“At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 2 And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them 3 and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 18:1–4 (ESV)
How do you measure greatness? What is meant by greatness?
Growing up in the 1960’s and 70’s, there was one particular athlete that became known, by his own admission, to be the greatest athlete ever. I’m speaking of boxer Muhammed Ali. He said, “ It’s hard to be humble when you’re as great as I am.”
“As you can probably tell, there seems to be a theme among the quotes of Muhammad Ali. His self-belief and confidence truly were unmatched. His breathtaking speed and reflexes allowed him to beautifully master the sweet science. Hitting and not getting hit was what Ali did best, this allowed him to have an air of invincibility throughout a huge portion of his career.” – Geezers Boxing
How does the Bible define greatness? How did Jesus? Today’s text provides answers to those questions.
The disciples asked Jesus, ““Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” The word greatest (μέγας; megas) literally means loud, surprising and important. It is interesting to see that the disciple view of greatness is not so different from our own day and age. People associate greatness with how loud you are regarding your self-importance. Ali was loud. So are many other athletes in their respective sports. Rare is the successful athlete, musician, actor, politician, etc. who is humble.
2 And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them 3 and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”
“Our Savior’s answer refutes the ungodly attitude of the disciples. Greatness, He says, belongs only to those who humble themselves like a child (18:2–4). Jesus is not saying that children are naturally humble; experience teaches us otherwise. He is emphasizing the objective reality of childhood. Children rely almost entirely on adults to survive, and they have not lived long enough to claim lasting success or merit for themselves. Christians must cast off dreams of power or status and like a child admit their ultimate dependence on God for all things. Rather than seek status in the eyes of men, they should rely more and more on the Father,” explains Dr. R. C. Sproul.
John Calvin says the humble person “neither claims any personal merit in the sight of God, nor proudly despises brethren, or aims at being thought superior to them, but reckons it enough that he is one of the members of Christ, and desires nothing more than that the Head alone should be exalted.”
Philippians 2:1–4 (ESV) says, “So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.”
There are many historical figures who proclaimed their greatness, only to face the inevitably humiliation of death. Jesus Christ is the only one who conquered death and is exalted as Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Phil. 2:5-11). May we, as His humble servants, exalt Him as the greatest.
Soli deo Gloria!
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