I grew up with four brothers, three older and one younger. I understand a little bit about competition. If that were not enough to teach me about it, I also played sports when I was young and have had to compete to get jobs in my lifetime. Adults will argue over who is the greatest in a position in a sport or a political appointment.  The idea of who was the greatest has always been a thing in life for many, if not most. Among siblings, the competition can often be about who is the favorite child.

If I were to ask you who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven, what would your answer be?

Where would your thoughts take you when being asked such a question?

Would it be the largest mega-church pastor?  Would you think it might be a famous, well-known missionary?  How about a famous evangelist?  Would you imagine it to be one of the original apostles?  What actually makes someone great in the kingdom of heaven?

You might not think this would be an issue among followers of Jesus. You’d like to think that the idea of competing with each other would not be a thing in the church at large, especially among leaders.  However, the disciples of Jesus asked Him this very question.

Matthew 18:1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”

We should all be able to identify to some extent with the question the disciples asked Jesus. But are we prepared for the way Jesus responded to such a question?

Matthew 18:2 Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, 3 and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Therefore, whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

I love the way Jesus handled this issue with the disciples.  It was such a great teaching moment for them, and it is still the case for us today.

Jesus called a child to come to Him and then set that little boy in the midst of the disciples as an example.

Then Jesus offers two distinct explanations: one involving children in general and how one enters the kingdom, and the other involving this specific child and how it denotes who is the greatest in the kingdom.

So, in essence, Jesus says that in order to enter the kingdom, one must become childlike. That is the more general idea He conveys to the disciples. But then He moves on to answer their question more specifically and says whoever humbles themselves as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom.  Why this specific little child?

This child responded when Jesus called him to come to Him.  The child came, and when Jesus desired to put the child on display before the disciples, the child complied with no resistance.  Do you think it might have been possible for this child to be even a little bit intimidated to be placed in the middle of a bunch of competitive men grappling over who is the greatest and who towers over you in size and power?  Yet this child came to Jesus when He called him and then let himself be put on display in what was likely an uncomfortable and awkward way.  In other words, this child was willing to say, “Okay,” when Jesus called him and asked him to do something.  He did not debate with Jesus; he did not resist Jesus or act as if the thing Jesus desired of him was too difficult a thing.  He simply complied with Jesus from what appears to be an attitude of trust.  This specific child simply submitted himself and complied.

Greatness in the kingdom is not measured by the numbers we affect, the size of our ministry, or the reach of our influence. It is measured by the surrender and trust we bring to Jesus and how quickly and easily we are able to say okay to whatever He might ask of us.  Surrender and submission are the way to greatness in the kingdom of heaven.