And whoever receives such a child in my name receives me.
In this saying Jesus reveals a deep principle of identification, showing that receiving a humble, small, and defenseless person is receiving Him, because such receiving is done in Christ’s name and according to the logic of His love. The phrase “such a child” refers not only to age, but to a condition of heart that is humble, trusting, and without self-defense, and to receive such a one means practical love, not words only. Thus Jesus shows that one’s relationship with God is measured by the attitude with which a person receives the very smallest and the humble, and that true receiving toward Christ is expressed precisely through that serving love.