Section Ten

Two Warnings

The passage in Matthew discussed in the previous two pages (counter-cultural and becoming child-like) is continued with two warnings. The first warning is against anyone who causes one the ‘little ones who believe in me (Jesus)’ to sin. Jesus says it would be better for anyone who does this to have a large millstone hung around their neck whilst they are drowning. This reinforces the point about welcoming little children. The second warning is not to look down on these ‘little ones’. Having made the point about including children, Matthew records some words of Jesus that go a little further. He is saying we should not assume that little children are somehow inferior in God’s kingdom. This second warning is then followed by the parable of the lost sheep, which is rounded off by Jesus saying that God does want any of these ‘little ones’ to be lost.