Precious In God's Sight

As a child attending Sunday School, I can remember participating in open assembly. This was a time when all the children's classes would meet together to pray, read a Scripture, and sing. Two of the songs I remember singing were, “Jesus Loves the Little Children" and “Jesus Loves Me." The theme of those songs is identical to these verses. The fact is, every believer is “precious" in God's sight.

The disciples asked Jesus who would be considered the greatest in the Kingdom of God (8:1)- a subject they seemed to be constantly preoccupied with. Our Lord pointed to a child and said that only those who had the same attitude as a child would be welcomed in the Kingdom (vv. 2-3). In other words, only those who humble themselves and put their absolute trust in God, like a child would her parents, would be considered the greatest in God's Kingdom.

He then told a parable to warn them and us not to look down upon or despise those whose faith may not be as strong as ours. In these verses, Jesus gives two reasons why we should be careful how we think about and treat each other within the Christian community.

First, our Lord assures us that God knows each believer personally (vs. 10). This verse has led many to believe that every child has a “guardian” angel. Actually, this idea was a part of the Jewish religious tradition and is not found anywhere in the Bible. The fact is, angels care for and minister to every believer ( Heb. 1:14) not just children. The point here is that God is constantly mindful of each and every believer and is always ready to send angels to minister to each one of His children at all times. Think about it, the One who spoke the universe into existence, the One who is Lord over all things, knows each one of us personally and is concerned about our well-being. We must be precious in His sight because He demands that His angels be ready to minister to us at all times.

Second, Jesus assures the disciples that God values each one of us. The Scriptures often compare God's people to sheep. This is no compliment, trust me. Sheep can't take care of themselves and will wander away from the flock without realizing it. When a sheep does get lost, the shepherd drops everything to look for it and he doesn't stop until it's found and safely returned to the group. The word translated “look for" literally means to put energy into looking for a thing. If you have ever misplaced your car keys, wallet, or an expensive piece of jewelry- anything of great value- you would put a lot of energy and effort looking for it. You won't stop looking until the item is found. That is the idea expressed here. Our Lord considers each one of His children to be extremely valuable and He rejoices over each one of us (Luke 15: 10).

Here is something to think about, Christianity is the only religion that worships a God who searches out human beings. All other religions worship gods that require their followers to search for them. He does whatever it takes to care for His children.

When Mary and Martha sent word to Jesus that their brother Lazarus was sick, they informed Him this way, “The one whom You love is sick; come help” (John 11:3). They didn't ask for Jesus' help based on Lazarus's love for Him, they made their request based on Jesus's love for Lazarus.

The bottom line is that every human being deserves to be treated with respect and dignity because we are all created in the image of God. The church ought to be a glowing example of a place where everyone is regarded as worthwhile, lovable, and honored. Everyone who puts their faith and trust in the Lord for their salvation and well-being is precious in God's sight. That means you, too!