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." 

Today’s passage can be viewed as an extension course for God’s true greatness. In the previous passage, we saw that God is truly great because he loved the sinners even to the point of sacrificing His one and Only Son Jesus. It has been said, ‘Three things cannot be hidden: coughing, poverty, and love.” In the passage, we can see one of the manifestations of the love Jesus has for all people, particularly for those who have many weaknesses, indicating that he is indeed the greatest. Let us think about the passage to see what we mean by this. 

First, an argument started among the disciples. 

Look at verse 46. “An argument started among the disciples as to which of them would be the greatest.” We do not know what triggered the disciples to start arguing on this subject. As we know, there were twelve disciples. But only one could be “the greatest”. The word “argue” then suggests that they had considerable difficulties to agree on who would be the greatest. 

The word “started” also suggests that things would go nasty, and that down the road even fist-fights among the disciples might ensue.

The fact that they started “arguing” tells us a number of things about the disciples. In the first place, they did not yet know Jesus well. True greatness comes from each person learning of Jesus – his mercy, his love, his gentleness, his humility etc.. But the disciples did not learn Jesus’ greatness as much as they should have. 

The fact that they “argued” on this subject poses a lot of threat to them forming a unity. If they continued to argue like this, it would be impossible to form a unity of love and serve the purpose Jesus had in mind. They had already started ignoring and even hating one another. Then what would happen later to their fellowship as disciples?  

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves,” says Philippians 2:3. But from the passage we can see that each of them did not regard others as better than himself. Genesis 1-2 teach us that God granted each person at least one great point. Simon is friendly, for example. Most likely because of his outgoing character he easily strikes up conversation with others and makes friends with them. John is loyal. He is not the kind of person who goes church shopping all the time. Once he likes someone or something, he always sticks to that someone or that something. Andrew also has one great point: the ability to talk to little kids such as kindergarteners, and persuade them to make offerings to Jesus.  So, he makes a good Bible teacher for CBF members. Philip is good in calculating. Jesus says that a good disciple is a good accountant, knowing how to count the cost in following Jesus. Thomas is a thinking person. He is good in asking questions. In brutal honesty, whatever questions he has in his mind, he gets them out. Remember that it is thanks to him asking a question to Jesus that we came to have one of the most famous lines in the Bible: “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” In this way, each of the twelve disciples had one or two great points. Even a man like Bartholomew who remained mostly quiet, and therefore carried the impression that he might be a man of no abilities, still had one great point. For example, Proverbs 10:19 says: “When words are many sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise.” So, Simon Peter who was very talkative and who quickly took over the conversation had an absolute reason to consider Bartholomew as better than himself. But the disciples did not regard others as better than themselves. They “argued” as to who would be the greatest. In their secret thoughts they said: “I am the greatest.” 

Each time a member of a fellowship regards himself or herself as better than the other there is a problem of shaping the unity among them. Suppose a man married a woman who is the CEO of one of the Blue Chip companies. Let’s say hypothetically she makes ten times more money than her husband. Suppose that all her husband does is cook, clean, laundry, and baby-sit at home. Then, in that case, who is greater?  The answer is:  All are great. The husband is no. 1, and the wife is also no. 1. The husband can regard his wife as the best wife in the whole world, and the wife can respect her husband as the best husband, for, in the first place, which husband is willing to do such menial work as washing dishes, taking out the trash, or vacuuming, all the time? Aside from these human reasons doesn’t Genesis 1 and 2 teach us that each person is created in God’s image, and therefore is very good in God’s eyes, and therefore is no. 1? But, let us assume hypothetically that the wife regards herself as better than her husband simply because she makes more money than her husband, or if the husband feels inferior to her wife, simply because his wife pays for his health insurance, then what will happen to the marriage? 

“An argument started among the disciples as to which of them would be the greatest.” The word “argument” as well as the word “started” indicates that the “fight” just “started”, and therefore the conflicts would only get “worse”. Already the air among them had grown tense. They started feeling uncomfortable towards one another. In short, they had lost the unity of love among them.  

The Lord God put the twelve of them in one fellowship for a good reason, that is, to help them pool their resources, especially their strong points, together and thereby supplement each other’s weaknesses and shape an invincible work force that could meet all kinds of challenges, and fulfill the great work the Lord God had in mind. But if each of them looks at others’ weaknesses or problem areas alone, and starts looking down on them, what will happen to the fellowship among them? The answer is obvious. 

Indeed the disciples needed a major correction in their way of thinking. 

Second, Jesus had a little child stand beside him.

Practically how did Jesus correct them? What was Jesus’ remedy for their ungodly thoughts? Look at verses 47-48. “Jesus, knowing their thoughts, took a little child and had him stand beside him. 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."” We can divide Jesus’ message here into two parts: (1) the picture; and (2) the illustration. 

The picture

It has been said, “The human mind is not a debating hall but a picture gallery.” And Jesus knows it best. So in order to plant a clear message in his disciples, Jesus came up with a beautiful picture. What is it? The picture is: “a little child standing beside him” with his disciples standing around him in a circle. Twelve sets of eyes were now fixed on Jesus and the little child. The child grew kind of curious. The child quickly sensed that the disciples were not “friendly”. Standing next to Jesus, the little child was probably holding onto Jesus tightly, so that just in case any of these grim looking adults ever tried to play a game, he would hide behind Jesus. 

It is interesting to note that Jesus took a little “child” and had him stand “beside” him. A picture is worth more than thousand words. A picture sends us a synthetic message. It prints in the human mind an image that comes with a message. So, let us stop for a moment and think about the message. 

