Matthew 18

Matthew 18:2

The Heart Of A Child Jesus called a little child unto him.—Matthew 18:2 (AV).And when he had taken him in his arms, he said unto them.—Mark 9:36 (AV).Today’s sermon is about a little boy whose name we don’t know, but about whom we read twice in the Bible. We can make a guess at his name, however, for we rather think—although the Bible does not exactly tell us so—that his father’s name was Simon, and in all probability the little fellow was named after his father. He lived in a town called Capernaum. His father was a fisherman, so was his Uncle Andrew, who lived with them. He had a good mother too, and a kind Granny who knew just what small boys liked to eat and who often gave him goodies.But besides these nice relatives he had a special Friend, a perfectly splendid Friend, who often came to stay in the house. When He arrived He was sometimes very tired, because He had been so busy all day, but He was never so tired as not to be ready to speak to Simon.

He was a wonderful man, this Friend. Father said He preached better than any of the learned Jewish Rabbis, and He could cure sick people too.

When the doctors and everybody else had given up hope He could make a sick person well with a word. Simon himself had seen Him do it. It was only a little while ago that Granny was very ill. She had been tossing and moaning on her bed with fever, and mother had been terribly worried about her, and this marvelous Friend had merely touched her with His cool hand, and she had been quite well all in a minute. Why! she had risen and made an extra fine dinner for the whole household, just to prove how well she was, and how glad she was to be so.Then the Friend knew exactly what children liked to play at. He was always ready to share in a game. He could do extraordinary things with His fingers too. With a knife and a piece of wood and a hammer and some nails He could make you such splendid toys.

Granny said that was because He had been a carpenter. And after you were tired playing games with Him or watching Him make toys, He was always ready to take you on His knee and tell you stories. And what stories they were! You simply held your breath and listened hard. Father was a fine man, and Uncle Andrew was a good sort, but there was nobody—nobody in all the world—to compare with the Friend.When He came to the house little Simon hung around fascinated. He could not tear himself away.

He was a quiet little fellow, so he was often allowed to stay in the room while the Friend talked to the men whom He usually had with Him. (Mother called them His disciples. Father was one, so was Uncle Andrew.) Simon could not understand all the Friend said, but it sounded very beautiful, and it made Simon long to be old enough to become a disciple too.One day he remembered especially well.

They had all come in from a long walk looking rather overheated and cross—all except the Friend!—He never was cross! The Friend had turned to them and said, “What were you reasoning about on the way?” Simon thought that an extremely polite way of putting it, for the disciples looked as if they had been having a downright quarrel. When the Friend asked them this question, however, they had all looked rather caught and had got redder than before. Then the Friend had sat down, as all Rabbis did when they were going to teach their followers, and the disciples had gathered round in an ashamed bunch, for they knew that the Friend had guessed the secret of their quarrel. Then the Friend had turned round and smiled to little Simon, who was hanging about as usual in the background, and stretching out His hand towards him, had said, “Come, Simon.” And Simon had run forward gladly at the call and had climbed up (he was such a wee fellow, you know) on the Friend’s knee, and the Friend had put an arm round him and had turned and said to Father and Uncle Andrew and all those great tall men, “Friends, you were questioning as you came along which of you should have the first place in the Kingdom ofHeaven. I tell you that you have to enter that Kingdom before you can talk of being first or last.

And I tell you also that the only way to enter it is to become like little Simon here. You must love Me as he loves Me, you must trust Me as he trusts Me, ere you can enter My Kingdom.

The man who would be greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven must have the heart of a little child.”Of course, boys and girls, you have guessed long ago who little Simon was. He was the little son of Simon Peter. St. Matthew tells us about him and so does St. Mark. They tell us how Christ set him in the midst of these angry men and preached a sermon with his loving child’s heart as the text.And Christ is still preaching that sermon. He is still saying to older people, “Love Me with the heart of a child.”And what is He saying to the children? Is He not asking you to love Him as little Simon loved Him long ago?

