9-10-2014

  Good Morning All,

         Matthew 18:3; “and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”

     “Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee, the hands can’t hit what the eyes can’t see.”  

This was a line by Muhammad Ali, the self-proclaimed greatest.  “I am the greatest.”  This was his claim.  It has always been a debate as to whether he was this big of an ego or that great of a showman.  His fights were always sellouts with about half the people hoping he would win and about half hoping he would get knocked out in the first round.  He promoted himself as “the Greatest”; to many he was but he was controversial. 

    Our verse is part of this type of dialogue.  The disciples ask Jesus a question.  “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”  They were hoping to be told that they were or at least be told how to achieve that greatness.  They were hoping to be the rulers of the new Israel having positions of power.  After all, this is greatness, isn’t it? 

    Not in the kingdom of heaven.  Jesus uses a child as the example of greatness.  Not because children have some innate wisdom or knowledge.  It is not because they have an innocent faith or are inclined toward having faith.  Actually the reason Jesus chose a child is because a child is completely dependent upon their parents.  Imagine a very young child, perhaps even a newborn child; this child is totally dependent upon his parents to feed, clothe, protect and care for.  This is how Jesus defines greatness in the kingdom of heaven.  The greatest is the one who is in the most need of God’s grace.  The greatest in the kingdom of heaven is the one who knows that they are completely and totally dependent upon God for their needs to be met. 

    It is somewhat ironic in that many people seek or desire to be around someone that they think is great.  In the kingdom of heaven, greatness is measured in terms of need.  Greatness is measured as those who know that their only hope is to cling to the cross of Christ.  Those who know that to let go of the cross, to stop trusting in God’s grace for us because of Jesus, is complete folly and failure.  To be great is to know that you have nothing; to know that you are completely dependent upon God for everything.  To know that all we can hope for comes from God’s mercy.

   Whatever healing we need, whether it is physical, emotional, spiritual or relational, comes from God.  Greatness is to hold onto the cross knowing that this alone is how we overcome the sadness and despair of this world.  Our only comfort is God’s mercy.  So kneel at the cross and humble yourself, know you need God to survive and to live, and cling to God’s mercy.

Father, in you we find all of our hope.  In you we have complete salvation.  Lead us to be humble, to know that all we have is from you.  Guide us by your Spirit to cling only to you and not to our deeds or skills.  In you alone do we have hope.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret