*Be sure to read the Preface if you haven’t.
Scripture: Matthew 18:1-7
About that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?”
Jesus called a little child to him and put the child among them. Then he said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.
“And anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf is welcoming me. But if you cause one of these little ones who trusts in me to fall into sin, it would be better for you to have a large millstone tied around your neck and be drowned in the depths of the sea.
“What sorrow awaits the world, because it tempts people to sin. Temptations are inevitable, but what sorrow awaits the person who does the tempting.”
Some Thoughts
It’s important to know something of the context of this passage from Matthew. Just prior to this time Peter, James, and John had been with Jesus on the mountain when he was transfigured in their presence and the four of them were joined by Moses and Elijah in a most remarkable encounter. On the way down the mountain, Jesus told them to say nothing about what they had experienced.
I have to wonder if they kept their mouths shut. Peter, as well as the brothers James and John, apparently spent more time with Jesus than the other nine disciples. When you recall that James’ and John’s mother asked Jesus if her boys could sit on his right and left sides in the kingdom and the negative reaction that followed from the rest of the disciples, we may get the idea that there may have been some jealousy and rivalry among the men from time to time. At this point they still did not fully grasp Jesus’ mission on earth.
We then come to the passage you just read and their question to Jesus as to who was the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. Notice how Jesus defined greatness. The disciples were ambitiously thinking position and power, responsibility and authority will define greatness. Dismissing those attributes, Jesus defined greatness along the character side of things: transparency, humility, repentance, dependance, and trust as to keys of greatness. And this mind set simply marked entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus pointed out that the disciples clearly need to repent of their heart attitudes. He taught it is childlike faith which establishes greatness. Have you noticed how Jesus is always more interested in character and actions of the heart than he is in position or power?
This is a season for us to examine our own hearts. What do we give great value in our own lives? Is it our position, our reputation, our knowledge, our resources, our prestige, our goals, or our family? Jesus is most interested in your heart attitude toward him. He confronted the disciples more than once on this issue. He also made it very clear that to cause another person with a childlike, humble, trusting heart to fall into sin is very grave to the point of your being better off dead. This day give yourself to transparency, humility, repentance, and trust to the Lord as you interact with all those with whom you come in contact. One of simplest, most profound summaries of childlike faith is: “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.”
Music: “Jesus Loves Me,” Whitney Houston
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, we have to admit that sometimes, like the disciples, we chase work, ambition, success, pleasure, and a host of other things and neglect a childlike faith. Humility is hard for us. What if people don’t notice what we’ve done or given? All too often we do things so we can tell others what we’ve done. Forgive our childish ways and give us child-like innocence. But we do love you and just get off track from time to time. We know you love us in our unfaithfulness and pride, because your word tells us you are faithful even when we are faithless toward you. We confess our tendency to drift from a dependent, tender trust in you. Forgive our foolish ways as we seek once again to draw near to you this day. In the name of Jesus who is strong when we are weak. Amen.
—Daniel Sharp