Disciples fight who is the greatest

Each gospel account adds a detail about what Jesus does next. The child comes without hesitation. Jesus loves children, and they love Him. Keep in mind that this child will be standing there with Jesus throughout the rest of Matthew 18 as an illustration of what Jesus is teaching about the kingdom of heaven.

As the chapter continues Jesus shows that there is no room for pride in the kingdom because everyone in it is treated as a child vs , protected as a child vs , disciplined as a child vs , and forgiven as a child vs The child analogy Jesus draws here is perfect because if anything, the disciples were acting as children and they needed to be reminded that is what they were in comparison to what they should be and to their Heavenly Father. I laugh when I remember taking my sons on walks around the church property when they were very small.

There was a place with a fairly good sized rock they liked to climb on. The greatest in the kingdom is Jesus, and if you want to display greatness in His kingdom, then there is only one way possible. You must reflect His greatness. You must be like Him. Neither does He get upset with them for their utter selfishness displayed in having such an argument so soon after He had told them that He was going to Jerusalem where He would suffer and die, then be raised from the dead.

Their initially grieved hearts turned back to themselves as they contemplated each others relative worth in the coming kingdom. How can they be contesting with one another about whom the greatest is when there is some question about whether they will even be part of it? Man in his foolishness often argues in this manner. Arguing about which baseball team is the greatest and will win the World Series this year is foolish when even the basic qualifications for entering that contest have not yet been met.

Some people balk at this text. Yet that is exactly what Jesus is calling into question. An incorrect view of the security of salvation has changed its basis from faith in the actions of God to faith in the actions of man. Strangely, some who claim to be Calvinistic turn out to be Arminian because in the end they hold salvation to be the work of man. Salvation comes through faith in what God has done for us through Jesus Christ.

Faith is a noun of continuing present, that is, it is a trust placed in someone that is on going. Faith is not something that happened once in the past and therefore continues evermore. The gospel message has been changed in much of America from trusting Christ to trusting an action of man — walk an aisle, raise your hand, get baptized, pray a prayer, make a claim, etc. Many people have faith in what they have done instead of in Christ and what He has done. You need to first make sure that you are entering the kingdom!

Someone might argue, the disciples had already professed faith in Jesus, with Peter, speaking on behalf of the other disciples, proclaiming that Jesus was indeed the Messiah, the Christ, the living Son of God Matthew They were demonstrating their trust in Jesus by following Him wherever He went.

Each of them had already gone out on a mission for Jesus where they healed the sick and cast out demons Luke How could their salvation possibly be questioned? Simple, salvation is not about doing, it is about being. It is not about what you do, but it is about being reconciled with God. It was also designed to put their minds back on the more important things.

The result would be a time of reflection and repentance for those disciples that were in the kingdom, and it was a call to salvation to those that were not in the kingdom.

Who was not in the kingdom? Remember that Judas is also present. What does Jesus say it will take to enter the kingdom of heaven? Unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Conversion is the other half of repentance. The focus of repentance is the change that takes place in the mind. There is a recognition that you cannot save yourself and that you are doomed to eternal hell unless something changes, but you also recognize that you are helpless.

Repentance involves being poor in spirit and sorrow for sin which is the change of mind that comes when you recognize that what you do and think is sinful before God and harmful to yourself and everyone else. Repentance involves the change in mind that recognizes you are going the wrong direction and must go in another direction. Repentance puts emphasis on the change in mind. You volitionally change your direction to match your change in mind.

It is not enough to repent. There must be conversion as well. It is the outward evidence of what has occurred in the heart and that salvation has come to the individual. Salvation is a person being converted from sin to righteousness.

That is an impossible task for man. The verb form here is passive. The action must take place upon them by a force outside them. People are converted only by the acting of the Holy Spirit coming and convicting them of their sinfulness and need for the Savior. I wrote something to the church; but Diotrephes, who loves to be first among them, does not accept what we say.

All rights reserved. Toggle navigation. Mark Verse Concepts. Luke Verse Concepts. Ambition, negative aspects of Love, Abuse Of. Quarrels Resolving Conflict. Matthew Verse Concepts. Join the discussion. Sign in to leave a comment.

Your Viewing History Browse All. Curated Sermon Collections Weekly sermon stories for pastors. Discounted Church Media Sets 30 themed church media sets for church services. Gratitude Living a life of thankfulness. The Best Christmas Ever Share hope, peace, joy, and love. Collide Bold faith in a culture of conflict. The Always God Encounter the unchanging, always God. The Prince of Peace 4 powerful names for our Savior. Add a note optional. Having trouble logging into your account?

Try resetting your password. New International Version An argument started among the disciples as to which of them would be the greatest. New Living Translation Then his disciples began arguing about which of them was the greatest. English Standard Version An argument arose among them as to which of them was the greatest. Berean Study Bible Then an argument started among the disciples as to which of them would be the greatest. Berean Literal Bible And an argument came up among them, which of them might be greatest.

King James Bible Then there arose a reasoning among them, which of them should be greatest. New King James Version Then a dispute arose among them as to which of them would be greatest. New American Standard Bible Now an argument started among them as to which of them might be the greatest.

NASB An argument started among them as to which of them might be the greatest.