St Michael and His Angels

Matthew 18:1-11

My Brothers and Sisters in Christ, we celebrate today a Feast day that gives thanks to God for the work of the angels. Now I want to be clear, we do not pray to the angels nor do we glorify the angels, for the angels like you and I are part of creation. They are made of different stuff than you and I, and can be absolutely terrifying when they show up, but they are also part of God’s creation and God makes regular use of them as messengers who have brought the good news of Salvation to mankind. They sang of Christ’s birth to shepherds in the field, which is what the word Angel means, messenger. In our Gospel lesson, Jesus speaks to the disciples who are seeking to be greatest in the Kingdom of God. Jesus answers their question and expands out a bit, and then comes back with a warning.

Greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven

The disciples were seeking glory.

They had seen the marvelous things that Jesus had done and they were hoping to find out that they were going to have great roles in the Kingdom of heaven, and to address their question, Jesus rather reveals to them an illustration.

Jesus presents to them a child.

Now the word here is paidion which means small child, which is used often for infants and toddlers. Jesus places this child in their midst as one who was lowly and not worth much for while a child can bring joy to their family one so young is not capable of glorious or mighty works.

Rather than pursuing acclaim, they were to be humble.

They were to lower themselves for service to others. Their sin here was the sin of pride and it is one that still plagues us today, and that we ought to be on guard for it leads us into all manner of sin as we exalt ourselves over our neighbors.

To Become Like A Child

Children are dependent upon others.

This is why the role of Parent is one that is so vital and important. For God has connected us with our parents from the very beginning. We do nothing to come into existence, but our parents provide for us, for we are not able to feed ourselves, clothe ourselves, or even clean ourselves. We are utterly dependent upon them for everything. This is why Christ puts a child in their midst, for compared with the ability of an adult they can do little. Rather they receive much love.

We are God’s children through Baptism.

We have been brought into God’s family born of water and the spirit and given God’s holy and divine name. This is not because of what we did or have done, but because of the love that God has shown towards us while we did not yet know him. God loved us so much that He wanted you to Be his own child.

As God’s child, you are precious to Him.

It is a great and wonderful blessing that we can call God Father, and that we as dear children are able to approach Him as children can approach their fathers here on earth for help. So that is what we are to pursue, humilty not greatness or place, but rather become like children.

Temptations to Sin

The Word for temptation also means snare.

That is what the disciples fell into, pride is a snare that captures many who seek to praise themselves and seek their own greatness instead of realizing that we are recipients of God’s grace. Jesus speaks of two woes about temptation.

The first woe is to the world.

It is necessary that the come from the world, for the world has become corrupted from what it ought to be, and we should not be surprised that a world in service to the prince of the power of the air would mean temptations and snares placed along the path of righteousness to lure us back into sin.

The second woe is to people.

For someone has to set the trap, or be the bait, they seek to entice you away from Christ. It isn’t always someone dressed provocatively, or someone offering you the first hit free, there are also those who will comfortingly take your hand and lead you away with a soft and kind voice.

They are working for Satan.

He masquerades as an angel of light who seeks to ensnare the children of God. If he is bold enough to go after the only-begotten Son of God and try to ensnare him, do you think he will leave you alone, and won’t attack you where you are weak? Be on guard.

The Children of God

We listen to the Word.

For we have the sure and certain Word of God, that points us not to ourselves, but points us to Christ and what Jesus has done for you. For the Father sent His Son into the World to accomplish your salvation because He loves you, and whoever believes in Jesus and His work of salvation for you, will be saved. That’s why the Father tells the disciples, Listen to Him.

Who wants you to ignore your parents?

What type of person in your life works to persuade you that you can’t trust those who love you, who have raised you, and who have sacrificed much for your benefit. Now are there parents in this world that are unfit? Certainly, but even then the reason you know they are unfit, is because you have a good heavenly Father who is the standard and by whom all fathers are judged. And if someone is trying to get you to ignore the Father that is above all fathers, what’s going on?

Jesus uses hyperbole to show the danger.

We minimize sin, but Christ instead takes it to such a level that it cannot be ignored, but demands our attention. We should flee from it, now he uses this type of language earlier when talking about sins related to lust. But they can be applied broadly that we should take all sin seriously and understand its threat. So let us flee from all sin and shut our eyes to it, walk away from it, and keep our hands away from the flames. This is why you want to listen to the Word.

To ignore the Scriptures is to ignore God.

This is where God has revealed himself to us, and the Words that were inspired by the Holy Spirit who was given to the Apostles and prophets, that is why it’s called God’s Word, yes men did write it down, but they wrote as the Spirit of God guided them. That is why one of the hallmarks of Satan’s kingdom is to remove God’s Word. For if we don’t know the voice of our Father, Satan can lead us anywhere he wants.

These Little Ones

The word despise also means look down on.

That you see the world as being beneath you as being one who is too great. For you know what the greatest irony is in the disciples question. Who is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven? It’s Jesus, it’s at the name of Jesus that every knee will bow and fall down and worship and glorify Him. Jesus who listened to the voice of His Father and fulfilled the Law for us by becoming a slave for mankind. Jesus entrusted himself to the Father’s Will for all of us. For He is the Son of God.

The world despises child like faith.

It doesn’t think of it as being enough or great, or spectacular it wants something more, and yet that is what Christ did, He submitted to the will of his Father for us that we might have salvation. It’s the world and its ruler that wants to add something more than faith to our salvation.

This is a warning for those who seek to be great.

Rather listen to the voice of your father, for a mature and faithful christian is not the one who has the great and mightiests works, but the one who like a child receives what their Father has given and returns thanks to Him. For to such belong the Kingdom of God so trust God’s Words.

My Brothers and Sisters in Christ, we give thanks to God for the message that has come down to us from heaven above and that God sent forth the angels to proclaim His mighty works and draw our attention to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Sharing with us not only the good news with Mary, Shepherds, and the disciples that Jesus is our Lord and God. May we not allow our focus or our attention be pulled away from He who is the greatest in the Kingdom, who humbled himself for our sake that we might have a place in the new heavens and new earth, and may we not seek vainglory, but rather look to Jesus to whom the angels pointed us, for He is the Son of God that has come to save us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.