First, what does a child stand for? In the Bible, a child refers to one who is spiritually immature. For example in Hosea 11:1, God calls the Israelites in Egypt “a child” by saying, “When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son.” The Israelites in Egypt were spiritually immature. They were spiritual babies who needed spiritual nannies changing their diapers for them all the time.  In 1 Corinthians the Apostle Paul describes the Corinthians as “infants”. ^“Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly—mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly?” In 1 Corinthians 13:11 he admits that once upon a time he too used to be an “adult baby” for he says in the same passage, “When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child.” Finally in 1 Corinthians 14:20 he says, “Brothers, stop thinking like children.” 

Let us remember then that Jesus “took” the little child and had him stand “beside” him. The word “took” and “beside” indicates that Jesus “accepted” a little child and kept the child “close” to him. 

Illustration

What then is the message? Here is the message: "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." The message is that Jesus wants his disciples to welcome a man or woman like the little child in Jesus’ name. As of that moment, each of the disciples was like the little child. They had all kinds of character flaws such as envy, jealousy, greed, and lust. They had bad habits, sin problems, and other weaknesses. Yet Jesus says that they must welcome one another even despite all kinds of problems. 

Here the word “welcome” is very important, because Jesus repeated it not just once or twice but four times! 

Normally whom do we welcome?  Often times as I listen to a Christian radio program, I am puzzled by commercials made by financing companies. A typical example goes something like: “Welcome to an EASY way to get a home loan even with bad credit! If you have been turned down before because of bad credit, have had difficulty finding financing, or are just looking for a great rate, we can help you.” Obviously, the owners of these businesses are Christians. But when you call them the first question they might ask you is, “How much equity do you have on your house?” And they “welcome” you only because they see in you some merit such as the equity so that they would take advantage of you and make money out of you. These people “welcome” you in the name of money. But Jesus is different. He says that we must welcome a man like the little child even if he might give you more burden than relief. 

Why then should the disciples “welcome” a man like the little child? Here is the answer: “For he who is least among you all—he is the greatest.” This is hard to understand much less accept. The least is the least, the greatest is the greatest. And the least and the greatest are the opposite in value. Why then does Jesus say, “The least is the greatest?” What is Jesus trying to say? The immediate answer is because Jesus identifies himself with a man like the little child. 

The question that follows is, “Why does Jesus identify himself with a man like the little child?” Why is it that welcoming a man like the little child is as good as welcoming Jesus and then God the Father? Well, we all know the answer. Jesus came to die for us sinners as 1Timothy 1:15 says, “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst.” Similarly of all the disciples, the Apostle Matthew who once upon a time was classified as a public sinner (least and worst) understood it better and quoted Jesus saying, “But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."(Matthew 9:13)  In the same book, Matthew’s gospel 20:25-28, Jesus then declared to his disciples: “"You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

In this way in Jesus’ company, the least are the best “customers”, so to speak. In business schools business gurus teach their students, “Treat your customers as kings!” Likewise, in Jesus’ company, the least are the best customers. 

The message then is that no one is entitled to ignore or look down on anyone, no matter how sinful, because Jesus came to die and indeed, died for that person. If Jesus died for even the least, the one who is the least is already great. Then who are you to look down on anyone for whom Jesus even shed his blood? 

Third, Jesus rebuked John and James. 

Thus far, Jesus taught his disciples the kind of love and respect they must have toward fellow disciples. 

Now Jesus is teaching John the way to relate himself with those who belong to a bigger circle of people than the circle of the twelve.

Look at verses 49-50. “"Master," said John, "we saw a man driving out demons in your name and we tried to stop him, because he is not one of us." "Do not stop him," Jesus said, "for whoever is not against you is for you."” 

It is interesting to note that while John used the word “we” or “us”, Jesus directed the message not to the people called “we” or “us”, but John himself. “Do not stop him, for whoever is not against you is for you.” John was an exclusive, narrow-minded person. But Jesus wanted him to be a man with a broad mind, as broad as the Pacific Ocean.  

Now, let us think about how we should relate ourselves with those who are hostile to us. In the course of serving the Lord, we run into all kinds of people. And not all of them are friendly to Jesus and Jesus’ servants. The question is how do we associate ourselves with those who are “hostile” or “in opposition” to us? Do we respond to them in anger or in kindness? If we are to be kind, how kind should we be? What is going to be the wisdom? In verses 51-56 Jesus deals with this kind of question. Let us read this passage responsively. John and James were hot-tempered. They proposed to Jesus to respond to the Samaritan opposition with an armed response. 

But this kind of attitude mischaracterizes Jesus for he is long patient. Jesus is embodiment of God’s love. The first character trait of love is to be patient. In his great patience, he keeps providing us with opportunities to repent and grow up as God’s children. Thanks to Jesus’ long patience, the disciples of Jesus kept growing up. Likewise, thanks to Jesus’ long patience, the people in Samaria of Jesus’ day did not turn into French fries. Later, after Jesus’ resurrection, the disciples went to Samaritan areas, spread the gospel, and saved many. 

In conclusion, we found the answer to the question the disciples asked: “Who would be the greatest?” The answer is that Jesus is the greatest. In his greatness, Jesus came to identify himself with the least. Once upon a time, all of us used to be objects of God’s wrath and anger. But because of God’s great love which is long patient, we were spared. Then, thanks to His long patience, we are still being given the opportunities to stop thinking and acting like a little child. We are then called to follow Jesus’ example, that is, to show great love to all those who are yet to overcome their childish ways of life. May the Lord then help us to grow to the full greatness of Jesus. 

One word: who is the greatest? Jesus is! 

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