LITTLE ONES
Jesus qualified the apostles as prophets, righteous men, and little ones by gradually descending in grade to include all his followers in the future. For a Rabbi, his disciples were “the little ones”. Using “the little ones”, Jesus could also mean simple people who are like little children or innocent in their behavior. When the disciples asked Jesus, “‘Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?’ He called a child over, placed it in their midst, and said, ‘Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. And whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me” (Mt 18:1-5). So, the “least ones” could be the apostles or any innocent and humble follower of Jesus. Any receptivity and favour for them in the name of Jesus will be eligible for a reward in heaven. Jesus’ verdict includes, “Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me” (Mt 25:40).