I. What is meant to be impressed upon us by the text is that in our carelessness about sin and God's service we stand, as it were, alone in creation; that higher beings view with interest every one who is striving to do God's will; that they rejoice over every soul gained over from the cause of evil to the cause of good. We know how worse than indifferent we often are to both these things; that those who are called in the text "little ones," that is, persons with great want of knowledge, and with neither outward circumstances nor force of character to commend them to general notice, but yet really desirous of doing their duty, that these "little ones" we are far from particularly respecting, and farther still from helping them on amidst the difficulties of their way.
II. If we look at what our nature is, and how few set themselves in earnest about renewing it, we may feel quite sure that both we ourselves, and every individual with whom we are acquainted, will meet in the world his share of difficulties and temptations. But let us for ourselves, every one individual amongst us, take heed, for his own personal part, that neither for himself nor for others does he assist in creating these difficulties and temptations. It is a guilt distinct from the general guilt of our own sins in the sight of God, and one which greatly aggravates that. If we lived alone in the world, then our badness would hurt ourselves only; it would be sin, but it would not be what the Scripture calls "offence;" that is, conduct to hurt the souls of others. But we do not live alone; we cannot act independently of others; our good and evil must have an effect upon them; our good must bring forth fruit in the hearts of others also; our sin must contain that other and deeper guilt of tempting or disposing to sin some of God's little ones.
T. Arnold, Sermons,vol. iii., p. 193.
References: Matthew 18:10. H. W. Beecher, Christian World Pulpit,vol. iii., p. 371; A. Mursell, Ibid.,vol. xxiv., p. 8; Clergyman's Magazine,vol. xiii., p. 136; H. P. Liddon, Three Hundred Outlines on the New Testament,p. 25; G. Matheson, Expositor,2nd series, vol. vi., p. 370; Bishop Boyd-Carpenter, Contemporary Pulpit,vol. vi., p. 321; M. Dix, Sermons Doctrinal and Practical,p. 40.