Mat 18:14 Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.

In Matthew 18:14, Jesus concludes a section on God’s love for children. In verse 10, Jesus describes what very easily could be a concept like a guardian angel. These angels petition God on behalf of the children, so attempts to hurt children have special weight and heightened consequence.

God wills that no children should “perish”. Presumably this means the children are hurt physically or spiritually. This is God’s desire, but the context reveals that God doesn’t always get what He wants. Sometimes people hurt these children. Verse 10 describes individuals “despising” the children. Verses 11 and 12 describe God reclaiming lost sheep. God’s desire is to bring all the lost into the fold. This is worth celebrating.