Our scripture this morning is Matthew 18:3-5 (NLT).
Then he said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. And anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf is welcoming me.”
In verse 1 of this chapter we read that the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?” We see this kind of jockeying for position when John and James ask to sit at Jesus’ right and left hand when the kingdom comes (Matthew 20:20-28). Jesus explains here that power and position are nothing in the kingdom, they belong only to God.
Jesus wants us to see that being childlike means to rely on someone else for our needs, to know that we are at the bottom of the authority chain. This is the beginning of humility. He goes on to say “anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf is welcoming me.”
This is the essence of Christian love, to care more about the needs of others than our reputation or wealth. When our thinking goes from “me” to “we”, the kingdom is growing. God has gifted us all richly, but the most precious is our connection to Him.
Loving Lord, help us to be aware of the needs around us, to pay attention to our brothers and sisters. May we be the bearers of the Good News to all the world. Amen.
