"Take
heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven
their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven. (11) "For the Son of
man has come to save that which was lost. (12) "What do you think? If a man has a
hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to
the mountains to seek the one that is straying? (13) "And if he should find it,
assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep
than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray. (14) "Even so it is not the will of
your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.”
To understand the context of this story we have to go to the
ninth chapter of the book of Mark. Peter,
James and John have just come down off of the mount of transfiguration (9:1-13). They have
had a spiritual experience that the other disciples have had. We are then told (9:33) that
the disciples get into a little discussion (read argument) among themselves as to who will
be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Jesus
knowing their hearts asked them “What are you arguing about?” (9:33) and like a
bunch of children they immediately clam up. So
it is in this setting that Jesus calls a child to come, perhaps taking him in his arms and
putting him on His lap he used the child as an illustration.
It is tempting
perhaps to understand the Lord’s word about “little ones” (v. 10) to apply only to children. But it better to understand his words here as
applying not just to those who are physically children. As He held a child in his
arms they were a visual illustration of God’s spiritual children.
The command is
found in the phrase in (v. 10) “see that you do not
despise.” It is a warning expressed as a negative command, “see that you do
not.” “Despise”
is word that literally means to “think
down,” and is reflective of looking down on someone as being inferior or not
worthy of consideration. The command then
really has do do with how we treat other believer’s.
Dr. John MacArthur in his commentary lists
seven ways that we can despise other believer’s
First, Christians
“Despise”
One Another When We Flaunt Our Freedom.
From what the
Apostle Paul says in the book of Romans (14:3-10) the church in Rome must have been having
some problems with this. He wrote, “Let
not him who eats despise him who does not eat, and let not him who does not eat judge him
who eats; for God has received him. (4) Who
are you to judge another’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he
will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand. (5) One person esteems one day
above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own
mind. (6) He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe
the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives
God thanks; and he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks.
(7) For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself. (8) For if we live, we
live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we
are the Lord’s. (9) For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again, that He
might be Lord of both the dead and the living. (10) But why do you judge your brother? Or
why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat
of Christ.
Paul’s
words here are stark warning against the dangers of legalism. Legalism is the belief that
what we do or do not do makes us more accept-able in the LORD’s sight. He reminds the believer in verse 10, that it will
be enough give and account of just for our own lives, when we stand to give an account of
our lives at the judgment seat of Christ that we are responsible for yourself.
Second,
Christians “Despise” One Another When We Playing
Favorites . (James 2:1-4)
The truth is that in just about any
church people who are well dressed and nice groomed will receive a much warmer welcome
than someone who is poorly or unsuitably dressed.
James says (James 2:1-4) “My brethren, do not hold the faith of our
Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality. (2) For if there should come into
your assembly a man with gold rings, in fine apparel, and there should also come in a poor
man in filthy clothes, (3) and you pay attention to the
one wearing the fine clothes and say to him, "You sit here in a good place," and
say to the poor man, "You stand there," or, "Sit here at my
footstool," (4) have you not shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges
with evil thoughts?”
Third, Christians
“Despise”
One Another When We
The Apostle Paul
chastised the church at
This was
practice of the early church called a “love feast” and would be comparable to a
church today having a potluck prior to a celebration of the Lord’s Supper with those
who had brought food eating it all and not sharing with those who had none. To do such a
thing demonstrates a contempt for the house of God and for his poorer children.
We are reminded
in James 2:15-16, “If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food,
(16) and one of you says to them, "Depart in
peace, be warmed and filled," but you do not give them the things which are needed
for the body, what does it profit?”
The
Apostle John wrote in his first letter,
Fourth,
Christians “Despise” One Another Is By Ridiculing
Their Physical Appearance.
Apparently the
even the Apostle Paul was subjected to this kind of treatment for we read in (2 Cor 10:10)
"For
his letters," they say, "are weighty and powerful, but his bodily presence is
weak, and his speech contemptible."
Some of the members of the church at Corinth mocked Paul’s physical appearance. Even though they admitted that his teaching was sound, even powerful, they had the audacity to mock him because of his physical looks.
“During
one of Dwight L Moody’s British campaigns he was repeatedly mocked in the press for
his lack of proper English and his homey style. When asked to speak at Cambridge
University, the epitome of British intellectualism and sophistication. Moody apparently
decided to capitalize on that image in order to gain the attention of the audience. His
comment no doubt also had the effect of pointing up the superficiality and irrelevance of
the criticism of his grammar. He opened his message with the words, ‘Don’t let
nobody never tell you God don’t love you, cause He do.” [John MacArthur. The
MacArthur New Testament Commentary – Matthew 16-28. (Chicago: Moody Press, 1988)
p. 117]
Fifth, Christians
“Despise”
One Another When We Write Them Off As Hopeless Because They Have Stumbled Or Fallen. (Gal
6:1-2)
When a brother or sister sins and especially when it is a public and well known
sin, there is a temptation to write them off, saying in effect, “Well they knew what
they were doing now they will just have to live with the consequences.” But
Paul’s advice in Galatians 6:1-2) was, “Brethren,
if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a
spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. (2) Bear one
another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” (NKJV)
Sixth, Christians
“Despise”
One Another When We Resent A Believer Who Confronts Us.
When we sin
either deliberately or
Seventh,
Christians “Despise” One Another When We Take
Advantage Of One Another For Personal Gain.
In 1 Thess 4:6
Paul warns “that no one should take advantage of and defraud his brother
in this matter, because the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also forewarned you and
testified.”
Paul’s
admonishment to never take advantage of a fellow believer in anyway – socially,
financially or any other way.
We are to love
one another, to serve one another, to pray for one another, to help one another, to
encourage one another, but never, never are we to take advantage of one another.
Remember the
context of the command, it was the fact that the disciples were bickering among themselves
over who was the greatest that prompted this whole teaching. In their selfish ambition to
climb to the top, they more than willing to put each other down.
1. They are
important I enough to be serviced by angels. (10b) “… for I say to you that in
2. They are cared
for by the Chief Shepherd (11-13) “For
the Son of man has come to save that which was lost. (12) "What do you think? If a
man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine
and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying? (13) "And if he should find
it, assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go
astray.”
3. They the Lord
does not to lose any of them.
Click on the BACK button to return to the "The Commands of Christ" page.