“Greatest”

Our Gospel this morning is filled with verses that you’ve heard before, I think?

“Unless you become like little children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven… If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off… The Son of Man has come to save that which was lost… If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone… Where two or three are gathered together in My Name, there am I in the midst of them.”

Sound familiar? Sure it does. You’ve probably heard these verses quoted in support of all kinds of different notions. But they are all part of a connected discourse of Jesus with a particular point and purpose. They are all supposed to fit together to support this aim. So what is the point and purpose of these sayings? How do they all come together? That’s our question this morning.

On the face of it, when I quote them like I did above, these verses don’t seem to have much to do with each other. What does becoming like a little child have to do with cutting off your hand if it offends? And what does cutting off your offending hand have to do with the Son of Man saving the lost? And what does His saving of the lost have to do with telling your brother his fault between you and him alone before you blab to the world about it? And what does any of it have to do with Jesus being with the two or three gathered in His Name?

Actually it’s simple. It’s right in the first verse of our Gospel today. It is all part of Jesus’ answer to this question of the disciples: “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” All of these sayings get at answering the question of greatness. When you see each of these verses as part of the answer to that question, you will see them with their real point and purpose. So it’s worth a closer look, don’t you think?

The question of greatness occupied the disciples’ thoughts quite often. This wasn’t the first or the last time they worried over this question. Who is greatest in the kingdom of heaven? You can understand their concern. They are disciples, apostles even, of the Son of God Himself, as we’ve seen the last couple weeks. The realization of Who it is tramping around Israel with them has finally dawned. The Son of God is their pal! Hey! Buddy!

But He isn’t quite what they expected. He doesn’t live in a palace and have tons of gold and powerful armies. He lives more like a hobo. He’s an ex-carpenter who wanders around teaching in the synagogues of Israel. He does some pretty cool stuff with healing, walking on water, turning water to wine—that shows real power. But most of the time, He looks more like a surfer-dude than a King. So if this is how the King of the Universe lives, what is greatness? What will His eternal and everlasting kingdom be like? Will there be thrones and armies and palaces and things? And if so, who will get the best spots? This is their question. (You, perhaps, have wondered about this yourself…)

Jesus answers the question in His customarily cryptic way. He grabs a little kid and puts him in the middle of the disciples and says: “Unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.” And we go: “Huh? How’s that? In what way are we to be like children? Untied shoes? A love for ice cream and cartoons? A tendency to whine if we don’t get our way right away? Or what?”

And Jesus gives the answer to that too—if you were listening. He says: “Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child…” Humility. That’s the key. If we are humble as this little child is humble, then we’re in. Then we’re great. That’s the answer to the question. All the rest of what Jesus says is demonstrating how this works.

See, the humble ones, the ones who are not great on their own, who really depend entirely on their parents for everything, from tied shoes to their next meal to entertainment when they’re bored are great in God’s Kingdom. Because the Father will provide for His humble child’s every need. To be great in heaven, you must be a nothing and nobody on earth. That’s step one. It’s crucial.

Because the Father looks after those who can’t (or won’t) look after themselves; the ones who are like little children in this respect. Say, for example, some clown sees one of these humble little ones who can’t defend themselves, and takes advantage of them. You know what? The Father in heaven sees and responds to that—in such a way that it’d be better for that idiot if he tied a millstone around his neck and took a swim in the deep end of the ocean. Offenses will come, see, but woe to the wicked man by whom they come!

The Father is so ticked when someone offends one of His little ones, that really, if you only knew how He will even the score with the offenders, you’d cut off your hand before you’d hurt a little defenseless child of the Father’s. You’d pluck out your eye before you’d look askance at one of these little ones. You wouldn’t despise their humility if only you knew what Jesus knows—that their angels, their own personal watchmen—always see the face of the Father and know He sent His only Son even to die in order to save one of these little ones. He left the 99 who needed no saving just to chase after the one lost lamb, even though it meant going down into death and hell Himself to find that lost one.

Oh, the Father cares so much about just one of these little ones, one of these little kids that you thought so insignificant that He worked out a plan from eternity that not one of them should perish. Ever.

So if one of these little ones sins against you, what will you do? Will you rat them out to the authority? No! You will go the extra mile, talk with them personally, do everything you can to forgive and restore them to your fellowship.

Because where even two or three of these little ones are gathered in the Name of Jesus, He’s right there in the midst of them, Personally and Powerfully.

And how have you done with this? How have you treated the little ones of Christ? Not so good, huh? Not with the same care He has surely! Not feeling so great anymore perhaps? Well, that’s the idea. When you see your sins and heart condemn you, that you are not great, but low and mean, well that’s when you’ve become a little one yourself. Humiliated, see, that’s the first word in humility. Once you’re knocked down there, you’re right where Jesus wants you.

Because His Gospel and Sacraments you hear and receive here and now are for you—the little one, the lost lamb, the humble sinner. When you confess you are not great, when you stop trying to be great by what you are or do for yourself, then the greatness of Jesus can be yours. Because all these verses point us to Jesus—what He has and gives by His Gospel going in your ear, His Baptism washing over your head, His body and blood going in your mouth. Just so, He shares His divine greatness with you. And even if it’s just two or three of us little ones receiving, it matters not. For Jesus is in our midst; and where He is, it’s all great. So the peace that surpasses understanding will guard your little hearts and minds forever in Christ Jesus. Amen.

 Rev. Kevin Martin