He knows that if you learn to love Him truly when you are young you will love Him all your days. He knows that the people who don’t learn to love Him when they are children find it difficult to enter His Kingdom. They have to do what Christ said His disciples must do; they have to turn and become as little children before they can enter the door of the Kingdom. But the door of the Kingdom stands wide for the children, and though it is a lowly door it is high enough for each loving child.Are you going to wait till you grow up and you find the entrance difficult? Or are you going to do as Simon did? Are you going to make Christ your special Friend while you are still a child? If so, you will cross the threshold of the Kingdom almost without knowing it, and the Friend of little children will be your Friend for ever and ever, world without end.

Matthew 18:10

Guardian Angels In heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.—Matthew 18:10.Do you like a story with an angel in it? I do. There is a sort of other-world feeling about an angel story that makes it particularly delightful. The best book I know for angel stories is the Bible. You would be surprised to know how often the Bible speaks of angels, and how much it tells us about them. We learn there that they are God’s messengers to men, that they guide and comfort them, warn and protect them.

And we learn too that they form a sort of court in Heaven, and that angel choirs are for ever praising God.Christ often spoke of angels, and one of the most interesting things He said about them is in today’s text. He told us that little children have guardian angels and that these guardian angels have the special privilege of entrance to God’s presence at any moment. “In heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven,” He said.

Christ was speaking to Eastern people and they would understand better than we do what He meant by the words “behold the face.” In an Eastern court those who are special favorites of the monarch are allowed to see his face and to stand near his presence, as a mark of great intimacy and confidence. Even in this country we have a custom somewhat similar. Ambassadors of a certain rank can speak to the king only through his ministers, but those of the highest rank have what is called the right of “direct access.” They can see the king and speak with him face to face.Now why should the children’s angels have this special privilege? I’ll tell you why I think they have it. God gives them this privilege because He specially loves His little ones, and He is anxious that they, who are small and helpless and not able to look after themselves, should get special care and attention. He appoints those guardian angels to watch over the children so that if anybody should try to harm the little ones the angels may report it to Him at once.

And He often gives those angels power to ward off danger and keep the children safe. Nobody sees them at their task, but they are busy all the time.Sometimes God has permitted people to see the children’s angels.

Shall I tell you a story of how men saw them on one occasion?It was long ago in Italy. The people of a certain little town called Spinalunza were besieged by enemies from another town called Pisa. The Pisans, who were at the same time at war with Florence, said that all they wanted was a pledge that the Spinalunzans would not join Florence to fight against them.“What pledge do you ask?” inquired the men of Spinalunza; and the men of Pisa answered, “Let twenty of your children ride back to Pisa with us as hostages.” “The children shall march out of the gates tomorrow at daybreak and you may choose the twenty,” replied the Spinalunzans. All night the enemy spent the long hours drinking. The children spent them sleeping. Their parents spent them praying.

At dawn the gates were thrown wide, and the children trooped out singing and bearing aloft a cross. And lo! behind each child was an angel with a fiery sword.

As the band of children and angels swept through the gates the enemy fled panic-stricken. And the Spinalunzans completed the victory by putting them utterly to rout.But, children, it is not only in danger that your guardian angels care for you. They care for you all the time. They care for you when you are tempted, for instance. When you feel something telling you to turn away from temptation, pleading with you not to do wrong, that is your guardian angel speaking to you. His whole aim is to help you. The worst of it is that sometimes you are not willing to help him. And he can’t do everything.

You must do so much.There was once a man who dreamed a strange dream. He dreamed that he had gone to Heaven, and there he saw far off on the heights countless hosts of shining ones whom he guessed to be angels. A nearer look told him they were angels; but what surprised him was to find that, while some of them had faces glad and radiant, others looked sad and dispirited. Curious to know the reason of this he summoned up courage to ask who they were. “We are guardian angels,” was the reply. “Is my guardian angel here?” inquired the man. “Pass on and you will find,” was the reply. Through the white-robed ranks went the man, till his way was barred by an angel with drooping wings and bowed head and a pale tired face. “You were seeking me,” said he; “I am your guardian angel.” “I am grieved to see you so sad and weary,” said the man. “How could it be otherwise?” replied the angel. “All the days of your life on earth I worked to guard you and help you. But when did you ever aid me in my task?

I had to do it all alone.”Boys and girls, what about your guardian angel? Are you being fair to him?

Are you doing your part? Remember he needs your help as much as you need his.