Message by Larry Thacker Jr. from November 14, “Redefining Greatness”
What makes a person great? Accomplishments? Status? Wealth? What about character? Does someone in particular come to mind? Why? My guess is it isn’t someone who proclaims their own greatness. Would Jesus think they are great? He does have something to say about the matter.
In Matthew 18:1-6, Jesus’ disciples have come to know who He is, but they don’t yet understand what that means. They expect a kingdom, but they are still thinking of an earthly kingdom that works on the same principles that others do. They don’t yet understand that His kingdom is something very different, and they assume that as His closest followers they’ll have high positions in His new kingdom. They seem to expend a great deal of energy arguing over who is the greatest among them, and the bickering doesn’t stop right up to the night of His arrest.
In this chapter, Jesus turns their thinking on its head. He says that greatness is defined by servanthood, and no one even gets into his kingdom without the humility of a child. Then He goes on to impress upon them how much He values His children. These lessons are critically important for us to understand. They have implications for how we treat each other and how we conduct our lives inside and outside of the church.
