The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 2 — Section 217

f,,r whom be gave himself to die. To speak contemptuously of those whom we think beneath us in rank, in riches, in intellect, in refinement, is sinful in the sight of God. " Honour all men," is the les.qon of Holy Scripture; for all were made by God the Father; all_ were redeemed by God the Son; all may, if they will, come to God in faith nnd prayer, be sanctified by God the Holy Ghost. Men think that there is no harm in contemptuous thoughts and words; but these things are sins against the law of love, sine against God, who bids us love our neighbour as oureel vee; they greatly injure the son!. Then honour all men; especially take heed that ye despise not one of the little ones, the little children whom the Lord loves, or the childlike in heart -whom ae commends. Despise tnem not, for they are dear to Almighty God; he cares for them; he giveth his angels charge over them; he assigns to them their angel- guardians; "their angels," the Lord says, the angels appointed to watch over them, whose special duty it is to keep them in all their ways, who are sent forth to minister for their sake. Men may despise these little ones; but holy angels tend them-angels great in power and might, angels who are near to the throne, who stand in the presence of God, who in heaven do always behold the face of God. The Lord's words, "I say unto you," give an emphatic sanction to this sweet and blessed doctrine of the ministry of angels. As the angel Gabriel watched by God's appointment over the holy Child Jesus, so surely do the angels of God watch over the little children now; so surely do they watch over us, if we are childlike in heart, if we &re among those little ones who believe in Christ. To the believer this world is still a Bethel, the house of God, the gate of heaven. The ladder which Jacob saw in the vision of the night is still set on the earth, and the top rea.cheth to heaven; and still do the angels of God ascend and descend, bringing help and strength, messages of peace and love to the litLle ones of Christ, bearing the prayers of the saints into the Divine presence, carrying the souls of the holy deacl. into the paradise of God. 6. The little ones are precious in the sight of God. They must be so, for the Son of man came to save them. None are so small, so insignificant, e.s to be left out of the Lord's loving care; for it was to save the lost that he ea.me-to save that which seemed utterly lost, lost beyond the power of saving (.,.b 3-,roN»AO<). (See Luke xix. 10, where the words are certainly genuine; they are of doubtful authority in this place.) It was an evil time when the Saviour came into the world. All flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth; the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life were everywhere dominant. The world seemed lost to all that was good-& mass of corruption. But to save that lost world the Son of God came down from heaven and became the Son of man. His incarnation, bis sacrifice of himself upon the cross, has given a new value, a higher dignity, to human nature. None may dare to despise those souls of men which the Lord Jesus loved so dearly. The blessed angels care for Christ's little ones; they encamp around them to prot.lct them, because they are his angels, his messengers (eh. xiii. 41), and they must care for those who are so very precious in the sight of their blessed Lord. 7. Parable cif the hundred sheep. One is gone astray. The shepherd leaves the ninety and nine upon the mountains, and Eeeketh that which is gone astray. Does it mean thnt the Lord leaves the countless host of angels on the heavenly heights, and goeth after the one lost sheep of humanity (comp. Heh. ii. 16)? So many have understood it. But it seems more natural to interpret the parable as intended mainly to teach t~e deep Jove of God for each individual soul. "The Son of man came to save that which was lost." His great love was not merely a general love for sinful humanity as a ma~s; it was an individual love for each perishing soul. If all but one had been gathered m, be would have gone after that one lost sheep, seeking on and on until he found it. Human love is limited in its range. We cannot love all mankind as we love one wh0 is very dear to us. It is not so with the infinite Love. The love of God is all-embracing in its extent and fulness, perfect and complete in its individual affection. He loves all and each. "God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that who- 1oever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." The ~hepherd, if so be that he finds tho lost sheep, rejoiceth more of that one than of the ntnety a~d nine which went not astray. The ninety and nine are precious to the shepherd; 1n some sense they must be more precious than one. But they are safe. They do not awaken the same emotion, the same intense longing, as the one that went astray. '.1-'he joy of recovery is proportioned to the sorrow of the loss. Such would be the feehnt• cm. xvm.1-36.] THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTIIEW. 221