great & small (Mt 18:1-6)

Saturday, February 9, 2008

Psalm 131; Ephesians 5:3-14; Matthew 18:1-6


“Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”
(Matthew 18:4)


This passage begins the fourth discourse in Matthew, that is, one of those extended collection of sayings or sermons by Jesus that ends with Matthew’s formula “when Jesus finished these sayings…” (19:1; cf. 7:28; 11:1; 13:53; 26:1). This discourse seems to be about relationships in the “church” (this chapter has the second reference to the “church” in the gospels, the first being in 16:18.

So his instruction about being dealing with sin in the fellowship, about forgiveness, and resolving conflict, all begins with this question from the disciples, “Who is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” But before he answers the question, he calls a child and places him in their midst and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”

Jesus is rebuking them here. He’s saying something like, “Look, you won’t even be in the kingdom, let alone be great in it, unless you turn and change!” So an entrance requirement for God’s kingdom is becoming like children, and in some way not being concerned about who is greatest, or if you can be the greatest.

Children are able to recognize those who are greater than them, and thus try to imitate them. As prideful as I’ve been in my life, as much as I’ve really believed I could do this or that, or could have it I had worked at it or had the opportunity (much of it childish foolishness), it was generated by acknowledging the greatness of someone whom I wanted to be like, by someone “above” me. Children are also recognize their place in that order of greatness – they might not submit and serve as they ought to, but generally recognize they are not in the place to be giving orders. In other words, children recognize, or are forced to recognize, that they have to conform themselves to adults and can't expect adults to conform to them.

Perhaps Jesus is even saying something like, “Don’t you know who is greatest in the kingdom? Don’t you understand that I have humbled myself, and will humble myself, for you and your salvation?”

So Jesus concludes, “Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” What we ought to aspire to is humbling ourselves, what we ought to look up to is the lowest place. Again, in the topsy-turvy kingdom, the way up is the way down.

Jesus is not pointing so much to a state of being that is radically honest, which is a way to define the noun “humility” (to be down to earth, real, with your feet in the “humus,” the ground), but rather to this action indicated by the verb, “to humble oneself”, which means to lower oneself in dignity or importance. The difference is important in that Jesus, who possessed perfect humility and was the greatest in reality, chose to humble himself, to lower himself in order to serve us.

Interestingly, the word “paidos” in the Greek, can be (and perhaps should be) interpreted in this context as “servant” or “slave”. It’s not as quaint and appealing, but may fit the scene better.

In any case, as Jesus teaches us about relationships in his kingdom and in the church, the fundamental principle on which it all hinges is that we humble ourselves in relation to one another. This of course is not just a command or legal requirement; it makes perfect sense. And secondly, it is the way of Jesus; it is the discipleship journey, for we are following the humble king, we are to walk in the footsteps of him and to have this mind among ourselves, which is ours in Christ Jesus, “who though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant (different word, “doulos”)… he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (cf. Philippians 2:5-8).

* * * * *

O LORD, my heart is not lifted up; My eyes are not raised too high; I do not occupy myself with things too great or too marvelous for me. But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me. O Israel, hope in the LORD from this time forth and forevermore.
(Psalm 131)