For the second of three times, Jesus told His close friends and followers what His fate would be in Jerusalem.
“As they were gathering in Galilee, Jesus said to them, ‘The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into human hands, and they will kill him, and on the third day he will be raised.’ And they were greatly distressed.” (Matthew 17:22-23)
The disciples were greatly distressed, but that didn’t keep them from wondering who would be the greatest in God’s kingdom.
“At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, ‘Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’” (Matthew 18:1)
One of my friends used these two verses and preached a sermon with the title: “Jesus, the Cross, and Where Are Today’s Preachers?” I heard him preach this sermon over 50 years ago, but I still remember it. I wish I could say that I am on the right side of the question, but, like many other preachers, I am not.
To all of us who are concerned with our reputation, ego, status, popularity, and the like, Jesus has an important public service message.
“He called a child, whom he put among them, and said, ‘Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.’” (Matthew 18:2-5)
The Status of Children
One of our grandsons is on the autism spectrum. When he was four years old, I read an excellent book on autism, Uniquely Human. If you give me a minute to talk about him, I will tell you how he is exactly like that title. In a wonderful way, he is a unique human being.
From childhood to his teenage years, our grandson has loved babies. For him, babies are like a powerful magnet that draws him to admire and touch them. However, that was not so in the ancient world.
It may be difficult for us to picture this, but in the first century, children were not highly regarded. In fact, they were some of the lowest-status people on earth.
Jesus often turned the world’s values upside down. Tax collectors, fishermen, and women were part of His band of disciples. Gentiles and sinners benefited from His healing and deliverance works.
He summarized the way He approached greatness and said, “For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).
One of the most dramatic expressions of Jesus’ upside-down values was His declaration: “But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first” (Mark 10:31).
As a result of Jesus’ understanding of what is truly great, it makes perfect sense that He told His disciples: “Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all” (Mark 9:35).
Jesus used a child as an object lesson for His close friends and followers. The low-status child was easily overlooked and counted as unimportant. The child’s humility was actually a reflection of the fact that children were often humbled by society.
When Jesus told His disciples to humble themselves like a child, He was telling them not to strive for the adulation and power of greatness. Rather, they were to accept a status of being humbled because they willingly served others.
Overcoming Ego
You may be like me and have a sizable ego. If so, some of my struggles may help you think about following Jesus’ counsel to His disciples.
A good start to being like our Lord and Savior is to take an honest look at ourselves:
- How often do we think about ourselves?
- Do we feel entitled and get upset when our desires are not met?
- Do we want Jesus to receive praise, but also want to be recognized for our contribution?
- Do we resist doing work that we feel is beneath us?
Please know, I fail miserably with each of the above four questions. That leads me to my second suggestion.
Let’s talk to the Lord about our obsession with personal greatness and importance. There is nothing that Jesus can’t conquer, including our massive ego needs and desires.
Praying for Children
I have had many opportunities to pray for children. When I do, I imagine them being held in the loving arms of Jesus. As I pray for them, I ask Jesus to touch them with exactly what they need in the moment.
Parents, grandparents, and church members can pray like this every time we come in contact with children. Let’s do this and see what our loving Lord will do.
YouTube Discussion
Rudy Ross and I discussed this passage on YouTube today.
Real Voices 