Jesus now gives a warning to anyone to would become a stumbling block to the ‘little ones’, that is, the humble children He’s just been speaking about, Matthew 18:2-9. These ‘little ones’, as all Christians do, have angels in heaven, Matthew 18:10, who are ever in the presence of the Father, and serve those who are being saved, which is a clear reference to guardian angels, Psalms 34:8 / Hebrews 1:14.
Barnes, in his commentary, says the following, concerning ‘the angels, seeing the face of the Father.’
‘This is an allusion to the privilege granted by eastern monarchs to their chief favourites, a privilege which others were never permitted to enjoy. The seven princes of Media and Persia, who were the chief favourites and privy-counsellors of Ahasuerus, are said to see the king’s face, Esther 1:14 / 2 Kings 25:19 / Jeremiah 51:25. Our Lord’s words give us to understand that humble-hearted, child-like disciples are objects of his peculiar care, and constant attention.’
Notice that Matthew 18:11 isn’t included in most translations, but the footnote says, ‘For the Son of Man came to save what was lost’. Luke 15:4-10 / Luke 19:10. This verse actually adds another reason why no harm should be done to His followers. The Son of man has so loved them as to come into the world to lay down His life for them, Luke 19:10 / John 3:17 / John 12:47.
Coffman, in his commentary, says the following concerning ‘the parable.’
‘Christ spoke this parable twice, evidently for a different purpose on each occasion. In this instance, it stands for the infinite love and solicitude the Lord has for the very least of his human children, but in Luke’s account of it, it appears to have been spoken as an argument against the Pharisees, who would go to a lot of trouble for a lost animal but had no regard for a lost man. The parables are the same, but they are spoken with significant variations, Luke 15:3-7.’
Let me share with you five points from this parable about the love of God.
1. The love of God is an individual love.
The ninety-nine sheep weren’t enough for Jesus; He wanted the whole lot, Matthew 18:12 / Luke 15:4. And when one went wandering, He wasn’t going to rest until He brought it back home again. Jesus is telling us that He has a love to offer that’s not just for everyone, but a priceless love especially for you.
The Palestinian shepherds were experts at tracking down their sheep, and they could follow the tracks of their sheep for miles. They would go to any lengths to bring their sheep back. Our God is not happy until the last one is gathered in. Paul, when he recognised that he was a sinner, he also understood that God’s love was an individual love, 1 Timothy 1:15.
2. The love of God is a patient love.
We all know how stupid sheep are; they are such foolish creatures. And so to a degree the sheep had no one but itself to blame for the dangers it had got itself into. The sheep might be foolish, but thank God, the Good Shepherd would still risk His life to save it, John 10:11.
Thank God that even though mankind can be foolish, God in His love loves even the foolish man who has got no one to blame for his sin and sorrow but himself. Thank God that He is a loving, patient God, 2 Peter 3:9.
3. The love of God is a seeking love.
The flocks of sheep in Palestine were very often communal. In other words, they didn’t belong to an individual; they usually belonged to the whole village. And so, because of that, there were usually two or three shepherds with them; that’s one of the reasons the shepherd could leave the other ninety-nine, Matthew 18:12. Because if they couldn’t leave the sheep with other shepherds, when they returned, they would find that other sheep would have gone astray.
The shepherd wasn’t willing to wait for the sheep to come back. He went out to search for it, Matthew 18:12. For in Christ Jesus, God came to seek and to search for those who wander, Luke 19:10. He’s not content to wait until men come home, Oh, no! He goes and searches for them, no matter what it costs Him. He doesn’t want any of His ‘little ones’ to perish, Matthew 18:14.
The shepherds of Palestine would always make the most strenuous and the most sacrificial efforts to find a lost sheep. Jesus came to find us before we thought about finding Him, John 10:7-10 / Luke 19:10 / 1 John 4:9-10. He came to seek and to give life, but not just life, but life to the full. The love of God is a seeking love.
4. The love of God is a rejoicing love.
This parable is all about joy, Matthew 18:13 / Luke 15:5. When the shepherd went to find the lost sheep, they had a rule. And the rule was that if the sheep couldn’t be brought back alive, then, where possible, the sheep’s fleece or bones must be brought back to prove that the sheep was indeed dead.
If the sheep was found alive, the shepherd would often come back with the sheep on his shoulders, Luke 15:5. When one of the flock goes astray and returns home, instead of reminding them of their sin, maybe we can put their sin behind God’s back like He does with ours when we get lost and come back to Him, Matthew 18:13-14.
If you’re involved in a sin, which is dragging you away from God, then you can be sure that if you repent and turn back to God there will be rejoicing in heaven, Luke 15:7.
The day you became a Christian was a day of rejoicing and if you’re not a Christian today and one day you decide to become a faithful follower of the Lord, then heaven will rejoice with you too. The love of God is a rejoicing love.
5. The love of God is a protecting love.
It’s not just a love that seeks, it’s also a love that saves. There can be a love which ruins, there can be a love that softens, but the love of God is the protecting love which saves a person for the service of their fellow men, Psalm 34:18-20 / Psalm 55:16-17 / 2 Corinthians 12:10.
In other words, it’s God’s protecting love that makes the wanderer wise. It’s God’s protecting love that makes the weak strong. It’s God’s protecting love that makes the sinner pure.
It’s God’s protecting love that makes the captive of sin a freeman of holiness. It’s God’s protecting love that makes the overpowered by temptation the conqueror of sin. God’s love is a protecting love, and God’s love will not only protect us in this life but also in the life to come. Because as long as we’re faithful to Him, then you can be sure that nothing can separate us from His love.
Paul says there is nothing in heaven or hell or on this earth that can stop God from loving you, Romans 8:34-39. Jesus says, no one will snatch us from God’s mighty hands, and that’s because He’s a protecting God, John 10:27-30.