“And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me.”
My Notes
What Does Matthew 18:5 Mean?
"And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me." Jesus makes receiving a child EQUIVALENT to receiving HIM: welcome one child in His name and you welcome Jesus Himself. The identification is complete — Jesus doesn't say receiving a child is LIKE receiving Him. He says it IS receiving Him. The child and Christ are connected. The welcome extended to the small one is the welcome received by the great One.
The phrase "one such little child" (hen paidion toiouton — one child of this kind) points to the actual child Jesus placed in their midst (verse 2): not children in the abstract but THIS kind of child — small, dependent, powerless, without status. The 'such' specifies: the least impressive, the most vulnerable, the one with no social capital. THIS is the one whose reception counts as receiving Christ.
The "in my name" (epi tō onomati mou — upon/in My name) is the qualifier that makes the reception CHRISTOLOGICAL: the receiving must be done IN JESUS' NAME — motivated by Christ, directed by Christ's values, done as Christ's representative. The reception isn't generic kindness. It's NAMED kindness — kindness that carries Christ's name as its motivation and its authority.
Reflection Questions
- 1.Who is the 'little child' in your world — and are you receiving them in Christ's name?
- 2.What does Christ identifying with CHILDREN (not the powerful) teach about where He's found?
- 3.How does 'in my name' transform generic kindness into Christological reception?
- 4.What would receiving the least impressive person AS THOUGH receiving Christ look like today?
Devotional
Receive one child in My name — and you receive ME. Not like receiving Me. Not similar to receiving Me. You receive ME. Jesus makes the welcome of the smallest person equivalent to the welcome of the greatest Person. The child and Christ are identified. The small welcome is the divine reception.
The 'one such little child' specifies WHO counts: not the impressive child, the gifted child, the connected child. ONE SUCH child — small, dependent, powerless, the kind that was just placed in the disciples' midst as the model of kingdom greatness (verse 2-4). The child who has nothing to offer, no status to share, no power to leverage — THAT child's reception is Christ's reception.
The 'in my name' makes the motivation essential: the receiving must be CHRISTWARD — done for Christ's sake, in Christ's authority, as Christ's representative. The 'in my name' prevents the reception from being reduced to generic humanitarianism. The welcome is specifically Christian — motivated by Christ, authorized by Christ, and received by Christ as though directed at Him personally.
The equation — child equals Christ — is the most radical identification in the Gospels: Jesus doesn't identify with the powerful, the religious, the impressive. He identifies with a CHILD — the least powerful, least impressive, least significant person in the ancient world. The welcome directed at the bottom of the social ladder reaches the top of the divine one. The reception of the smallest person is the reception of the greatest.
Who is the 'little child' in your world — and does your reception of them count as reception of Christ?
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
And whoso shall receive one such little child,.... Which is to be understood, not literally but metaphorically; meaning…
See also Mar 9:33-41; Luk 9:46-50. Who is the greatest in the kingdom, of heaven? - By the kingdom of heaven they meant…
As there never was a greater pattern of humility, so there never was a greater preacher of it, than Christ; he took all…
Christ's Little Ones. Mar 9:37
The thought of Jesus passes from the dispute among His disciples to the care of His…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture