Then a dispute arose among them as to which of them would be greatest. And Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, took a little child and set him by Him, 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 9:46-48)

Arguing About Greatness

The angels smile when men are filled with pride. God made man a little lower than the angels, and the angels know their place. Pride is one of the greatest sins of men who believe themselves to be greater than what they are. How could anyone believe they are the greatest of any man when they are made in the same image as other men? There are differences in intellect, as the minds of some are extraordinary, while many are simply ordinary. Some have greater talents than others in multiple fields of accomplishment. If a man reaches the zenith of greatness in his time, to what end does he find satisfaction? Generations removed from his accomplishments will never know his name.

One of the most ironic stories in scripture is when the apostles of Jesus argue about who will be greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Imagine how silly that discussion would be standing in the presence of the Son of God. How can grown men argue about who will be the greatest when the greatest man who has ever lived stands before them? Jesus looks around and finds a little child and sets the child next to Him. Here is the Son of God with twelve stout men standing before Him and a child sitting next to Him, and Jesus tells them to be great in the kingdom of God: a man must have the heart of a little child. Children are not born to be proud; they learn it from adults. There is very little pride in the heart of a little child. They are fully trusting, innocent, forgiving, and pure in their thoughts. On more than one occasion, Jesus uses little children to remind the adults what the true nature of the kingdom is all about.

Disputing about greatness is a folly among men. Children are naturally innocent of ambition, pride, and arrogance. They are characteristically humble and teachable. The disciples failed to understand the nature of the work of Jesus, believing He had come to establish a physical kingdom. The attempt to throw off the shackles of the Roman government had failed for generations, but somehow, they thought the man from Nazareth was going to succeed. Jesus did not come to set up an earthly kingdom like the days of David and Solomon. Greatness in the kingdom of heaven would be found in the hearts of the people who made the spiritual kingdom of Christ a reality. Arguing about who would be greater defeated the purpose of the ministry of Jesus. Men were looking to themselves for greatness rather than finding greatness in the presence of Jesus.

True greatness is found in a man who lowers himself to a place where he can see how small he is and how great God is. When men elevate themselves above the will of the Father, they fill their hearts with arrogant pride that will destroy them. Eleven of the men who argued about greatness would find a humble spirit as they spread the gospel of Christ to the world, where ten of those men would die a martyr’s death. The Bible shows man what he is. God made man a little lower than the angels, but Jesus did not die for the angels – he died for the world. To be great in the kingdom of Heaven is to find the love and mercy of a forgiving Father who washes away all sin in the blood of Jesus Christ. When a man rises from the waters of baptism, he has become great because the grace of God has saved him.

To measure one’s greatness by another is to measure another as less than how God measures them. Pride and arrogance make a man think he is better than his neighbor, but Jesus died for everyone. Did Jesus die just for a select group? How could anyone allow pride to make them believe they are greater than another? Like the man who went to pray, saying, “God be merciful to me, a sinner,” God forgives us all because we are all sinners. Who does not need the blood of Jesus? The twelve who argued about greatness in the presence of Jesus Christ failed to appreciate the amazing blessing of standing in the presence of the greatest servant the world would ever know. Jesus became a servant to show men who is great. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.