“At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, ‘Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’
He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said: ‘Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.'”
Matthew 18:1-5
Why is this such a difficult lesson to learn?
Out of all of Jesus’ teachings, this concept of true greatness – or “greatness in the kingdom of heaven” – is one that we seem to struggle with most.
Think about how you spend yourself – your time, your attention, your energy, your resources, your talents.
For many of us, myself included, we spend our entire lives on things that not only benefit but also elevate ourselves. Further, so much of our society is built on a non-biblical view of greatness, and it can feel impossible to separate the two. Jesus tells us to be like a child, but our boss tells us we need to do and achieve more. Jesus tells us to be dependent on Him, but our society highlights those who are independent and self-made. Jesus tells us to be gentle and humble, but the culture at large tramples and quiets those who don’t make their voices heard through shouting and name-calling.
Huh.
It’s becoming increasingly apparent that the Christian life and the worldly life are two very different things. They always have been of course, but there are fewer and fewer “hiding spots” in our culture and society. Even in the church, we’re seeing greater division because those in charge are taking hard stances for the Gospel and aren’t being so wishy-washy.
Which is good – all of these are good things. Jesus and His message were incredibly divisive: not between one opinion and another, but between the very core of good and evil. As Christians, we are called to be equally passionate about what is good and repulsed by what is not.
In light of this heavenly greatness, Jesus presents a wonderful and fiery conviction to his curious (and perhaps prideful) disciples.
If you’ve read this passage before, suspend your knowledge for a moment and try to put yourself in the disciples’ shoes.
You’ve been following Jesus around for a while, and you’re pretty jazzed up about everything He preaches. You want to carry on this message of God’s love and His goodness and faithfulness and His call to repentance. Your passion for this gospel message feels at war with another competing force: your own self, along with all of your goals, dreams, struggles, and brokenness.
With all of this taken into account, it sort of seems natural that you would ask the question “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”
However, what do you actually hope to gain from your question? You probably wanted to hear a description or a list of rules that sounds similar to how you are or how you life your life. You’re probably be looking for further affirmation that you’ve totally nailed this “Christian life” thing, and that you’re already at the top.
Besides, that’s the sort of thinking that got you to the top of your own fields according to your boss, your bank accounts, and your talents. Seems reasonable, right?
Jesus certainly threw them for a loop with his actual response: be more like children.
Huh?
While the disciples were probably waiting to hear their own name called out, no name was mentioned. In fact, no one even close to their own descriptions was mentioned. Rather, Jesus struck again with his infamous curve ball that they had no idea how to react to.
Does this lesson feel like a curve ball to you?
As Believers, we’re certainly called to be our best and give our best in everything we do – as though working for God Himself. But we must not confuse a sense of excellence in our work and a deeply rooted obsession with fighting our way to the top. The first is a God-given call; the second is self-imposed burden.
– Do you relate more with the disciples or the child in this story?
– What aspects of your own children do you marvel at or wish you had?
– Does your current idea of “greatness” feel competing or complimentary to the biblical definition that Jesus gives us here?
– At the end of this passage, Jesus add yet another curve ball. “And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.” What does this mean to you? How does this add another layer to becoming like a child yourself?