He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. -Matthew 18:2-4
In this passage of scripture Jesus’ disciples of were apparently having an interesting discussion. They were trying to figure out which one of them would be the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven. Doesn’t that seem like a strange thing to be talking about? They somehow got it in their heads that there were positions of power to be had in the Lord’s kingdom. Jesus set them straight on that very quickly; there isn’t. All followers of Christ are called to be servants. Jesus said that if you want to be great in His kingdom then you will have to be a servant to everyone. This can be difficult for some people to understand. Christianity is not about gaining power and prestige, but it is about being a humble servant. Now, there is leadership in the church, but it is not to be confused with power. Donald Trump is a man of power in the corporate world. Some years ago on a visit to New York City I stood outside the building that bears his name and I have to say that it was indeed impressive.
Following Christ is nothing like that. I fear that many people have lost sight of this important truth. Many people today seem to be vying for who will be the greatest in Christ’s kingdom. The gospel message has nothing to do with affluence, power, privilege, or being the greatest. It has everything to do with being humble servants of Jesus Christ. Such an attitude honors the Lord and makes us available to serve the Lord and those around us to our fullest potential.
This coincides with what Jesus said in Matthew 25:35, 36; “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.” Jesus said that when we did this to the least of our brethren then we have done it to Him.
