At that time the disciples approached Jesus and said, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 2 He called a child over, placed it in their midst, 3 and said, “Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 And whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me.
10 “See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father. [11] 12 What is your opinion? If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills and go in search of the stray? 13 And if he finds it, amen, I say to you, he rejoices more over it than over the ninety-nine that did not stray. 14 In just the same way, it is not the will of your heavenly Father that one of these little ones be lost.
The disciples ask Jesus a question that reflects a very human concern: “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” (v. 1). They are thinking about importance and position. Jesus answers by calling a child forward and placing the child in their midst.
In the society in which Jesus lived, children were loved by their families, but they had little social standing and depended upon others for their needs. Jesus uses the child to teach His disciples how they must approach God. “Unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven” (v. 3). To “turn” means that a change is required. The disciples must change the way they think about greatness.
Jesus then gives the direct answer to their question: “Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (v. 4). The child points to humility, dependence, and trust. A disciple recognizes his dependence upon God and receives what God gives rather than seeking importance according to the standards of the world. Greatness in the kingdom is measured by God’s standards.
Jesus then turns from the child as an example of humility to the way His followers are to treat the “little ones.” He says, “Whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me” (v. 5). The humble disciple who may appear unimportant to others is precious to Christ. To welcome such a person in Christ’s name is to welcome Christ Himself.
Jesus strengthens this teaching when He warns, “See that you do not despise one of these little ones” (v. 10). Their worth does not depend upon their position or importance in the eyes of others. Jesus says that “their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father.” Scripture frequently presents angels as servants of God who protect and assist His people (Psalm 34:8; 91:11; Tobit 12:12–15). Jesus’ words emphasize how precious the little ones are before God.
The parable of the sheep that goes astray carries this teaching further. The image recalls God’s promise through the prophet Ezekiel: “The lost I will search out, the strays I will bring back” (Ezekiel 34:16). Jesus describes a shepherd who leaves the ninety-nine and searches for the one that has wandered away. When he finds it, he rejoices.
The sheep in Matthew’s account has gone astray from the flock. Jesus is teaching His disciples to care about those who wander spiritually. God does not regard one person as insignificant. We understand something of this even from ordinary human love. If a parent has several children and one is missing, the presence of the others does not lessen the concern for the one who is lost. The parent searches because that child is loved and belongs to the family. In an even greater way, God desires that every person be sought, brought back, and saved.
Jesus concludes, “It is not the will of your heavenly Father that one of these little ones be lost” (v. 14). This completes the meaning of the parable. The shepherd searches because the one who has strayed is precious to him, and Jesus reveals that this reflects the heart of the Father. God desires the salvation of each person and does not abandon those who wander from Him. Jesus Himself fulfills the image of the shepherd who seeks His sheep (John 10:11–16), and His disciples are called to share in that work by seeking, welcoming, and helping those who have gone astray.
His disciples are therefore called to share that concern. We should notice those who are struggling, care for those who are easily overlooked, and reach out to those who have wandered from the faith. Humility allows us to see other people as God sees them—not according to status or usefulness, but as persons precious to Him.
Lord Jesus, teach us to become humble and trusting before You. Help us to recognize the dignity of every person, to welcome those who are overlooked, and to seek with love those who have wandered away. Amen.
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Sources and References
- The New American Bible, Revised Edition. Washington, DC: Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, 2011. Notes on Matthew 18:1–5, 10–14.
- Hahn, Scott, and Curtis Mitch. The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: New Testament. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2010, 38–39.
- Casciaro, Jose Maria, gen. ed. The Navarre Bible: New Testament, Expanded Edition. Dublin: Four Courts Press; New York: Scepter Publishers, 2008, 109–110.
- Brown, Raymond E., Joseph A. Fitzmyer, and Roland E. Murphy, eds. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1990, 661, paras. 112, 114.
- Aguilar Chiu, Jose Enrique, et al., eds. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. New York: Paulist Press, 2018, 945.
- Mitch, Curtis, and Edward Sri. The Gospel of Matthew. Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2010, 225–227, 229–230.
- Collins, John J., Gina Hens-Piazza, Barbara Reid, OP, and Donald Senior, CP, eds. The Jerome Biblical Commentary for the Twenty-First Century. 3rd fully rev. ed. London: T&T Clark, 2022, 1209–1210.
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