Charles Ellicott Commentary Matthew 18:11

"[For the Son of man came to save that which was lost.]" — Matthew 18:11 (ASV)

For the Son of man is come — This phrase is missing from many of the best manuscripts. Assuming it is genuine, two points require special notice.

1. The work of the Son of Man in saving the lost is presented as the basis for the claim about the special glory of the little ones’ angels. In their ministry, they are sharers in His work, and that work is the highest expression of the eternal Father’s will. For at least one disciple, these words must have recalled what was said to him during the most solemn crisis of his life, when he was told that he would one day see the heavens opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man (John 1:51). In that ascent and descent, they were not only paying homage to His glory but also helping Him in His work.
2. The words seem chosen to exclude the thought that there was any special grace or saintliness in the child around whom our Lord had folded His arms. To Him, the child’s claim was simply his need and his capacity for all that salvation implies. The words He spoke were as true of any neglected child of the streets as of the child of the most devout parents.