What Do I Think of the "Little Ones"

Today is the 8th day of Lent, and this continues my series of lent reflections. Matthew 18:10-14 is the scripture today. This is Matthew’s telling of the parable of the lost sheep.

If you’ve spent any amount of time in church, you’ve heard the parable of the lost sheep. At first glance this may seem like nothing new but hold on a moment.

Chances are high that you’ve only ever heard it presented in the context offered by Luke. In Luke’s gospel the Lost Sheep is part of the trilogy of lost parables—Lost coin, lost sheep, lost son. The focus is on finding something important that got lost. The overwhelming presence of that word “lost” resonates with meaning because of the weight that word carries in Evangelical culture. In that context, “Lost” means “not saved,” as in “someone who hasn’t received Jesus as their Lord and Savior and thus won’t be going to heaven when they die.”  But none of that is in view here in Matthew.

In Matthew’s version, the little lost sheep is offered as an example Jesus uses in a completely different conversation, a conversation about the “little ones.” Matthew 18 starts out with the disciples asking Jesus about greatness. Isn’t that the question of our age? Who is the greatest? America is the greatest! Our military is the greatest. Our presidential candidate is the greatest. Who is the greatest Youtuber or Twitch Streamer? Who is the best in my field? Which college is the best? Our eyes are drawn to greatness, bigness, wealth, celebrity, influence, and notoriety.