Who is the Greatest?

At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me. But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe to the world because of offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes! If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the everlasting fire. And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire” (Matthew 18:1-9).

The disciples are clearly looking forward to the coming of Jesus’ kingdom, and their very prestigious places in it. They want to know who will be the greatest. Jesus tells them: Whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. This answer is consistent with Jesus’ teachings about greatness. Whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave; he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. This is the way God works. He has put down the mighty from their thrones and exalted the lowly. The first will be last and the last, first.

Children, especially in ancient times, can be viewed more as a liability and an asset. They cost money to feed and care for. They know nothing. They own nothing. Until they are of a certain age, they can do no productive work. All they can do is receive what is given them. This is what Jesus tells His disciples here. They are to be humble, not seeking to be exalted, receiving His gifts of repentance, faith, and forgiveness of sins as a child. We are called to do the same. He goes further. Woe to the world because of offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes. Jesus tells us that it would be better for a man to die a violent death than to cause “one of these little ones who believe in Me” – a brother or sister in the faith – to sin. To illustrate this more clearly, Jesus uses an example He used to talk about sexual sin in the Sermon on the Mount: If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the everlasting fire.

Of course, Jesus is showing us that it isn’t our hand, foot, or eye which causes us to sin, or causes us to harm our brother, but rather our heart. That which comes out of a man, out of his heart, is what makes him unclean. We are not made sinners because we committed sins, we sin because we are sinners; it is who we are according to our old, corrupt, fallen human nature. The only remedy is repentance, and child-like faith in Christ. He has purchased and won me from sin, from death, and from the power of the devil, not with gold or silver, but with His holy, precious blood, and by His innocent suffering and death. If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; the new has come. And, like little children, we receive this gift, not because we deserve it, but because God loves us. He gives it to us in the preaching of His Word of Law and Gospel. He washes our sins away and connects us to Christ’s death and resurrection in Holy Baptism. He nourishes us and sustains our faith when we humbly gather, as He invites us, to eat His body and drink His blood in the Lord’s Supper. And we live our lives in godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, sowing the seed of Christ’s Gospel to all those among whom He has placed us, according to our vocations, knowing that His Word will not return to Him void, but will accomplish what He pleases.