Guardians - Pt 3

[Jesus said] “See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven. What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.” (Matthew 18:10-14 ESV).

We understand so little of the impact of the names of God in Scripture. El Shaddai is mere one of the many that speak of the mighty nature of God. He is all-sufficient and all-powerful. Applying this truth to our study of angels we can see that everything angels do, everywhere in the world, at all times, is for the good of Christians. An angel who does something by God’s assignment anywhere in the world is fulfilling the promise that God will work all things for the good of all Christians, everywhere. This is a sweeping and stunning promise. All angels serve for the good of all Christians all the time. And, the power of God insures their success! As amazing as that is, the jolting point of our reading is not the wonder that angels serve us, but the wonder that angels serve others. Remember, the context is about how we treat other believers: “these little ones.” “See that you do not despise one of these little ones” (v. 10). The argument Jesus gives for why we should not treat other believers in belittling ways is because “in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven.” The point of saying that these angels “see the face of my Father” is that they have the immeasurable rank and privilege to be in the immediate presence of God (cf. Esther 1:14 and Revelation 22:4). So, how are we to be motivated to honor the lowliest Christian (cf. Matthew 11:11) because the angels who attend them have immeasurably high rank and privilege? Let me suggest you begin with the understanding that every Christian has the Creator of the universe as his Father (cf. Romans 8:16-17), and has the Lord of the universe as his elder brother (cf. Romans 8:29). You cannot have a safer, more exalted position as a human being than to have God as your all-caring, all-providing Father (cf. Matthew 6:32-33), and Jesus as your sovereign Lord (cf. Matthew 28:18). Having a hundred or a thousand of the highest ranking angels serving you does not increase your safety or your dignity. However, it does motivate to treat all believers with deep respect “because” they are served by these many high-ranking angels. When you see that beggar on the street, they may a legion of angels surrounding them. Treat them with kindness and compassion.