The Thursday after Misericordias Domini Sunday
Posted on May 8, 2025 by under
Scripture: St. Matthew 18:10-14 (NKJV)
18:10 “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.”
Devotion
As Jesus spoke these words to His disciples, a little child was standing in the midst of them, placed there by Jesus Himself (verse 2). It was this little child whom Jesus was referring to as “lost.” Little children are not innocent, as some seem to think. By nature they are lost in sin and need saving. All of us were born in this state.
Jesus, however, does not want us to remain lost. He pursues us and seeks to bring us back to the protection of His fold. But as Christ told us earlier this week, there is only one door through which we can enter into salvation. He is that door, specifically, His presence in the means of grace. Having found us with the preaching of His Word, He brings us into His Church through the door of Holy Baptism.
There is not one door for adults and one door for children. Just as all are lost in sin, all are saved by being baptized into Christ. Those who would deny baptism to little children should pay attention to Jesus’ warning, “Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones.” It is a tremendous sin against a child to prevent him or her from entering into the salvation of Christ’s Church through Holy Baptism.
Collect: God, Who, by the humiliation of Thy Son, didst raise up the fallen world: Grant unto Thy faithful ones perpetual gladness, and those whom Thou hast delivered from the danger of everlasting death, do Thou make partakers of eternal joys; through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever One God, world without end. Amen.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
