“And anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf is welcoming me.
Parallel translations
- WEB Whoever receives one such little child in my name receives me,
- KJV And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me.
- BSB And whoever welcomes a little child like this in My name welcomes Me.
- NKJV Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me.
- NASB And whoever receives one such child in My name, receives Me;
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
To welcome one such humble child in Jesus' name is to welcome Jesus himself. How we treat the lowly reflects our reception of Christ.
Overview
Receiving a child, or a humble believer represented by the child, is to receive Jesus, who identifies with the lowly. This raises care for the insignificant to an act done to Christ (compare Matthew 25:40). It calls the community to honor those the world overlooks.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 9
- Matt 25:40“The King will answer them, ‘Most certainly I tell you, because you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’
- John 13:20Most certainly I tell you, he who receives whomever I send, receives me; and he who receives me, receives him who sent me.”
- Mark 9:37“Whoever receives one such little child in my name, receives me, and whoever receives me, doesn’t receive me, but him who sent me.”
- Gal 4:14That which was a temptation to you in my flesh, you didn’t despise nor reject; but you received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus.
- Luke 9:48and said to them, “Whoever receives this little child in my name receives me. Whoever receives me receives him who sent me. For whoever is least among you all, this one will be great.”
- Luke 17:1–2He said to the disciples, “It is impossible that no occasions of stumbling should come, but woe to him through whom they come!
- Matt 10:40–42He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives him who sent me.
- Matt 25:45“Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Most certainly I tell you, because you didn’t do it to one of the least of these, you didn’t do it to me.’
- Mark 9:41For whoever will give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because you are Christ’s, most certainly I tell you, he will in no way lose his reward.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Commentaries & study tools
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Christ at the center
Matthew presents Jesus as the promised King — son of David, son of Abraham — the new Moses and true Israel in whom every prophecy reaches 'that it might be fulfilled.'
How Matthew 18:5 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.