At that time the disciples came to Jesus saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” And calling to himself a little child he put him in front of them and said “Truly I say to you, unless you turn and become like this little child you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”
This is our Text.
Who is the greatest in the kingdom? Sounds an awful lot like the conversations we have been listening to in our own national political process lately. We are now about 57 days out from November 4, from Election Day and every time you turn on the television there are advertisements for the presidential candidates, and all the other offices that are up for election. Each one is arguing, is trying to convince you that he or she is the greatest in the kingdom and therefore is deserving of your vote.
We are used to that in our political process here. The speeches, the attack adds, the fierce competition; they are all a part of “politics as usual” here in our United States. It is the way things are.
But that is not the way it works in the kingdom of heaven. Greatness in the kingdom of heaven isn’t won with campaign slogans, super acts of Christian service, having the greatest and best attitude, or even being the most obedient. No, that doesn’t do it at all. God doesn’t look at performance, he doesn’t grade on achievements, he doesn’t vote based on who is the most fit to reign. Your place in heaven isn’t determined by you at all. Your place in heaven is determined by Jesus, by a God who is gracious, who is generous, who is merciful.
This whole question was brought about by the disciples. They were arguing among themselves as to who would be the greatest in Kingdom of Heaven. They were banking on Jesus the Son of David to ascend to the throne, and they were each secretly hoping that when He came into his kingdom they would have a seat of honor right next to him. And so they asked him “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”
And couldn’t you just hear the debate? Couldn’t you hear Peter talking about his record as a fisherman – how he successfully managed his fishing operation and finished each year with a surplus. Or perhaps Simon the former Zealot could appeal to his military expertise as the expert on national security who knows, maybe he even spent time in a Roman prison and endured countless beatings without wavering on his convictions. Maybe John could appeal to his youthfulness as the impetus for change. Maybe Matthew the tax collector or Judas who kept the money could debate the economy. Each one wanted the position of honor, each one wanted to be the greatest.
In answer to their question, Jesus set about teaching them (and teaching us) that the kingdom of heaven is not like the kingdoms of the earth. God doesn’t make his selection based on our performance or upon our (perceived) worthiness for the position. Jesus responded to their silly and foolish question by doing something that surprised them all. Jesus found a child, brought the child right into the middle of the group, sat the child in front of them and he said. “Unless you all turn from your silly debates and one-up-manship and become like this little child you won’t even enter the kingdom.”
In our day and age, we love children. We idolilze children We see them as the epitome of innocence and virtue. We see them in their youth as unspoiled and full of potential . We wish we could be like children. There is a four year old girl on the talent variety show “America’s God Talent”, when she comes out to perform, even the mean judge melts and treats her with kindness and respect.
That was not Jesus’ point. He was not valuing childhood for the sake of childhood. When Jesus commanded that they be “humble like children” he was not referring to character of children. He was referring to their value, their worth, their position in society. Children had no power. They had no authority. They had no usefulness. Their innocence was seen as ignorance. Their playfulness was seen as wastefulness. Jesus was commanding the disciples to see themselves not as the greatest among the great but the least among the lowly. Not the worthiest among the worthy, but the least worthy among the unworthy. Not the strongest of the strong but the weakest of the weak. There is no place in the kingdom of heaven for powerbrokers and the power-hungry. There is room only for the lowly and weak, the servants and the sinners; the unfit and the ineligible; the losers and the lost.
What we so often fail to understand, is that while we can ascend to greatness in the kingdoms of the earth, while we can earn accolades and awards through our performance here on earth, those awards carry no weight in heaven. God is not impressed with our resumes and our listing of earthly accomplishments. Those count for nothing. In fact, the Apostle Paul refers to his own accomplishments as loss, as things that counted against him in the Kingdom of Heaven. We wear them as badges of pride and honor, we see them as indicators of our worth and worthiness, we think they are accomplishments. All those things have done is that they have distracted us from our sin and unworthiness.
The strong and mighty of this world only fool themselves when they believe that they have earned any thing before God. The only thing our deeds earn us before God is punishment. God sees beneath the outward actions to the most basic level of the human heart. He sees our motivations. He sees the reasons why we do what we do. He sees the pride, the resentfulness, the greed, the desire to simply promote ourselves over our neighbor. He sees the utter wickedness and sin. While we can cover these things up with a nice haircut, a shower, and nice clothes we can never hide them from God.
God has seen that sin. And that is exactly why he has come. The Kingdom of Heaven is not a kingdom for the worthy, it is a kingdom for the unworthy. It is a kingdom for sinners. It is a kingdom made for you and me. God takes the weak, the unworthy, the unfit and the foolish and he makes us worthy. He becomes our strength. He washes away all of our foolishness and all of our sin and he counts for us to our credit the good works and worthiness of Jesus. Our own works count against us. The works of Jesus count for us. We are made citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven only by the grace and mercy of God. We become great in the kingdom of heaven, not by earning that spot with our own righteousness – we are lowly and humble are given greatness in the Kingdom of Heaven only by the graciosness and generosity of Jesus.
