In the teachings of Jesus, there are moments when He confronts not only the actions of His disciples but also the attitudes of their hearts. One of the most striking lessons appears when the disciples—who walked with Him, saw His miracles, and heard His words—allowed pride to rise among them. Their desire for position and recognition exposed a misunderstanding of the nature of God’s kingdom. It is in this context that Jesus offered one of the most beautiful and transformative illustrations: a child. With this simple yet profound example, He redefined greatness, humility, and what it means to belong to His kingdom. Today’s reflection invites us to examine our own hearts and to embrace the childlike humility that opens the door to eternal life.
Today’s reflection is based on Matthew 18:1-5
1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”
2 Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them,
3 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.
4 Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
5 Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me.
In the Mark and Luke versions of this same story, we learn that the disciples were actually arguing among themselves, each one wanting to know who would hold the highest position in the kingdom of heaven. This dispute shows how easy it is, even for believers, to fall into the trap of pride and comparison. To correct their misunderstanding, Jesus took a child, placed him in the midst of them, and used him as a living example. He explained that unless they were converted and became like little children, they would not even enter the kingdom. Greatness in God’s kingdom begins with humility, with coming before God in dependence and sincerity.
And said to them, “Whoever receives this little child in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me. For he who is least among you all will be great.”
Luke 9:48
The last part of this verse captures a truth that goes against every human instinct: “For he who is least among you all will be great.” In the world, people strive to elevate themselves, to accumulate achievements, titles, and recognition. Human thinking associates greatness with influence, status, and outward success. Yet Jesus teaches the opposite. He says that the path to greatness is found through humility. To be great in heaven, we must learn to be small here on earth. To enter His kingdom, we must approach God with the simplicity, dependence, and trust of a child.
Some believers fall into pride because they have reached a certain level of knowledge, ministry, or recognition before men. But Christ reminds us in Matthew 23:12 that “whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” God Himself opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. True spiritual maturity is not measured by how many people applaud us, but by how willingly we bow our hearts before God and serve others with love.
Beloved brother or sister reading this reflection, never forget that in God’s eyes, the smaller we are, the greater we become. Greatness is not found in position, but in posture; not in authority, but in humility; not in being served, but in serving. Let us reject anything that feeds our ego, and let us not fall into the illusion of greatness measured by earthly standards. Instead, let us remain humble, gentle, and willing to serve all our brethren in the love of Christ. May we learn daily from the example of the little child—trusting, pure, and dependent—so that we may walk faithfully in the kingdom of our Lord.
3 comments on “Who is the greatest?”
Praise be the Lord! Thanks for the words true words that has been written Amen.
Who is the greatest?
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I wonder: Be “the greatest”? For what reason could we want to become the greatest? To govern others, to exert dominion over brethren, over all creature.
But—someone could answer—the greatest in the kingdom of Heaven is God.
And yet, the Lord Jesus Christ came to serve others, to humble himself for others, to sacrifice himself for others. Jesus is the Master. It’s not fit for the disciple to be greater than his Master.
So my answer is: no, I think Jesus tries to teach them, also to teach us, that the goal in our lives is not to feel greater among people but to feel humble among them and serve them.
God’s people, like other people on this earth, need a chief who leads them. They need some people who have received gifts to manage or to exert control over the nations, over the Church here in the earth, but always in submission to the Word of God, according to His Will.
No doubt, it’s not God’s will for anyone to take advantage of their position in the Church, or to get a better treatment than other members in it. Each member has his place there amb must serve others, as a part of the body of Christ, who is the Head. We must serve others with love, not seeking our own benefit.
Another thing is that we must respect and esteem brothers who are elders or Pastors, who lead in the Church’s government, especially teaching God’s Word. We must love them for their work’s sake. The Word tells us what follows, referring to those who minister:
“And to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. And be at peace among yourselves”
(1 Thessalonians 5:13)
So we must receive and respect with love those who work among us, those who behave in their conduct like little children, who humble themselves, in singleness of heart, as they are supposed to be.
And Jesus said to them, “Whoever receives this little child in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me. For he who is least among you all will be great.”
Luke 9:48
Therefore, when we meet men or women who—with sincerity and a character or behaviour that is moulded by God’s fear, as they do good, serve others and lead them— we will receive them in the name of Jesus, because He said it is He whom we actually receive.
So let’s do that, brethren, and we’ll also be receiving the Father for Jesus’ sake. The Lord Jesus said:
“For he who is least among you all will be great”
That means, according with Scripture, that those who are and feel least are considered great by God in the kingdom of heaven. And so they are made into the image of his Son, who is perfect because he is God Himself, meek and lowly in heart.
We ought not to want to be great in the kingdom of God but least, as Christ is, desiring to be counted worthy of serving his people through our Lord Jesus Christ.
May he receive glory and adoration. The Lord God be praised forever
AMEN