The Greatest in the Kingdom
Matthew 18:1-4
As we begin a new year today, we also begin a new chapter in our study of the Gospel of Matthew. You should remember that Matthew is the Gospel of the King and His Kingdom. Matthew wants us to see that Jesus is the promised and prophesied Messiah-King who will save His people from their sins. Jesus has taught about the Kingdom of Heaven and demonstrated His authority and power as the King through His compassion and miracles.
Remember that Matthew has structured his Gospel to highlight five major teaching sections alternating with narrative sections. In Matthew 14-17 we have been studying the narrative section that focuses on miracles, controversy, suffering, and glory. The central passage in this section was Peter’s confession that Jesus is “the Christ, the Son of the Living God” (Matt. 16:18), and Jesus then promised to build His church. Jesus’ church is His assembly of called-out believers who form the community of His Kingdom presence in this age. Jesus then began to inform His disciples what it meant for Him to be the Christ—rejection, suffering, death, and resurrection. And what’s more, Jesus’ disciples must also be those who deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow Him in the way of suffering.
Then in Matthew 17, Jesus showed three of His disciples a glimpse of the glory of His Kingdom on the Mount of Transfiguration. And again, Jesus predicted His betrayal, death, and resurrection. The disciples do not comprehend what Jesus says and react by denying, disbelieving, and despairing. Matthew 17 ended with the coin in the fish to pay the temple tax. Thus, Jesus showed His humility while acknowledging that He was the very Son of God.
Now, turning the page to Matthew 18, Matthew presents the fourth of Jesus’ major teaching sections—this one prompted by a question from the disciples. The key words in this chapter are “little child” (Matt. 18:2,3,4,5) and “little ones” (Matt. 18:6,10,14)—descriptions of Jesus’ followers in their relationship to God and to one another. Jesus teaches how God’s Kingdom kids must relate to Him and each other. Jesus first teaches that everyone must enter the Kingdom of Heaven in humility like a little child (Matt. 18:1-4). Then He teaches that Kingdom people must receive one another as children (Matt. 18:5-9), care for each other as children (Matt. 18:10-14), reconcile with one another as children (Matt. 18:15-20), and forgive one another as children of the Kingdom (Matt. 18:21-35).[1] This chapter is essential for us because here Jesus teaches us how to relate to one another in His church (Matt. 18:17).
Today we will look at just the first four verses where Jesus where Jesus teaches that greatness in the Kingdom looks like the humility of a little child. Our passage begins when Jesus’ disciples ask Him a question.
1. The Disciple’s Question: Who is the Greatest? (Matt. 18:1)
Matthew 18:1 says, “At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, ‘Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’” Mark and Luke both make more explicit what Matthew implies here: the disciples are jockeying for position here. Luke tells us that somewhere along the way in their travels “a dispute arose among them as to which of them would be greatest” (Luke 9:46). Apparently, the disciples had kept this argument to themselves. But, as always, Jesus knew their thoughts. Mark’s Gospel tells us that when they all got into the house at Capernaum, Jesus asked them, “What was it you disputed among yourselves on the road?” (Mark 9:33)? The Gospels record that this was a recurring dispute among the disciples. It will come up again in Matthew 20 when the mother of James and John asks that her sons might sit at His right and left hand in His kingdom.
Here in Matthew 18, even though the disciples are probably embarrassed about the argument (Mark 9:34 reports that “they kept silent”), they are still filled with enough pride and self-seeking to ask the question, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” Ironically, while Jesus spoke of His personal humiliation and suffering, they argued about their personal exaltation and glory.
The fact that they ask that question shows that they still do not know what the Kingdom of Heaven is all about. Even though Jesus taught about the attitudes of the Kingdom in the Sermon on the Mount saying, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, … those who mourn, … the meek, … the hungry and thirsty, … the merciful, … the pure in heart, … the peacemakers, and … the persecuted, … for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 5:3-10). Even though Jesus taught them that they “will be hated by all for My name’s sake … and a disciple is not above his master” (Matt. 10:22,24). Even though He taught, “He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it” (Matt. 10:39). Even though He taught, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me” (Matt. 17:24). They should have understood by now that selfish pride and personal advancement are the opposite of a kingdom mindset.
How does Jesus respond to their misguided question?
2. Jesus’ Response: Be Converted and Humble (Matt. 18:2-4)
In response to their question, we read, “Then Jesus called a little child to Him,” and “set him in the midst of them,” (Matt. 18:2). Apparently, the little boy was already there in the house. And apparently, he was old enough to come to Jesus when He called him. But the word that the original language uses means just what our translation says—a little child anywhere from an infant on up. The word stresses the immaturity of the child and the need to be under direction or instruction.[2]
Children always seemed to be comfortable around Jesus and He always welcomed them gladly. We will see this again in Matthew 19. Jesus placed this tiny, humble little boy in their plain view as an object lesson to them. Then He dropped the bombshell on them all. Jesus arrests their attention with the words, “Assuredly, I say to you,” indicating the gravity of what He is about to say. Then, using the strongest negations that could be stated, He says, “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” (Matt. 18:3-4).
