Matthew
“Who is the Greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?” Part II
"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.
No doubt, Jesus was addressing their thoughts
The adult mind can become very complicated and hinder learning
This is why Jesus says be like children who have a humble attitude
And a desire to learn
Jesus says you can’t even see the Kingdom let alone enter it with adult reasoning
When you are born you have an empty mind
Your knowledge and understanding are shaped as a little child
Only when we become like a little child
Can our Father in Heaven teach us the way of the Kingdom
Children’s minds are very vulnerable
How we act or what we say to children shapes their thinking
Our adult lives have been shaped from our childhood years
This is why Jesus says, welcome others as little children
Don’t cause these young believers to stumble or you will receive great judgement
Jesus spins the answer on greatness by saying God the Father’s greatest concern is
Protecting His little children and punishing those who harm them
“Who is the Greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?” Part II
Chapter 18 of Matthew is Jesus’ answer…
To Who is the greatest.
In order to understanding Matthew 18,
it is important to read Mark (Mark 9:33-50)
and Luke’s (Luke 9:46-48) account
to pick up the background to the Disciples’ question…
“Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?”
An argument started among the disciples
as to which of them would be the greatest.
Luke 9:46
An argument started.
Whether this was a discussion on the mild level
or a dispute on a grander scale…
Jesus realizes their conversation on
rank, leadership, power, and authority was all wrong.
Greatness does not come by striving to get to the top.
Greatness is at the bottom.
Jesus addressed this issue many times
like in Matthew 23:8-12…
"But you are not to be called 'Rabbi,' for you have only one Master and you are all brothers. And do not call anyone on earth 'father,' for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. Nor are you to be called 'teacher,' for you have one Teacher, the Christ. The greatest among you will be your servant. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
The greatest are servants in the Kingdom of Heaven.
Notice how Jesus started to answer the question.
Jesus started with you must become like a little child.
No doubt, Jesus was addressing their thoughts.
The adult mind can become very complicated
and hinder learning…
This is why Jesus says be like children
who have a humble attitude and a desire to learn.
Jesus says you can’t even see the Kingdom
let alone enter it with adult reasoning.
When you are born, you have an empty mind.
Your knowledge and understanding are shaped as a little child.
Only when we become like a little child
can our Father in Heaven teach us the way of the Kingdom.
Children’s minds are very vulnerable.
How we act or what we say to children shapes their thinking.
Our adult lives have been shaped from our childhood years.
This is why Jesus says…
Welcome others as little children.
And don’t cause these young believers to stumble
or you will receive great judgment.
Jesus spins the answer on greatness by saying…
God the Father’s greatest concern is protecting
His little children and punishing those who harm them.
See that you do not look down on one of these little ones.
For I tell you that their angels in heaven
always see the face of my Father in heaven.
Matthew 18:10
Matthew 18 is answering the question…
“Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?”
He does this in 3 parts…
Verses 1-10 Jesus was addressing us as individuals.
We must be like little children,
a born-again experience where a death to
who we have become takes place.
And a fresh child-like mind seeks the knowledge
and instruction from the Father in Heaven.
These children are the Father’s greatest concern
making them the greatest.
As individuals, we have to be careful
we don’t allow our accomplishments with our hands
and feet to get in the way of these little ones.
We need to make sure the things we have seen in life
don’t destroy the faith of these little children.
If your experiences in life gets in the way of one
of these little children of faith…
Than Jesus says cut off your hand or foot,
gouge out your eye if it hinders someone’s child-like faith.
Art Linkletter used to say…
“Kids say the darndest things”
I know a man who told me he put a cross
in his shoe for a day as an act of faith.
In my mind, I thought that is a dumb idea.
But as his brother in Christ…
I saw he wanted to be reminded with each step
he took, the suffering Jesus made for him.
I could have told him he did not need to do penance for his sin,
because Jesus has forgiven him.
I had a choice to criticize him with disapproval
or encourage him by appreciating his child-like faith.
2 Corinthians says it very well…
Not that we lord it over your faith,
but we work with you for your joy,
because it is by faith you stand firm.
2 Corinthians 1:24
Jesus strongly warns us not to take dominion over others’ faith…
But to help others stand firm in faith.
Everything we do can be done better.
And doing things better comes with more love.
Paul says it this way to the Romans…
Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a man to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble. It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother to fall.
So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the man who does not condemn himself by what he approves. But the man who has doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin.
Romans 14:19-23
So whatever you believe about these things
keep between yourself and God.
So that you do not cause your brother
(little ones) to fall.
In Matthew 18:12-19…
Jesus addresses the greatest as it relates to corporate,
we, the Church.
In Matthew 18:20 –35…
Greatness comes through forgiveness.
Scripture Reading
Matthew 18:1-10 NIV
18 At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"
2 He called a little child and had him stand among them. 3 And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
5 "And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me. 6 But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.
7 "Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to sin! Such things must come, but woe to the man through whom they come! 8 If your hand or your foot causes you to sin cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. 9 And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.
10 "See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.
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