What Jesus Did : Matthew 18:1 - Striving for Greatness
by Phil Ware
Striving for Greatness - Matthew 18:1
At that time the followers came to Jesus and asked, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" (ERV) Full TextKey Thought
In our dreams as children, we are the greatest. In our professions, we entertain illusions of our greatness. Even when we approach what is greatness in the eyes of others, we know that we have not arrived and we dream of even greater things to do and greater heights to climb.
So surely, the desire of greatness can't be all bad! The lust for greatness is a great motivator. But Jesus said that greatness, like life and so many other things, cannot be obtained by seeking what we desire. Instead, greatness is given when we follow Jesus and choose to live as servants!Today's Prayer
Almighty Father, give me the wisdom to value people by Jesus' standard of greatness and not the standard of those who do not know Christ and his sacrifice. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Today's Verses in Context
At that time the followers came to Jesus and asked, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" Jesus called a little child to come to him. Jesus stood the child before the followers. Then Jesus said, "I tell you the truth. You must change and become like little children {in your hearts}. If you don't do this, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. The greatest (most important) person in the kingdom of heaven is the person that makes himself humble like this child. "If a person accepts a little child like this in my name, then that person accepts me. "If one of these little children believes in me, and another person causes that child to sin, then it will be very bad for that person. It would be better for that person to have a millstone tied around his neck and be drowned in the deep sea. I feel sorry for the people in the world because of the things that make people sin. Those things must happen. But it will be very bad for the person that causes those things to happen. "If your hand or your foot makes you sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose part of your body but have life forever. That is much better than to have two hands and two feet but be thrown into the fire (hell) that burns forever. If your eye makes you sin, take it out and throw it away. It is better for you to have only one eye but have life forever. That is much better than to have two eyes but be thrown into the fire of hell. "Be careful. Don't think these little children are worth nothing. I tell you that these children have angels in heaven. And those angels are always with my Father in heaven. "If a man has 100 sheep, but one of the sheep becomes lost, then the man will leave the other 99 sheep on the hill. He will go to look for the lost sheep. Right? And if the man finds the lost sheep, the man is happier about that one sheep than about the 99 sheep that were never lost. I tell you the truth. In the same way, your Father in heaven does not want any of theselittle children to be lost.-- Matthew 18:1-14 (ERV)
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