Who is the greatest?

Luke 9;46-56

Key Verse 9:48

Then he said to them, "Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For he who is least among you all--he is the greatest."

In the previous passage we saw Jesus' true greatness, that is, he practiced (demonstrated) the kind of love God has for us, sinners.

This passage can be studied as an extension course, for there he wants his disciples to love all kinds of people with the same love as the love God has for all of us. 

1. Think about the point of argument that developed among the disciples (46). The word "argument" indicates that they had considerable difficulties in agreeing with one another on the point of argument. What does this episode tell us about Jesus' disciples?  

** It tells us a number of things on the disciples. For example:

1) Each of them had the desire to be truly great, showing that the Lord God made each of them in God's image, for one of the features that are imbedded in the so-called "image" [of God] is the desire to be great, do what is great, not just in a moderate degree but in an ultimate degree. The bottom line is that all humans are born with the desire to be truly great. Even a man like Adolph Hitler had the desire to be the head of a monastery during his young adulthood. 

2) They did not know the kind of love the Lord God has. So we can say that they did not love others, as the Lord God wanted them to love others. 

3) Overall it shows that they were still not "spiritual", and came with character flaws such as lust, envy, mutual hatred, etc. 

2. Verse 47 says that Jesus started teaching the disciples "knowing their thoughts". What does the word "thoughts" indicate about: 1) the nature of the "argument" the disciples were having; and 2) the significance of ones’ "thoughts"? 

** It appears that they made arguments among themselves not in an audible way, but in their thought worlds. More or less they thought about the same thing, feeling uncomfortable about everyone all because each of them kind of ignored all the rest, thinking that each of them is better than all the others, and thereby straining themselves unnecessarily thinking that when Jesus is gone, they will have to be subjected to the rule of a man as irksome as Simon Peter. 

** Thoughts give birth to behaviors (deeds), behaviors habits, habits characters, characters hope. (Romans 5:3,4) Read also Gen 6:5; Luke 1:51; 2Co 10:5

So Jesus helped his disciples on the level of their thoughts. 

We can help people as Jesus did by serving them with God's word, for God's word judges man's [evil] thoughts. Heb 4:12

3. Consider the little child standing beside Jesus, looking at the disciples (47). As mentioned in the Bible, what does the "little child" (especially "child") stand for? (Hos 11:1; 1Co 3:1-4; 13:11; 14:20; Pro 4:1-3)

** 1) A child is a child not just in terms of biological age, but in terms of lack of [spiritual] maturity. You are either a child or an adult, because you are [spiritually] either immature or mature.

2) Examples (of those who are 'childish') include: 

a) The Israelites who were in Egypt (as a slave nation, steeped in the slave mentality). 

b) Corinthian brothers and sisters who hated each other in jealousy and envy, for they saw things that are on the surface such as visible people, not the Lord God who works among all although not physically visible. 

c) If anyone (a man like Paul included) is without "love" [which the Lord God has for us] is already a [spiritual] baby.  

4. Meditate on the meaning(s) of Jesus' words in verse 48. In this passage the word "welcome" is repeated four times which indicates that it not always easy to welcome a person like a little child.  Yet God the Father identifies himself even with a man who is like a little child. Why?

** While the answer is found in the next following statement of Jesus saying the least is the greatest, the following also can be said. 

1) Technically speaking, all (immature persons included) bear God's image, so they have the potential to grow mature; 

2) The reason why God established a discipleship ministry is to "welcome" the immature and serve them to become mature. Remember what one pastor said to a youth pastor in regard to a married man who kept going out committing adultery, ditching his duties and responsibilities as a husband and a father. The youth pastor wanted to give up on this man. But the senior pastor said, "If you do not help a man like this, what are you here for?" 

3) God himself is "working" for all who are like a little child. 

5. Memorize the line saying, "For he who is least among you all--he is the greatest." Obviously "the least" is the least, "the greatest" is the greatest. Yet, why does Jesus say that the least "is" the greatest? [What is Jesus trying to say?]

** Arguably the greatest is the greatest in terms of the greatness of:

1) the problems they have, and therefore the need they have;

2) the possibility to grow; and

3) the humility, for no one is more hopeless than the one who thinks that he is so great that he does not need to struggle to learn and grow. 

The bottom line is that in God, anyone has the possibility to grow to the full measure of God's true greatness. But this possibility is never going to become materialized if you think that you are already great.

Another truth for us to consider is that although you may think that Mr. A is greater than Mr. B, to God, all are sinners, and the same. This is like a man who goes up in the air in an airplane, looks down below cars or people moving around on the streets, finding them altogether insignificant. When you look at cars or people on the ground they may look all different (in goodness or greatness), but from above, they are all like a bunch of ants. Read Isaiah 55:6-13.

Consider also what the disciples such as Peter later learned (perhaps out of what Jesus taught here), by reading 1Pe 5:5,6. 

6. Verses 49-50 describe an interesting conversation between John and Jesus. John talks about "we" or "us", but Jesus talks about "you" (John). Why?

** Most likely, John said what he said thinking that he did some favor to Jesus (such as to protect Jesus' name and his ministry) and thereby expected Jesus to say something "good" (or great) about him, but in Jesus' eyes, John said what he said because of his self-centeredness, rather than "Jesus-centeredness" (in the true sense of Jesus-centeredness), for Jesus is not "self-centered" or "us-centered" but "others-centered" and others include a man like a little child. 

7. Think about the way Jesus responded to the suggestion James and John made facing the Samaritan opposition (51-56). The expression "turned and rebuked" indicates that the problem James and John had was not a small problem. Why is this such a serious problem? 

** They had the anger problem. An angry man grows impatient, which is the opposite of true love, for the first character trait of love is to be patient. [Read 1Co 13:1-13, esp. 2-5.] The end

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