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Matthew 18-1-9
The Community of the kingdom!
Moving to lower campus on March 6th… practice day on March 5th
PrayerSermon introductionI hear there is an important play off game happening right now… Russell Wilson’s Seahawks verses
Cam Newton’s Carolina Panthers. All week the talking heads on sports radio argued about who was the better
quarterback??? Wilson or Newton.
But who is the greatest quarterback of all time?
Was it Johnny Unitas of the 50s and 60s?
Was it Terry Bradshaw of the 70s with four super bowl wins?
Was it Joe Montana of the 80s with four super bowl titles?
Maybe John Elway and Dan Marino of the 80s should be in the conversation?
Many think that Peyton Manning, Aaron Rodgers, and Tom Brady should be in the conversation.
Most think that either Joe Montana or Tom Brady is the all time greatest based on super bowl wins,
touchdowns, total yards, passer rating, and a variety of other factors.
We love talking about greatness.
This brings us to this mornings passage and a far more important question. Here is the question. Who is
the greatest citizen of God’s kingdom?
The answer may surprise you.
Jesus makes it clear that the greatest member of God’s kingdom is the humblest servant.
Greatness questioned
Greatness illustrated
Greatness defined
Greatness profiled
Before we get into these four points let me give a little context. Matthew 18 describes the community of
the kingdom of God. So the next few weeks I will describe different aspects of this community.
This morning is greatness in the community…
First, greatness questioned!
Matthew 18:1 (ESV) — 1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the
kingdom of heaven?”
The disciples are still in Capernaum with Jesus. They ask Jesus a question, “Who is the greatest in the
kingdom of Heaven?”
Now when they ask this question they are not saying, “Great teacher we honestly want to know who is
the greatest in the kingdom so that we can show them the respect and honor they deserve.” Rather what they
mean is, “Great teacher tell us which one of us is the greatest because we can’t agree.”
Mark 9:33-35 provides important contextual backgroundMark 9:33–35 (ESV) — 33 And they came to Capernaum. And when he was in the house he asked
them, “What were you discussing on the way?” 34 But they kept silent, for on the way they had argued with one
another about who was the greatest. 35 And he sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, “If anyone
would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.”
The disciples are totally preoccupied with their own greatness.
If we are honest we must admit that we are just like the disciples.
Listen to this fascinating Data from the book Gospel powered humility“Experiments show that most people see themselves more positively than their friends and relative do.
Most Americans believe that they are more ethical than average, less prejudiced than average, and healthier
than average. For example: “In one College Entrance Examination Board survey of 829,000 high school
seniors, 0 percent (that is not a typo) rated themselves below average in the subjective and valued ‘ability to get
along with others,’ 60 percent rated themselves in the top 10 percent, and 25 percent saw themselves among the
top 1 percent.
Nine in ten managers rate themselves superior to their peers. Another survey, taken of people in
Australia, reports that nearly nine in ten rate their job performance higher than that that of their peers. In
three surveys, nine in ten college professors rated themselves superior to their colleagues.” (GPH, 45)
“In a survey by U.S. News & World report, Americans were asked who they thought was most likely to
go to heaven. Sixty-five percent thought Oprah Winfrey and Michael Jordan were ‘very likely’ to go to heaven.
Seventy-nine percent believed Mother Teresa would go to heaven. Only one person scored higher than Mother
Teresa. You guessed it- the respondent.” (GPH, 47)
Humanity’s greatest problem is pride. Most of don’t struggle with a low esteem, we struggle with high
self esteem. Pride is hard wired into all of us. Don’t forget that it was pride that caused Adam and Eve to eat
the forbidden fruit throwing all of creation into total disarray.
ApplicationMost of us think we are better than average parents, employees, athletes, artists, musicians, etc…
Most of us think that our opinion is the right opinion.
Most of us think we are right most of the time.
Most of us think we are the exception to the rule… isn’t that why we text and talk when we drive???
Most of us check ourselves out when we walk by a mirror…
Etc…
The worst part about pride is its ability to blind us… if we think we don’t have a problem with pride we
more than likely have a major problem.
In fact, pride is our greatest problem.
The disciples question Jesus, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom?” thinking that they are the greatest.
Their pride instantly disqualifies them from true greatness.
First, greatness questioned!
Second, Greatness illustrated!
Matthew 18:2–3 (ESV) — 2 And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them 3 and said,
“Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
To illustrate true greatness Jesus called a child to stand in their midst. The word for child means small
child.
What Jesus does in this story is totally shocking. In our culture children or worshipped and adored. In
Jesus culture children were the lowliest members of society. There were supposed to be seen and not heard.
Parents lives did not revolve around their children. Children had not rights, no privileges, and no x-box 360s.
One commentator writes that children were seen as, “incomplete, weak, dependent, undeveloped,
unskilled, vulnerable, and immature.” (MacArthur, 93)
Another scholar believed that this passage was the only time in all the literature of the ANE where a
child is used as a positive example.
Jesus illustrates true greatness with a child! No doubt the original audience was flummoxed. This is
true greatness???
You would think that Jesus would say, “The greatest in the kingdom is the one who memorizes whole
books of the bible, prays all night, gives away all of his money, recycles, drives a hybrid car, and then sells his
hybrid car at a loss to move to the 1040 window to preach the gospel to terrorists!!!”
This is not how Jesus describes true greatness.
Why does Jesus illustrate true greatness with a child?
Small children are not concerned with status or title.
Small children are quick to believe and follow others…
Small children are very dependent on others especially their parents…
Children, although not sinless, are a good illustration of humble dependence.
