Fifteenth
Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 18A)
September 6, 2026
Text: Matt. 18:1-20
What about here, among us, in our congregation? Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of
heaven as it is manifested here, at Augustana? The answer might surprise you, but it shouldn’t. What would Jesus say? What does He say? It’s the babes in arms. The ones who cry and coo and fill
their diapers. The ones who don’t really understand what is going on here, but they just receive it without question. By grace. By grace alone. It’s shocking, isn’t it? The disciples were shocked.
But Jesus even takes one such child and puts him in their midst, and says… not “this child needs to grow up and be like you guys”... but “you have to turn (and that’s the idea of repentance) and become like this child!” “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children,” not only are you not the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven, “you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 18:3; ESV).
Jesus says a number of provocative things in our Gospel this day, each one of which merits a
sermon of its own. There is the idea of plucking out eyes and sawing of limbs if they lead you to sin. Suffice it to say, for now, please don’t mutilate yourself, because the point of that whole thing is that it
would be better to enter into life maimed, than go into death whole, and even if you started whacking off body parts, guess what you’d still be? A sinner, because what you really need is a heart transplant, and that is what the Spirit gives you when He brings you to faith in Christ.
Then, there is the shepherd who leaves the ninety-nine and goes after the one lost sheep. That’s
our Lord Jesus, isn’t it? And we, hopefully, understand that we are that one lost sheep, and not one of the ninety-nine who supposedly need no repentance. And when that sheep is found… when a sinner repents… when another lost one is brought to faith in Jesus… every Baptism, every conversion… the Shepherd Himself rejoices, and the angels in heaven rejoice.
And then, there is the confrontation of the brother who sins against you. No, not because you just want to tell him off. That is a sin of pride, beloved. But because you want to bring him to repentance, and so gain him back for Jesus. You’re concerned about his salvation. And so, there is the encounter between you and him alone (and you may do that again and again, by the way, until it’s
clear that it will bear no fruit… Matthew 18 is not a checklist to go through until you can be done with your brother). And then the bringing along of one or two others to beg and plead with your brother to repent. And if that doesn’t work, the whole Church. And finally, Church discipline. Excommunication. Not as an act of retribution, but an extraordinary act of love, designed to show the sinner just how dangerous his rebellion has become, such that his very salvation is in peril.
And, finally, the beautiful promises, echoing those we heard a couple weeks ago: The Office of the Keys. Whatever the Church and her ministers bind on earth is bound… by Jesus Christ… in heaven, and whatever the Church and her ministers loose on earth (which is to say, the forgiveness of sins) is loosed… by Jesus Christ… in heaven. And when two of us agree on earth about anything we ask, the Father will act. He will do it, Jesus says. And, where two or three of us are gathered in Jesus’ Name, there He is. And, indeed, He is!
A lot in this Gospel. But I think the most radical idea in all of it is that these little ones, these children, these babies, are the greatest of us all. Scandalous, isn’t it? But then, if it upsets you, please remember, Jesus said it, not me.
Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven? It is not the great saints and heroes of the Bible. It is not those who seem to be pillars, the ones we consider to be wise, great moral exemplars. It is not those entrusted with high Church office (be they pope or Synod president). And it is most certainly not
the pastor of this congregation.
Little Hannah, God willing, will be baptized next Sunday, and that is Jesus, once again, putting a child in our midst, in answer to our question. There are babies in utero, here, for whom we pray,
and whom we hope to baptize soon, and little ones who squawk and squirm. Jesus brought them here, and Jesus puts them in our midst, and they are precious and holy to Him, and so they must be precious and holy to us. And not only that… we should be like them, Jesus says. We should emulate them. Not in squawking and squirming (though, frankly, some of you adults are pretty good at that, too), but in what? First of all, in unpretentious humility, making no claims for ourselves before God, and under
no illusions that we can do anything on our own. And then, the simple reception of all the things of God, by grace alone.