The disciples were asking about who is the greatest in the kingdom, but Jesus says that the real question is not who is great in the kingdom, but who can enter the kingdom. Jesus says that two things must happen to enter the Kingdom of Heaven: 1) be converted and 2) become as little children.
Be Converted
First, He says that we cannot enter the kingdom of heaven “unless you are converted” (Matt. 18:3). The word He uses means “to turn around”.[3] It means that we recognize that we’re going the wrong way and that we must turn around and go the opposite way. It’s very much the same idea expressed by the word “repent” in the Old Testament (שׁוּב, shûwb, meaning to turn back[4]). The disciples were seeking greatness in the kingdom, but they were going in the wrong direction to get there. They were preoccupied with “one-ups-man-ship” and elevating themselves. They needed to repent of that mindset, turn away from it, and go the opposite way.
Do you want to enter the Kingdom of Heaven? Jesus says you must change. Jesus says you cannot remain the way you are if you want to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. You need to turn away from self-promotion. You need to repent. Change your mindset. Turn from self to God. But notice that Jesus states this requirement in the passive voice, you “are converted.” This change, this turning around and repenting, is not something you do to yourself. It is something that is done in you by God. Only God has the power to convert a soul. It requires both a personal response by the sinner and the power of God to save. No one comes into the Kingdom of Heaven any other way. Unless you are turned around and converted, “you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 18:3).
Become as little children
Second, Jesus tells them that, along with being “converted”, they must also “become as little children”. And there, before them, stood a living example. What does Jesus mean that we must “become as little children”? We can sure that it doesn’t mean that we should become “childish”. In Matthew 11, Jesus denounced that generation for being childish in wanting their own way in the kingdom (Matt. 11:16-17). Here, the disciples were being childishly selfish. That’s why the Lord needed to correct them. The Bible also indicates that we must not become “children” in our understanding of God’s word, but are to be “mature” (1 Cor. 14:20; Eph. 4:14-15; Heb. 5:13).
Jesus says that the quality He want us to become as little children is humility. He explains in Matthew 18:4, “Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” D A Carson points out that “The child is held up as an ideal, not of innocence, purity, or faith, but of humility and unconcern for social status.”[5] The little boy is the opposite of the attitude of the disciples. They were seeking status. This little child had none. In Jewish society, children were considered to be of no importance and were not to taken seriously except as a responsibility, one to be looked after, certainly not one to be looked up to.[6]
What does a child-like attitude look like? We began our worship service today by reading Psalm 131. There, King David gives us a good picture of being child-like:
1 LORD, my heart is not haughty,
Nor my eyes lofty.
Neither do I concern myself with great matters,
Nor with things too profound for me.
2 Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul,
Like a weaned child with his mother;
Like a weaned child is my soul within me.
3 O Israel, hope in the LORD
From this time forth and forever (Psalm 131).
David teaches us in this psalm that to become like a little child means that we cease from being “haughty” or “proud”. It means that we cease from raising our eyes in a “lofty” or “arrogant” way. It means that we humbly accept that there are things that we cannot understand about the greatness of God’s plan. It means that we are meek and humble before God and His word.
Second, it means that we become content in God’s love. Like a weaned child, we don’t fret and worry but become like a little child resting comfortably and satisfied in mother’s arms. It means that we become calm within our soul because of the Father’s good care for us. We are content in God’s loving provision.
And finally, it means that we hope in God. We don’t look to our own resources. We don’t imagine that it’s all up to us. Instead, we trust in God knowing that He loves us. We are confident in God’s power. Jesus says to humble yourself like a little child, that is, to acknowledge your weakness before God and look to Him as your strength.
Do you want to be great? Then make yourself small! Come to Jesus in dependent, trusting, childlike faith. Humble yourself like a little child. This is greatness in the Kingdom of Heaven.
Think about it. Who humbled Himself more than anyone else in history? Jesus. He left the glory of heaven, laid aside His privilege and prominence, humbled Himself, lived as a servant, and became obedient to His Father even to the point of dying on the cross. Jesus is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven because He humbled Himself the most.
And why did He serve and give His life on the cross? As a ransom for many (Matt. 20:28). He humbled Himself to suffer and die on the cross for sinners. He is the atoning sacrifice that makes us right with God. He took our sin upon Himself so that we could receive His righteousness. And how do we receive this salvation from sin? By faith in Christ. By simply humbling ourselves like little children to come desperately needy, empty-handed, trusting only in His death and resurrection to save us. Have you come to Jesus that way? Let God turn you around today, be converted, be changed, believe in Jesus, trust only in Him. He will save you, make you a child of God, and you will enter His kingdom.
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[1] John MacArthur, MacArthur New Testament Commentary: Matthew, Moody Publishers, Chicago, p. 94.
[2] William Barclay, The Daily Bible Study Series: Matthew Vol. 2, Westminster Press, Philadelphia, p. 175.
[3] Blue Letter Bible, Outline of Biblical Usage, https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g4762/nkjv/tr/0-1/.
[4] Blue Letter Bible, Outline of Biblical Usage, https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h7725/nkjv/wlc/0-1/.
[5] D. A. Carson, “Matthew,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Matthew, Mark, Luke, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 8 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1984), 397.
[6] R.T. France, Matthew, an Introduction, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries. P. 274.
