March 5, 2010
LEARNING FROM THE KIDS
Matthew 18:1-14
Jinger Lord
Central Truth
True greatness comes from a servant's heart, not from prestige or position.
Key Verse | Matthew 18:4
"Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 18:4)
Matthew 18:1-14
Who Is the Greatest?
1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 2 And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them 3 and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
5 Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, 6 but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, 1 18:6 Greek causes to stumble; also verses 8, 9 it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.
Temptations to Sin
7 Woe to the world for temptations to sin! 2 18:7 Greek stumbling blocks For it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the one by whom the temptation comes! 8 And if your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than with two hands or two feet to be thrown into the eternal fire. 9 And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into the hell 3 18:9 Greek Gehenna of fire.
The Parable of the Lost Sheep
10 See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven. 4 18:10 Some manuscripts add verse 11: For the Son of Man came to save the lost 12 What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? 13 And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. 14 So it is not the will of my 5 18:14 Some manuscripts your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.
Dive Deeper | Matthew 18:1-14
I have the privilege of working at Watermark as the Coordinator for Starting Blocks, the church's Sunday ministry for infants to kindergartners. Before coming to work at Watermark, my job was to homeschool our three kids. As you might guess, I enjoy spending time with children and am passionate about the importance of teaching and training them well. I find there is so much I can learn from kids and their perspectives. Here are a few classic quotes from my own kids:
"When people don't know Jesus, do they have to go up hill?" (Her way of asking if people who don't know Jesus have to go to hell.)
"I don't think I have any sin I have not told you about, Mommy. But if I have, I am sorry."
"I still wonder why women have those humps. Maybe it is so you can tell them apart from men if their hair is cut short."
I am not sure what I learned from that last one. It just makes me laugh.
Jesus knows that there are a lot of things adults can learn from children. In this passage He uses a child as an example of humility. The disciples are in the midst of arguing about which one of them will be greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Jesus wants them to understand that in His kingdom, greatness is measured by the manner in which you serve those around you, rather than by your position or affiliations. We are able to achieve that kind of greatness only when we stop being concerned about either our personal prestige or where we are in relation to others.
This is definitely an area in which I need to grow. Too often, I am more concerned about what the people around me are thinking about me than I am about the people around me. I need to get my perspective focused on Jesus and His opinion of Me. At that point I am free to love and serve others from a "childlike" heart. That is when true greatness starts.
Discussion Questions
1. Think about the last time you were with a large group of people. Were your thoughts focused more on yourself or the needs of those around you?
2. What is Jesus' opinion of you? If you do not have a biblical answer, memorizing one or more of the following passages would be a helpful exercise: Ephesians 1:3-8, Colossians 1:21-22, John 15:15, or Zephaniah 3:17.
3. Do you want to be great in the kingdom of heaven? If so, how are you using your time, talents, and resources to serve others?
FAMILY DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. What is temptation?
2. What wrong things are you tempted to do?
3. Who can help you when you are tempted?