Matthew 18: Others First (1)
Pray Psalm 146.1, 2.
Praise the LORD!
Praise the LORD, O my soul!
While I live I will praise the LORD;
I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.
Sing Psalm 146.1, 2, 10.
Hallelujah! What a Savior: Man of Sorrows
Praise the LORD, my soul, give praise! While I live, His Name I’ll raise!
And exalt Him all my days—God forever reigns in Zion!
Read Matthew 18.1-5; meditate on verse 1.
To what kind of greatness do you aspire?
Prepare.
1. What were the disciples wanting to know?
2. What makes one great in the Kingdom of God?
Meditate.
This is now the second time the matter of Kingdom greatness has come up in the Gospel of Matthew. The first time, Jesus brought it up—as if to whet His disciples’ attitude for such a thing (Matt. 5.17-19). There we learned that being great in the Kingdom involved learning, obeying, and teaching the Law of God.
Here Jesus showed that greatness in the Kingdom is sort of a background virtue—always at the ready to serve, but never ostentatious. Children, we all know, should be seen, but not heard. Well, not exactly. Children look to others and want to please them. They find their greatest pleasure by being applauded by those they love and esteem. When they’re at their best, they deny themselves to please those they love. Kingdom greatness involves such a self-denying, cross-bearing, others-serving disposition. Do you want to be great in the Kingdom? Kingdom greatness involves pleasing others. Happily, the Law of God has been given us for just this reason. It teaches us how to please God and our neighbors, as we love them consistently and well.
If we combine this passage with the earlier one, we can see that learning, obeying, and teaching the Law of God must not be done in a bullying or authoritative manner. If this is our view of teaching and making disciples, we don’t understand how life in the Kingdom works. In the Kingdom, righteousness, peace, and joy are the goal we seek (Rom. 14.17, 18). We learn the Law and keep it so that, by its wisdom and light, we may love God and serve others well. As we internalize the Law—or, to be more precise, as the Holy Spirit writes the Law on our hearts (Ezek. 36.26, 27)—we are formed into childlike souls who live to please God and serve others, following the grace and truth God has established for us in His Law (Rom. 3.31).
Wonder and humility; obeying to serve; learning to love; loving to teach—these are how the citizens and ambassadors of Christ’s Kingdom climb the ladder of greatness. One rung at a time.
Treasure Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162
“At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying,
‘Who then is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’” (Matt. 18.1).
At what time was that?
It was just after Jesus had singled Peter out to teach him about trusting Him fully in the Kingdom.
Were the other disciples a little bit jealous that Peter had gotten this special attention?
We don’t know for sure; but the timing seems a little suspect.
Luke’s parsing of this occasion lends itself to this idea:
“Now came an argument among them as to which of them would be greatest in the coming Kingdom!
But Jesus knew their thoughts, so He stood a little child beside Him and said to them,
‘Anyone who takes care of a little child like this is caring for Me!
And whoever cares for Me is caring for God Who sent Me.
Your care for others is the measure of your greatness’” (Lk. 9.46-48 TLB).
Children trust. They put all their hopes in their parents, or caretakers, for their daily sustenance and survival.
Children look to these adults with faith that these people want what is best for them. They only want to lean back into the love and care provided for them. They love with appreciation and dedication.
(Thus, it is life altering for a child when this trust is misplaced and disappointed—disastrous in nature).
God is always worthy of our trust, therefore we are to believe Him, as a child believes their parents. Fully.
Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them;
for of such is the kingdom of God.
Assuredly, I say to you,
whoever does not receive the kingdom of God
as a little child [with innocence, hope, and full trust]
will by no means enter it” (Mk. 10.14, 15).
The disciples’ petty bickering about greatness led to a discussion of eternal import.
Who will be greatest in the Kingdom of heaven here on earth?
Two answers emerge:
1. Those who fully, wholeheartedly, unabashedly, and in child-like faith trust the Father.
2. Those whose love is measured by their extensive and law-abiding care for others (Matt. 22.37-40).
The disciples were also bickering about a topic that shouldn’t have even crossed their radar.
Who, of Jesus’ disciples, should even be talking about personal greatness anyway?
Is that a topic that should ever be on our minds? Only if it’s all about greatly pleasing Him.
The singularly impelling desire driving us forward is this:
“…that you being rooted and grounded in love,
may be able to comprehend with all the saints
what is the width and length and depth and height—
to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge;
that you may be filled with all the fullness of God” (Eph. 3.17-19.
“…for I know Whom I have believed…” (2 Tim. 1.12).
And like a child, I trust Him fully.
And I love Him and want Him to think I’m doing a really great job.
As a child I long to hear Him say,
“Well done, good and faithful [child of Mine] …” (Matt. 25.21, 23).
Reflect.
1. What does it mean to trust in the Father? How do we show that we trust Him?
2. Do you feel like you are increasing in the Father’s love for you? Explain.
3. What is Kingdom greatness and why should you seek it?
Children, when very young, do not desire authority, do not regard outward distinctions, are free from malice, are teachable, and willingly dependent on their parents. It is true that they soon begin to show other dispositions, and other ideas are taught them at an early age; but these are marks of childhood, and render them proper emblems of the lowly minds of true Christians. Matthew Henry (1662-1714), Commentary on Matthew 18.1-6
Pray Psalm 146.3-10.
Rejoice in the hope of salvation, the freedom you have in Jesus, His daily provision of all your needs, and the opportunities He gives you for serving others.
Sing Psalm 146.3-10.
Hallelujah! What a Savior!: Man of Sorrows
Trust we not in prince or man, no salvation’s in their hand;
Death shall take them, breath and plans—God forever reigns in Zion!
Blessed are they whose hope resides in the LORD, Christ at His side.
By Him heav’n and earth abide—God forever reigns in Zion!
He is faithful evermore; He gives justice to the poor,
feeds the hungry from His store—God forever reigns in Zion!
Jesus sets the pris’ner free, heals blind eyes that they may see,
lifts those burdened painfully—God forever reigns in Zion!
He the righteous loves the best; wand’rers in His grace are blessed;
needy ones in Him find rest—God forever reigns in Zion!
But the wicked who defame His eternal blessèd Name,
them He brings to ruin and shame—God forever reigns in Zion!
T. M. and Susie Moore
If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment to give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).
Other columns of interest: This week: Our Read Moore podcast continues our readings from the book, The Joy and Rejoicing of My Heart. Our Crosfigell teaching letter is pursuing a series on the spiritual poetry of the Celtic Revival. The ReVision column is working through a study of the role of reason in the life of faith. Click here to see all the other columns and writers available to you.
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Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter.
