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Greatness in Weakness
Matthew 18:1-20
Grace to you and peace from
God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
“Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” Last week, we heard Jesus tell His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer and be killed, and on the third day be raised. Shortly after, Jesus was transfigured before Peter, James, and John, His face shining like the sun, His clothes as white as light. A few verses before today’s Gospel begins, we have another Passion prediction, when Jesus said, “The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill Him, and He will be raised on the third day.”
After all that, one would be tempted to think that the disciples would have questions about His upcoming suffering, death, and resurrection. But that is not what they asked. Instead they asked, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” Some of them had seen Jesus shining brighter than the sun, talking with Moses and Elijah. All of them had heard Jesus talk about His coming suffering, death, and resurrection. And this is the question that comes to their minds?
Jesus knew a good teaching opportunity when it happened. Calling to Him a child, He said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” Jesus took the opportunity of their question to teach them that greatness in the kingdom of heaven is totally different than in the kingdoms of this world.
You might be tempted to think, “Ah, the innocence of youth. That is what Jesus is teaching. He is pointing to a child because children are so innocent.” When they are all decked out in their Sunday best, children can look pretty innocent. But any parent will tell you that you must teach children to tell the truth because children are natural liars. You must teach children to share because they are selfish by nature. Children may look innocent, but they are not. As King David wrote, “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.”
So why did Jesus use a child as an example of the greatest? What is so special about them? What can they do for the kingdom? What can they do for Jesus? The answer of course is nothing. That’s just the point, isn’t it? Children have no capacity for entering the kingdom of God. We think of Jesus with the children, but those children never came on their own. Scripture tells us that people brought even infants to him that he might touch them. Someone brought the infants. They didn’t crawl up on their own. And that’s the point. When it comes to the Kingdom and a right relationship with God, there is no room for human initiative, effort, self-promotion, or self-justification—none at all!
So Jesus taught His disciples that the one who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven is the one who needs the most help. The one who is totally helpless is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. This is the opposite of this world, where the one who gives the most help is the greatest. The one who is the most helpless comes under God’s protection. Jesus said, “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, 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. Woe to the world for temptations to sin! For it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the one by whom the temptation comes!” The holy angels themselves defend God’s children. Our Father gladly answers says, “Yes,” when we pray with Luther, “Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me.” So the helpless are the greatest; they are perfect candidates for grace.
This sinful world seeks greatness through power. Jesus Himself said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them.” That is the way of the world: get power and use it to control others. The one who uses power most effectively is the greatest. But Jesus points to a helpless child as the standard of greatness. The one who is the most helpless, the weakest, the humblest, the lowliest, the most reliant on Jesus: that one is the greatest.
Brothers and sisters in Christ, beloved of our Father: last week we heard that followers of Christ bear the crosses set before us. And there are and always will be times when the burden beats you down. The flaming darts of the evil one are especially fierce. Those who suffer these attacks are the little ones of whom Jesus speaks, the ones who are the greatest in the eyes of our Father. Theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Yours is the kingdom of heaven.
So how do you become like a little child? You are born from above, born anew, in the waters of Holy Baptism, where God makes you His own child, where the Spirit works faith in you. He restores your childlike faith: faith that relies on Jesus alone instead of on your own reason or strength. And our Father gladly feeds that faith with the body and blood of His Son for the forgiveness of sins and the strengthening of that faith. In this way you are able to bear your burdens with courage and patience. As the Lord said to St. Paul in the midst of Paul’s suffering, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” And Paul answers, “When I am weak, then I am strong.”
When you were at your most helpless, when you were dead in trespasses and sin, our Lord treated you as the greatest in the kingdom. He took on your weakness, carrying your sin. He died so that you would live. And He rose so you would have eternal life with Him forever. In the name of the Father and of the Son (+) and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The peace of God which passes all understanding will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus always. Amen.
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