See that you don’t look down on one of these little ones, because I tell you that in heaven their angels continually view the face of My Father in heaven. For the Son of Man has come to save the lost. What do you think? If a man has 100 sheep, and one of them goes astray, won’t he leave the 99 on the hillside and go and search for the stray? And if he finds it, I assure you: He rejoices over that sheep more than the 99 that did not go astray.
Matthew 18:10-13 HCSB
In this parable, Jesus describes a man leaving 99 sheep to go and look for the one that has gone astray. Jesus often refers to believers as sheep. Sheep need a shepherd. They do not do so well on their own. Psalm 23 is a beautiful illustration of all the shepherd does for his sheep.
If we look at the context of this verse, we must back up to Matthew 18:7 in which Jesus says, “Woe to the world because of offenses. For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes.” He goes on to say that if certain body parts like your hand, your foot, or your eye cause you to sin it is better to remove them and go to heaven lame or blind than for your entire body to go to hell (vv. 8-9).
Jesus begins in verse 10 by warning to be careful not to despise or belittle another believer. We are not to treat a fellow believer with unkindness or indifference. According to John MacArthur’s Bible commentary, when it says their angels, it is not suggesting that each believer has their own individual guardian angel. Its meaning is that believers are served by angels in general.
These angels are pictured as always watching the face of God so as to hear His command to help a believer when needed. Treating any fellow believer with contempt is extremely serious since God and the holy angels are so concerned for their well-being.
In verse 14, Jesus said, “In the same way, it is not the will of your Father in heaven that not one of these little ones perishes.” Mr. MacArthur explains that the term perish refers to spiritual devastation rather than utter eternal destruction. It does not suggest that God’s children could ever perish in the ultimate sense.
In John10:27-29, Jesus refers to believers again as sheep. He says, “My sheep hear My voice, I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish-ever! No one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all. No one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand, The Father and I are one.”
Jesus loved us enough to die for us. He does not want us to suffer spiritual devastation. He wants us to love and trust in Him.
We talked recently about stumbling blocks. If Jesus is willing to leave 99 to go look for 1, we must understand this great love He has for all, but specifically for His believers and His followers.
If you love the Lord with all your heart, know He is there for you. He will rescue you in times of trouble. He will be there for you and will never leave you nor forsake you.
If you have not yet established a solid relationship with the Lord, what are you waiting for? The time is now before it’s too late.
Whether you are in a relationship with the Lord or not, please heed Jesus’ warning. Don’t mess with His children. Don’t create a stumbling block for another believer. Don’t cause a fellow believer to go astray. Don’t mistreat a fellow believer. In God’s eyes, this is a very serious offense.
If you are truly saved, you will want to be in the company of fellow believers. You will want to help and mentor those with less time and experience in their Christian walk.
Trust in God to give you strength to deal with those who are difficult. Pray for those who go astray. Know that God will leave the 99 to look for the one. This gives me great comfort because while I try to be one of the 99, I often find myself being the one who has gone astray.
I thank God that He is willing to find me and lead me back. He will do the same for you, you need only ask Him.
Have a great day!