Matthew 18:1 – About that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?”  2 Jesus called a little child to him and put the child among them. 3 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. 4 So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.

5 “And anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf is welcoming me. 6 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.  7 “What sorrow awaits the world, because it tempts people to sin. Temptations are inevitable, but what sorrow awaits the person who does the tempting. 8 So if your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It’s better to enter eternal life with only one hand or one foot than to be thrown into eternal fire with both of your hands and feet. 9 And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It’s better to enter eternal life with only one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.” (NLT)

Who is the greatest in the kingdom?  I guess the short answer would be – no one who would ask such a question!  Greatness in the kingdom of heaven is not based upon the qualities that the world would promote, but rather on humility. To illustrate this humility, Jesus spoke of becoming like a little child.  In the days of Jesus, while children may have been the promise of another worker at some point, children were merely tolerated among most people, at best.  A child had no chance of gaining any status, and those who seek the kingdom must not be seeking status.  Even as in our time, in the days of Jesus children were not looked up to, but rather looked after.  If we seek life in the kingdom, we should never seek to elevate ourselves before others, but rather only seek to elevate the status of the one who looks after us – Jesus Christ.

It’s not in our nature to take on these childlike qualities, and that’s the point.  Our nature must be set aside. To seek life in the kingdom, we lay aside our old self.  Indeed, Paul spoke of dying to the world: “You have died with Christ, and he has set you free from the spiritual powers of this world. So why do you keep on following the rules of the world” (Colossians 2:20).

The second part of this passage turns from humility, to the dangers of those who would turn a humble one astray. We must understand that Jewish Rabbi’s would often use exaggeration to make a point (after all, did anyone really walk around with a log in their eye?).  Jesus says in verse eight: “So if your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away.”  The point is this – flee the temptations of sin!  Do whatever it takes to avoid temptation. 

These two points – humility and avoiding sin at all costs – takes work!  It takes discipline, and that is why followers of Jesus are called disciples.  Today, let us seek to truly be disciplined disciples of Jesus Christ. 

Posted by Ramón Torres