For the Son of Man came to save that which was lost.

Matthew 18

In that hour the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who then is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?”

Jesus called a little child to himself, and set him in the middle of them, and said, “Most certainly I tell you, unless you turn, and become as little children, you will in no way enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. Whoever therefore humbles himself as this little child, the same is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Matthew 18:1-4

It is natural for us humans to want to be proud, to show off ourselves, to boast of our abilities, possessions, etc. Yet, the way to enter the Kingdom of Heaven is to humble ourselves. As Psalm 51:17 says, "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit. A broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise."

Whoever receives one such little child in my name receives me, but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to stumble, it would be better for him that a huge millstone should be hung around his neck, and that he should be sunk in the depths of the sea.  Woe to the world because of occasions of stumbling! For it must be that the occasions come, but woe to that person through whom the occasion comes!

Matthew 18:5-7

We are Christ's ambassadors, so we are responsible for representing the Kingdom of God to the people around us. So we must be good ambassadors.

Why is it that so few people in Malaya came to Christ during the colonial period, and yet after the British left, there was an explosion in the Christian population? I suspect this is part of the reason. During the colonial period, the "Christians" were the oppressors. After they left, the Gospel was presented by our local Christians, who were not the oppressors, but showed the compassionate face of Christ.

See that you don’t despise one of these little ones, for I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven. For the Son of Man came to save that which was lost.

“What do you think? If a man has one hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine, go to the mountains, and seek that which has gone astray? If he finds it, most certainly I tell you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine which have not gone astray. Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.

Matthew 18:11-14

God's heart is for the lost. As He said in Ezekiel 18:23, "Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked? says the Lord Yahweh; and not rather that he should return from his way, and live?" So we, as Christ's ambassadors, also need to follow His heart in this.