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. Matthew 18:1-2
Who do you think is greatest in the kingdom of heaven? There are plenty of candidates throughout the Bible and probably a few come to mind when the question is presented. If, however, you need a little help coming up with some names, the eleventh chapter of Hebrews might come in handy. In this chapter we find some of the heroes of the faith throughout the ages.
The first name mentioned is Abel, Adam and Eve’s son who presented an acceptable gift to the Lord and is spoken of in the New Testament both for his sacrifice and for being righteous. Or, you have Enoch, Methuselah’s dad, who walked with God for three hundred years and was taken up to heaven by God. That’s pretty great, right?
How about Noah? Out of all the people on earth, the Lord saved Noah and his family through the flood. Could he be the greatest? Then you have Abraham, the father of the faithful. God made him some very special promises and he was even called God’s friend, so he would make the short list for the greatest, wouldn’t he?
This list could go on and on; Moses, the one who was chosen by God to deliver His people from Egypt, David, the king who was promised an everlasting kingdom, Samuel, who was anointed by God as a prophet from his youth. What about Elijah or Elisha or Ezekiel?
Surely there are plenty of others who could be considered for the title, but at that moment, the disciples were not thinking of any of those names. No, they asked Jesus the question because they thought they already knew the answer. And what is the answer — who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? “Why, it’s me, of course!” thought each of them in turn. That’s an easy trap to fall into, and they certainly weren’t the first or the last to experience it. But greatness in God’s kingdom is not measured in the way we think of greatness. If anything, it would be pretty much the opposite.
Jesus said we must become as little children to be great in His kingdom. Children have a God-given humility and need for others. As children grow, there is a tendency for that humility to give way to pride and self-sufficiency (“I can do it all by myself.”).
God gives grace to the humble and it is the only way to approach His throne of Grace; acknowledging His greatness and your dependence upon Him. David’s greatness in God’s eyes is not found in his victory over Goliath, but in his tears as he cries out for God’s mercy after having realized and acknowledged his sin.
There is greatness all around, but it is sometimes hard to spot. Don’t look up to find it in those who lift themselves up, look at the little ones who are reaching up for help with a childlike faith. Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven? That’s a great question!
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