“The Greatest”


BIBLE READING: Matthew 18
DISCUSSION                                                                                        
                In February of 1964 before his famous defeat of Sonny Liston, Muhammad Ali said “I am the Greatest”.  It isn’t that I want to just simply disagree with ‘The Champ”, but I do believe he was mistaken in his assessment.  In Matthew 18, the disciples had been having some banter back and forth concerning the idea of being the greatest of Jesus’ disciples.  Obviously, the disciples misunderstood the entire concept of what it meant to be great.  By the world’s standards, greatness is measured by achievements, accomplishments and status.  However, that is not the way that Jesus describes greatness to them. “And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, "Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 18:2-4).  Greatness, by Christ’s standards, involves having a certain child-like vulnerability that is incapable of advancing themselves without the help of a parent.  It also involves a blind trust that knows its mother and father are watching out for and taking care of them.  Of course, this trust and dependence that Jesus is referring to is Himself.  Before we can truly be great, we must be totally dependent upon Jesus, following His ultimate example and trusting that He will care for us.   When we humble ourselves and trust His way, that is when we will truly understand the meaning of greatness!
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