Who Is the Greatest?
TRANSLATION
(43) While everyone was marveling at what Jesus did, he said to his disciples, (44) “Listen carefully to what I am going to tell you. The Son of man will be delivered into the hands of men.” (45) But they did not understand what his statement meant. It was hidden from them so that they did not grasp it. And they were afraid to ask him about it.
(46) An argument arose among them regarding which of them was the greatest. (47) But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, took a child and had him stand beside him. (48) He then said to them, “Whoever receives this child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me. For whoever is least among you, that one is the greatest.”
(49) And John responded, “Master, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he is not one of us.” (50) But Jesus told him, “Do not stop him, for whoever is not against you is for you.”
OBSERVATIONS
Although the disciples had been following Jesus for many months, they still had much to learn and a lot of growing to do. Several repetitions help us discern the message of this segment. The adjective “greatest/great” is found twice (vss. 46 & 48). Three times “receives” occurred in one verse (vs. 48). Then “stop him” was used twice (vss. 49 & 50). Finally we find three similar prepositional phrases employed: “with us…against you…for you” (also in vss. 49 & 50).
OUTLINE
I. The disciples failed to understand Jesus’ warning about his coming death. (43-45)
II. Jesus taught his disciples about the nature of greatness in his Kingdom. (46-48)
III. John expressed concern regarding others who were ministering in Jesus’ name. (49 & 50)
IDEA STATEMENT
Instead of heeding Jesus’ warning about his coming death in Jerusalem, the disciples continued to pursue their own ambitious agendas.
APPLICATION
Jesus several times warned his disciples about what he was about to face in Jerusalem, namely, his arrest, trial, and execution at the hands of the Jewish authorities. However, as Luke repeatedly shows us, his followers were unable to grasp the significance of what he was about to undergo. As much as he tried to help them understand the purpose of his earthly life and ministry and prepare them for what was coming, they were fully absorbed by their own ideas about who he was, why he had come, and how to turn their inclusion in his band of followers to their personal advantage.
More than once, we find the disciples arguing among themselves over who was the greatest, namely who would hold the highest position when Jesus would finally establish his Kingdom. On this occasion, Jesus gave his followers a powerful object lesson. In many ancient cultures, children were considered insignificant members of society. Those in positions of influence rarely paid attention to children. That responsibility was left to mothers or servants. By giving a child the place of honor by his side, Jesus turned the accepted social structures upside down, undermining the very conventions that led the disciples to debate over their status within Christ’s coming Kingdom. Here he told his followers to humble themselves and become like children, that is, to have a child-like faith in order to enter his Kingdom (Mt. 18:3). To emphasize this point, Jesus answered John’s alerting him to a rival by forbidding his followers to concern themselves with those outside their group who were serving God in the Messiah’s name.