Kingdom Greatness
Summary of sermon on Matthew 18:1-6 from Deacon Marc Bauder.
In our passage this week, Jesus’ disciples are arguing over who among them is the greatest.
Typical of Jesus, He responds in a way His disciples didn’t expect. He tells them, “unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”
His initial response doesn’t address the disciples’ question of greatness at all. Instead, Jesus’ first priority is to address how one enters the kingdom of heaven:
turn and become like children.
“Turn” in this text is referring to biblical conversion - where a person receives the Holy Spirit and a new heart. This is a spiritual turning away from sin in repentance and toward Christ in faith. If someone has truly be converted, there will be a noticeable change in their life.
Characteristics of a converted person…
- Person forsakes the world and its values.
- Person becomes different intellectually, psychologically, ethically, and relationally.
- Person’s purposes, feelings, and desires change. They view mankind differently - with more love and compassion.
- Sorrow over sin.
- Dependance on Christ.
Because of the nature of the disciples’ question, Jesus probably had certain characteristics of this conversion in mind. We are clued into what those characteristics might be, given the presence of the child in their midst (verse 2) and Jesus’ assertion that one must turn and become like children to enter the kingdom of heaven (verse 3).
In what ways are children different from adults? Here are some characteristics that Jesus could be referring to...
1) We should be dependent like children. In Mark’s account of this same passage, Jesus physically picks up the child, symbolically showing that in order to get into the kingdom of heaven one must first be picked up and carried because they can’t do it on their own.
Children are wholly dependant on their parents for food, care, a roof over their heads, clothes, education, etc… they’re not ashamed of this dependency like an adult would be, they’re thankful for it! Likewise, we should be helplessly dependant on a Parent who can be trusted in a way no human parent could be.
2) We should be trusting like children.
By nature, children believe what they are told. It’s generally not a bad thing to have healthy skepticism or use discernment, but when it comes to receiving the Gospel - we should have this childlike trust.
3) We should be tender hearted like children.
Children are tender and sensitive. As they begin to learn right and wrong, they are often sensitive to correction - not in a prideful or rebellious way, but in a more sincere way.
When Jesus said “become like children”, he very well could have had these characteristics in mind. He might have also been making another point, telling the disciples they must assume the
status of a child.
This would have stopped the disciples in their tracks -- Jewish society did not take children seriously; they were viewed as ones to be looked after, not looked up to. Effectively, Jesus was asking His disciples to view themselves as being in the lowest ranks of society, to turn from the mentality of making a name for oneself to an acceptance of insignificance.
Or, more simply, to enter the kingdom of heaven, we must consider ourselves the least in the kingdom.
In verse 4, Jesus continues, “whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”
Jesus ties this pursuit of kingdom greatness to another characteristic, humility.
To understand humility, it’s helpful to compare it to its opposite, pride
(...remember, this passage began with a question from the disciples revealing their pride.)
Toward God, pride occurs when we have an attitude of self-sufficiency, self-importance, and self-exaltation. We think we have all the answers, that we can solve our own problems, and that God owes us something. This attitude will prevent us from coming to God in prayer, being thankful, and worshiping him like we should. This hinders our intimacy with God.
Toward others, pride occurs when we have an attitude of contempt and indifference. Looking down on other people. Not caring about the needs of other people. Pride hinders our love for others.
C.S. Lewis once said that all other sins are flea bites compared to pride.
Turning to humility, Jesus says, “the one who humbles himself will be exalted. Whoever humbles himself like this child will be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”
Jesus makes it clear… humility is the key to kingdom greatness.
We can define humility as having a right view of ourselves in relation to God and others and acting accordingly.
The Apostle Paul said it well in Philippians 2:3-4, “Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.”
Or as Tim Keller puts it, “The essence of gospel humility is not thinking more of myself or thinking less of myself, it is thinking of myself less.”
How can we respond to what Jesus is telling us here?
- We can pray to be humbled like a child.
- We can meditate on the ultimate example of humility.
“Have this mind among yourselves which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”
— Philippians 2: 5-8
