{"collection":"chr","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/chr/ecf/009/0090470.htm","path":"chr/ecf/009/0090470.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/chr/ecf/009/0090470.htm","text":"p. 492 29. The Little Ones and the Perfect.\nBut another might say that the perfect man is here called little, applying the word, \u201cFor he that is least among you all, the same is great,\u201d 6004 and will affirm that he who humbles himself and becomes a child in the midst of all that believe, though he be an apostle or a bishop, and becomes such \u201cas when a nurse cherisheth her own children,\u201d 6005 is the little one pointed out by Jesus, and that the angel of such an one is worthy to behold the face of God. For to say that the little are here called perfect, according to the passage, \u201cHe that is least among you all, the same is great,\u201d 6006 and as Paul said, \u201cUnto me who am less than the least of all saints was this grace given,\u201d 6007 will seem to be in harmony with the saying, \u201cWhoso shall cause one of these little ones to stumble,\u201d 6008 and \u201cSo it is not the will of My Father in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.\u201d 6009 For he, as has been stated, who is now little, could not be made to stumble nor perish, for \u201cgreat peace have they who love the law of God, and there is no stumbling-block to them;\u201d 6010 and he could not perish, who is least of all among all the disciples of Christ, and on this account becomes great; and, since he could not perish, he could say, \u201cWho shall separate us from the love,\u201d 6011 etc. But he who wishes to maintain this last exposition will say that the soul even of the just man is changeable, as Ezekiel also testifies, saying, that the righteous man may abandon the commandments of God, so that his former righteousness is not reckoned unto him; 6012 wherefore it is said, \u201cWhoso shall cause to stumble one of these little ones, 6013 and, \u201cIt is not the will of My Father which is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.\u201d 6014\n[As for the exposition of the matters relating to \u201cthe hundred sheep,\u201d you may consult the homilies on Luke. 6015 ]","title":"Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol IX: Origen's Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew.: Chapter XXIX","type":"page"}