doesn’t know how to drive, than the person on the other end of the phone who can’t speak clearly, than the one on the other side of the political aisle who doesn’t perceive reality correctly, than the one at the mall who doesn’t dress appropriately.

God values the ones you tend to look down on; that’s a big part of the lesson in today’s text. And when you’re looking down on them, you’re forgetting your own worthlessness before God that is only redeemed out of His mercy. Pride tells us that our sins aren’t anything to be so concerned about. Who’s God to tell me how to be? Sinful pride is behind that kind of thinking (remember: Eve became convinced, that what she thought, was as important as what God thought).

Jesus warns in this text, that there’s a lot of danger ahead in that—especially for anyone spreading that poisonous kind of thing to other people. Better to have died before having accomplished that, He says. He warns bluntly against this pride that would cause a person to think lightly of God’s commands. Better to be without a foot that’s the cause of sin than to be whole in hell. Better to be without an eye that’s the cause of sin than to have perfect vision in hell.

Perfect humility before God is what He requires of you. With it, you wouldn’t ever look down on other people, thinking you’re better than them. You wouldn’t have ever demonstrated wickedness, recommending it to others. You wouldn’t have thought lightly of God’s commands, wouldn’t have turned aside…become worthless, as St. Paul quotes in his letter to the Romans (3:12). When he says that, he’s saying that you and all people have become what is only fit for everlasting punishment.

That’s why Jesus’ lesson about humility in our text is so important. When He talks about a child-like faith, He’s talking about one that doesn’t stand defiantly and insist on its own righteousness. To turn and become like a child is to have one’s hands out to humbly receive God’s grace.

The grace comes by means of Jesus, Whose own unimpeachable humility stands in the place of your pride. It can be demonstrated by a prophecy about Him from Isaiah (53:7): He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. At any point He could have put a stop to these actions that were leading to His crucifixion. When St. Peter took out his sword to defend Him in the garden, He told him to put it away. He wasn’t here to overcome anyone; He was here to be overcome.

…he poured out his soul to death
    and was numbered with the transgressors;
yet he bore the sin of many,
    and makes intercession for the transgressors (Isaiah 53:12).

—more from Isaiah.

Fitting, we mention the garden incident on a Sunday in which we remember the holy angels. Jesus’ response to Peter had included this reasoning: Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels? (Matthew 26:53). Jesus had that available to Him. In refusing it He was humbly obeying the Father’s will that He bear the sins of the world, that He be held responsible for yours and everyone else’s sinful pride, and every other form of disobedience.

So, you’re forgiven of it all. Jesus allowed Himself to be expelled from heaven over your sinful pride, so that in rising from death He could enable you to rise from it. You will be there eternally, made righteous in Jesus, made righteous in the One about Whom the angels sang at His birth, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men,” the One Whom angels attended following His temptation in the wilderness, and in His anguish in the Garden of Gethsemane.

Those same ones attend you in this moment, and throughout your life. They bear you up on their hands lest you strike your foot against a stone, the Psalmist writes (91:10). God considers you that important, that He guards you with His angels. They serve for your sake as one who through faith in Christ inherits salvation. God be praised. Amen.