Be careful not to despise one of these little ones, for I tell you, their angels in heaven always see the face of my heavenly Father.
In this verse, the “little ones” may be either literal children or believers who are unnoticed in society’s eyes yet gentle in spirit. Jesus points out that in the heavenly realm their worth is so great that even their guardian angels personally stand near God’s throne, that is, they continually serve His will and are responsible for the safety of those souls. Therefore, to despise them means to scorn people for whom God has special care.