Who is the Greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?

M

MatthewG

Hello you, have you read this verse many times throughout your life?

At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”​
​
2 He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. 3 And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.​

What are your thoughts about the scriptures?
 
MatthewG said:
Hello you, have you read this verse many times throughout your life?

At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”​
​
2 He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. 3 And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.​

What are your thoughts about the scriptures?
Click to expand...

Matthew......1st of all the Scripture you posted is from the Gospel of Matthew 18:1........
"At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”

If you are asking who the greatest person in the Kingdom is then that will of course be Jesus the Christ.

However, the CONTEXT of the answer Jesus gave opens the door to all kinds of teachings from the Master.

Were the disciples wrong in asking the question?......NO!

Is it wrong to dream great dreams?.......NO!

Is it wrong to want to be great?........NO!

It human and perfectly acceptable to have a desire to be great. However.....we must 1st grasp what greatness IS!

The vision we often have of looking up to a famous person who we perceive to be GREAT by the way he/she does her job or position in life by those who flock to hear or see them can actually blind us to the fact that a journey toward greatness is a journey DOWN, nor UP!

Real Greatness only comes when we humble ourselves to trust in the call from our Master's every call.

That IMO is why Jesus used a CHILD as His example. The simple childlike faith of a child who TRUSTS his parents! That is the simple act of FAITH!

Seeking greatness, we must humble ourselves as one of the little ones who......"Believe in Me"!

When Jesus called to the child to come to Him....the child did so immediately, without pride, trusted Jesus' invitation!
 
MatthewG said:
Hello you, have you read this verse many times throughout your life?

At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”​
​
2 He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. 3 And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.​

What are your thoughts about the scriptures?
Click to expand...
Can a grown man anymore become like a little child than a child crawl back into his mother's womb? I believe the point in both instances was the necessity of the new birth...

John 3:4 ESV
[4] Nicodemus said to him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?"
John 3:5 ESV
[5] Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
Matthew 18:3 ESV
[3] and said, "Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
 
crossnote said:
Can a grown man anymore become like a little child than a child crawl back into his mother's womb? I believe the point in both instances was the necessity of the new birth...

John 3:4 ESV
[4] Nicodemus said to him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?"
John 3:5 ESV
[5] Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
Matthew 18:3 ESV
[3] and said, "Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
Click to expand...

And that is how God speaks to us through His Word. NO argument from me on that thought!
 
MatthewG said:
Hello you, have you read this verse many times throughout your life?

At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”​
​
2 He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. 3 And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.​

What are your thoughts about the scriptures?
Click to expand...

The greatest in the Kingdom of God is of the King. In that way our Holy Father is greater than the Son. But not greater as a person just the position. It takes two to set up a government of peace .Loving authority plus willing submissiveness = the peace of God according to His understanding.

According to the flesh the first will be last and the last first.

Interestingly the list of saints in Hebrews 11 begins with the more well-known and ends with those he hides in caves from the world as not worthy.

Hebrews11: 35-40 Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection: And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.
 
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