We ought not be spending our time furthering our own careers and seeking the highest and best spots of heaven, Jesus gives us a different job to do. Ironically, what Jesus commands is the exact opposite of the thing that the disciples were doing, the exact opposite of what we often find ourselves doing. Instead of working to ensure their own place in heaven they were to be working to ensure the place of others in heaven.
Jesus begins with a warning. “It is necessary for stumbling blocks to come. But woe to that one through whom the stumbling blocks come. It would be better for that one if a millstone were to be tied around his neck and thrown into the sea.”
Our translation says that it is necessary for temptations to come – certainly the devils lures into sin are included in what Jesus has in mind. But at times the things that draw us away from faith go beyond an appeal to our sinful desires. There are times when the thing that proves to be an obstacle to faith is our own challenges or suffering or perhaps we become disillusioned and jaded due to the poor example of others. We see it in politics all the time – a formerly respected politician is outed for corruption or sin and his hypocrisy suddenly become evident to all. It is for that reason that so many people approach politics and politicians with such skepticism. The same things happens when there is scandal in the church. These things can cause Christians to stumble in their faith, to doubt and to question. Great damage can be done in the hearts and consciences of the weak when we secretly live the life of sin that we are so outspoken against. Jesus’ message to his disciples and to us is that we not be that stumbling block. The self-centered power hungry question that the disciples were debating as to who was the greatest was exactly the kind of thing that would lead to such scandals arising – faith that is self centered.
Instead of this self centered focus, Christ calls us to be his servants and to be servants of one another. Instead of weakening our brothers and sisters in Christ with self centered words and actions, we are to busy ourselves concerned for each other. We are to search out the weak search out the sinners, find them, bring them back, restore them. We are to live our own lives for the sake of each other, for our neighbor. Because that is what Jesus has done for us.
Every word that Jesus spoke, he spoke for us. Every action of Jesus was done for us. Every breath taken by Jesus was taken for us. Never once did Jesus put off or put away those who so desperately needed him. Never once did Jesus tell himself that he earned a break, a little time away. Never once did Jesus take advantage of the perks that we associate with leadership and power and position. Instead, Jesus used his power and his authority as the very thing that would save us from our sin.
In our own political process our candidates are given the opportunity to speak so that we can judge them by their words to determine their worthiness to rule. It is their trial by fire.. When it came time for Jesus’ trial he didn’t pull out his most polished rhetoric to refute his enemies, and he didn’t go on the attack. In fact, he didn’t say a thing. Instead he stood before them silent, taking their accusations and refusing to answer them.
When it came time for Jesus to be dressed for his coronation, he was not sent to see a tailor who fitted him for fine robes, no stately looking dark colored suit and tie, instead Jesus was sent to soldiers who were hungry for blood . Jesus was stripped of his garments and the only thing covering his naked body was his own blood.
When it came time for him to ascend to his throne, it was not gilded and gold. It was not a highbacked leather chair in the oval office with hisown presidential seal in the carpet. The throne of Jesus was a cross made of wood. Rough hewn.
Jesus did not sit on his throne, he was held there with nails.
As Jesus reigned from his throne as the King of heaven and earth he did not lash out against his enemies. He did not wage war or condemn his enemies. Instead, as he sat there on his cross shaped throne, robed in his own blood, he spoke words of pardon – “Father forgive them.”
To those who would rule in heaven, to those who were concerned about their place in heaven, when they had turned to become low and humble like a child, when they stopped seeking their own glory and instead turned their attention to seeking and saving the lost, he then gave to them the authority to do that very thing that he does.
" Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. [19] Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. [20] For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them."
When Christ gives authority on earth, it is authority to forgive, the authority to restore. Jesus has earned the power and the authority to forgive sinners. He wants that to be done, regularly. Imagine the chaos that would ensue if the president signed an order that any American could walk up into any prison and could set free any criminal that had committed a crime against them. Our streets would be filled with lawbreakers. But that is exactly what Jesus has done. He has given that executive authority to pardon sinners to his church. The kingdom of Heaven is a kingdom of grace of forgiveness and of pardon.
In this sinful and power hungry world, when men seek office and authority to rule and to reign it is always to exercise strength, to make laws, to set direction. To overcome enemies by a show of force. But in the kingdom of heaven, Christ rules with love and forgiveness. He rules by washing away sin, by forgiving sinners and by strengthening and restoring the weak.
Amen.
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