That is, little babies are the model of faith. When you think about it, it makes sense. Babies have to count on Mom and Dad, and ultimately, God, for everything good. They just lay there and cry and make a mess until they’re delivered from it. That’s a pretty good picture of us, isn’t it? Whether we know it or not, totally dependent on God for all good things. We can do the bad things ourselves. But the good must come from Him.
Now, you may ask, how can a baby have faith in God… and, in fact, in Jesus Christ… when that baby doesn’t even know the word, “God,” or the Name, “Jesus”? Well, do babies believe in Mom? Of course they do. Do they know the name, “Mom”? Do they reason, logically, about Mom? Of course they do not. But that isn’t faith. Faith is not knowledge. It is not the ability to reason or confess. It is simply trust. Dependence. Baby is happiest with Mom (Dad may be a distant second). So, if Baby can possess faith in Mom, what does that say about a baptized child’s faith in Jesus? Of course a baby can believe in Jesus.
Now, faith is never content with ignorance. Faith, as it grows, always seeks understanding and clear confession. And because our babies are a holy trust to us from God, we have a duty to carefully teach them the Name of God, and their Savior, Jesus, and all about Him and His love for them. So that they grow in that. And, we should teach them not to squawk and squirm. And when they do, and especially when they become a distraction to others, we should take them out for teaching (discipline), and then we should bring them right back in again, where they belong, and teach them to participate in the Service. And everyone else, we have a sacred responsibility to be patient and supportive in that (“See that you do not despise one of these little ones,” Jesus says [v. 10]. Let us all take that to heart!). But the faith, we want to remain a simple, expectant, joyful reception of all the things of
God. Total dependence. That’s what we should emulate. That faith. Because, as we get older, we have a problem with that. We start to think we’ve earned our good things, or can acquire them ourselves. Or, we worry that God is unreliable and leaves us to clean up our own messes, and lift ourselves up by our own boot straps. Babies know better.
Now, Jesus gives us a chilling warning, here. We must not, by our own negligence or obstinance, cause one of these little ones to sin. Literally, to stumble. As in, place their faith in peril.
How do we do that? The number one way is to prevent them from being here. Parents, you have to bring them. You have to teach them. It’s hard, but God has entrusted them to you for this very purpose. God picked you specifically to be the parents of your children, to raise them in the holy
faith of Jesus. That means Church. That means Sunday School, and Catechesis, and home devotions, too. And all of us, we have to support the parents in that. Pray for them. Encourage them. Be
patient with them. Love them.
We can also cause our children to stumble by our own bad example. Or by placing temptations in our children' s hands (careful, especially, with those devices). Or failing to protect them from
spiritual dangers. Or leading them away from Christ, and to other gods, be they the gods of what are literally other religions, or simply our own idols (the things we treat as more important than Christ and His Word… We don’t even realize we’re doing that, oftentimes, but children catch it every time).
What does Jesus say about causing children to stumble in this way? It would be better to have a millstone hung around your neck, and be drowned in the depths of the sea (v. 6). Christ, have mercy. (He does.)
But we are not alone in this, in our responsibility toward the children. What beautiful Promise does Jesus give us, even in the midst of His warnings? I love this. Their angels always see the face of my Father in heaven (v. 10). That is, we have the help of the holy angels (and we get the teaching of guardian angels from this verse… whatever that looks like. Mighty angels guard us and our children). And, we have the help of the heavenly Father Himself, whose face the angels see, and who loves our children… and this is unimaginable, but also exceedingly comforting… who loves our children even more than we do. Infinitely more than we do.
What should we take home from this? Beloved, bring your children always and ever into
the saving presence of the One who became a Child for them… and for you. Bring them to Church. Bring them to the gifts of Christ. Bring them into the hearing of the Lord’s Word, and to encounter Him in His Sacraments. Teach them Jesus. Give them Jesus. And everybody else, do the same thing. These
children… they are the greatest in the Kingdom in this place. We should be like them. Receiving
Christ like them. With faith like theirs. In the Image of THE Greatest in the Kingdom of heaven. The Christ Child. Who loves us, became one of us, suffered and died for us, is risen, and lives, and reigns for us… who, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, is one God, now and forever. Amen. In the Name of the Father, and of the Son +, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
