Verse of the Day 9/16

Through the Bible - Ecclesiastes 3-4, 2 Corinthians 11:1-15

 

Good morning,

When we moved from Illinois to North Carolina (six years ago yesterday), it took us a while to find a new "home" church.  We attended St. Marks from the beginning (mostly Saturday nights)  but attended several other churches in the area on Sunday morning.  One of the things that made us feel at home was how well our son Jeff was received.  Then as now, He is not shy about sharing His love for Christ vocally with an "amen" or a "woo who" or answering rhetorical questions out loud.

 

This 27 year old young man (now) was received as a child of God, and accepted for who he was and is.  I still get tears of joy when so many people, week after week give him a hug or a fist bump on Saturday nights or Sunday mornings.

 

Today's verse from Matthew 18 shows Jesus teaching the audience, His disciples how they are to react to these children of God.

Matthew 18:5 (Amplified Bible)  And whoever receives and accepts and welcomes one little child like this for My sake and in My name receives and accepts and welcomes Me. 

John MacArthur writes, "The context of this verse makes it clear that Jesus was not speaking of the particular toddler on His lap but was using the child to symbolize and describe the spiritual children of God.  No matter how weak and unimpressive a believer may be, we must treat him as a precious child of God because there is a solidarity between God and saints and among all who share His life by the indwelling Spirit."

 

The question for us is, how do we treat special needs kids, the stranger who attends a service or may be interested in joining our small group?

 

Think of what Jesus may have looked like back then.  Think of what he might look like now.  Would it be with long hair, perhaps a pony tail?  I don't know, but I doubt that he'd be wearing the finest designer clothing.

 

Think of the way MacArthur put it, "there is a solidarity" between the saints and fellow believers.  May we take this to heart in our lives and in "our circles".

Blessings,
Mike

mikevw@bellsouth.net
mikesvotd.blogspot.com

Matthew 18 (Amplified Bible)

Matthew 18

 ¹AT THAT time the disciples came up and asked Jesus, Who then is [really] the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?

    ²And He called a little child to Himself and put him in the midst of them,

    ³And said, Truly I say to you, unless you repent (change, turn about) and become like little children [trusting, lowly, loving, forgiving], you can never enter the kingdom of heaven [at all].

    ⁴Whoever will humble himself therefore and become like this little child [trusting, lowly, loving, forgiving] is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

    ⁵And whoever receives and accepts and welcomes one little child like this for My sake and in My name receives and accepts and welcomes Me.

    ⁶But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in and acknowledge and cleave to Me to stumble and sin [that is, who entices him or hinders him in right conduct or thought], it would be better (more expedient and profitable or advantageous) for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be sunk in the depth of the sea.