Thoughts From Matthew 18

"Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"

The question was posed by curious disciples. After all, Jesus should know! He had lived in heaven for all eternity. Who did He consider the greatest in His kingdom?

Abraham?
Moses?
Elijah?
David?
Esther?

The disciples knew the stories. There were so many "great" men and women of faith that graced their history books! Surely, Jesus could tell them who the very best of them was, so they could start copying that person's way of life and win more status in Christ's eyes.

Rather than answering their question, Jesus did something very curious.

"And Jesus called a little child unto Him, and set him in the midst of them."

I'm guessing the disciples probably watched this with both bewilderment and frustration. They had just asked the Master a most important question - at least in their estimation - and here He wasn't even answering them! He didn't even seem to have heard the question!

I imagine at this point, Jesus is kneeling in front of the child speaking kind words to him with smiles. Then, He may have stood and, placing His hands on the child's shoulders, looked around at His circle of followers with a piercing gaze.

"Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter the kingdom of heaven."

Converted?
Converted from what? Lord, we have always followed the Jewish laws and traditions of our fathers! What is there to be converted to?

I can only imagine the questions that must have been swirling in their minds.

Become as little children?
How am I supposed to become as a child?
I am an adult now! I have been through Hebrew school, completed my Bar Mitzvah. I have a wife, and children of my own! What is this nonsense about being as a child?

Doesn't Jesus understand? The kid is cute and all, but really! We were talking about great heroes of the faith! Who is the greatest? What does this conversation have to do with anything we've been discussing???

In Jesus' estimation, the issue was not "who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" The issue was, "Are you even going to be there?"

Don't get caught up with being better than another! Don't seek to be a religious celebrity. You can't be the greatest in My kingdom, if you're not even there.

Are you going?
Are you going to heaven, O disciple?

Except you be converted and become as a little child, you're not going. You shall not enter the kingdom of heaven.

Converted. It means to turn around; to turn back. (Sounds like repentance!) Turn around from your sin! Turn your back on the road to destruction! Go the other direction. Turn back to God, your Maker, with the humility of a child. With the neediness of a child. With the desire to be reconciled to Your Creator, the Father.

Turn away from a life of faith in your good works, in your Jewish traditions, in your keeping of the law. Be converted to faith in the Savior - the only One who can deliver you from sin, death, and hell!

Become as a little child! Children will believe anything. You tell them dinosaurs lived millions of years ago, they'll believe you. You tell them that monsters live under their bed, they'll believe you. You tell them that a jolly old man travels the world one night a year in a flying sleigh pulled by reindeer, they'll believe you.

Become as little children in the sense that you'll believe whatever God tells you. You'll believe the stories of His Word as true. You'll believe His promises no matter how impossible they seem to human understanding. You'll do as He commands because you are His child.

Finally, after voicing these more important insights, Jesus answered their question...His way.

"Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 18:1-4)

No name was given as to the greatest; simply a principle.

Most likey, it was the disciples' pride that motivated the question about greatness. And Jesus delivered an answer that cut right to the problem. "Whosoever...shall humble himself..."

Children are humble. They don't have hidden agendas. They don't have motivations to be famous and make it into the hall of faith. Children are children. They like to play, to work, to be needed, and loved.

I imagine that right up there with the faithful "greats" of the past, Jesus values the little boy Samuel who conversed with God in the night, the little maid from Israel who served Namaan's wife and told of the prophet in her homeland who could heal leprosy, the young boy Daniel who stayed true to God's laws in a pagan land, and the small lad who gave his lunch in child-like faith that it could feed a multitude.

Be like a child, O disciple, and you will discover the secret to greatness.