This is meant to shock the disciples.
It is meant to shock us… the greatest in the kingdom is not the mega church pastor. The greatest in the
kingdom is the person who cleans the bathrooms of the church free of charge when no one is around on Monday
evening at 2am.
Application:
The disciples ask who is the greatest??? Jesus brings forward a child to illustrate greatness.
Ironically the disciples think they are the greatest in the kingdom but due to their pride they can’t even
enter the kingdom.
Same for you and me… we can not enter God’s kingdom until we too become like little children and
admit our absolute and utter dependence on God for everything. This is true humility which leads to true
greatness.
It is not enough to say… I need a little morality, I need a little church, I need a little religion in my life.
this will not get you into God’s kingdom.
Imagine a three-year-old child saying to his parent… I need a little bit of help but not that much. I can
take care of myself… I can find a job, food, shelter, and education… I can protect and clothe myself.
This is crazy… little children are utterly dependent on their parents for everything. They just don’t
know it.
If you and I don’t admit that we are utterly dependent on God for everything we can’t even enter his
kingdom. (Matt 5:3)
Jesus uses a child to illustrate true greatness.
Greatness questioned
Greatness illustrated
Third, Greatness defined
Matthew 18:4 (ESV) — 4 Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of
heaven.
Jesus just illustrated true greatness for the disciples. Now he flat out tells them what true greatness is.
True greatness in God’s kingdom is humility.
If we want to be great in God’s kingdom we need to humble ourselves before God and others…
Here is how one author describes humility“…a focus on God and others, a pursuit of the recognition and the exaltation of God, and a desire to
glorify and please God in all things and by all things he has given.” (Stuart Scott, 18)
Timothy Keller argues that a humble person does not just think less about himself he does not think
about himself at all. In other words, he is so consumed with serving and caring for others he does not think
about his own needs.
Humility is the soil in which all other Christian virtues grow. In other words, if someone is humble they
will grow in every other virtue- generosity, love, faith, kindness, etc….
A humble person realizes they are nothing and they can do nothing apart from God. A humble person
does not hate himself. On the contrary a humble person is very thankful for the way God has made him or her.
And a humble person is constantly looking for ways to serve God and others.
BTW… Humble people are very happy people because they are very thankful people. Someone who
complains all the time is very proud. They assume they deserve better.
The apostle Paul does a fantastic job of summing up humility for us in Phil 2.
Philippians 2:3–8 (ESV) — 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others
more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of
others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of
God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a
servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming
obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Everything in us resists humbling ourselves before God and others… but this is true greatness and this
creates an incredibly loving, joyful, and beautiful community.
Application:
Notice that Jesus says in Matthew 18:4 “whoever humbles himself…” humbling ourselves in act of the
will. This is something we do…
What exactly does this look like? This brings us to our final point.
Greatness questioned
Greatness illustrated
Greatness defined
Fourth, greatness profiled
What does greatness (true humility) look like…
Jesus gives us a profile of true greatness.
A humble person is an accepting person…
Matthew 18:5 (ESV) — 5 “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me,
Whoever receives one such child (that is someone with child like faith) receive me,…
A humble person is a very accepting person. The word for receive means “welcome, loving reception,
and acceptance.” (Osborne, 674)
They are very accepting because they realize that they are not better than anyone else.
We are to accept all Christians– rich, poor, black, white, hard to get along with, easy to get along with,
introverts, extroverts, socially awkward, mentally challenged, etc…
When we receive and embrace these Christians we receive and embrace Jesus because we are all united
to him by faith.
Application:
Are their certain people in the church that bug or annoy you??? Humble people, truly great people,
receive everyone because they realize that they are above no one.
The church of Jesus Christ should be the most accepting place on the planet. Accepting someone does
not mean that we ignore someone’s destructive lifestyle choices. We embrace people while we help them
change.
A humble person is an accepting person…
A humble person cares about the holiness of others…
Matthew 18:5–6 (ESV) — 5 “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, 6 but whoever
causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone
fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.
A humble person is so concerned with the happiness of others that they do all they can to avoid tempting
others to sin.
Jesus says, if you cause one of these little ones to sin you are in deep, deep, deep trouble. When he talks
about little ones he is talking about any Christian. We know this because he says, “whoever causes one of these
little ones who believe in me….”
Here is the point… A humble person is constantly looking out for the needs of others. They don’t want
to cause others to sin. Jesus says, it would be better to have a great milestone fastened around your neck and to
be drowned in the depths of the sea than cause another Christian to sin.
A great millstone… a stone weighing several tons and fastened around your neck would cause you to
sink very quickly and stayed drowned very permanently. Why such strong language? Jesus hates it when his
children are lead into sin.
Parents can relate… we would be furious if someone exposed our children to porn, drugs, or something
worse.
How do we cause other Christians to sin?
Initiating gossip (through a prayer request)…
A husband may say to his wife… lets add this deduction to our tax return (when it is not a legitimate
deduction).
Parents may expose their children to immoral movies…
Parents can exasperate their children with unrealistic expectations, being overly critical or showing
favoritism…
Parents may expose their children to their own ungodly example…
A humble person… a truly great person cares about the holiness of others because they care about the
happiness of others.
A humble person is an accepting person…
A humble person cares about the holiness of others…
A humble person cares about pleasing God.
Matthew 18:7–9 (ESV) —7 “Woe to the world for temptations to sin! For it is necessary that
temptations come, but woe to the one by whom the temptation comes! 8 And if your hand or your foot causes
you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than with two hands or
two feet to be thrown into the eternal fire. 9 And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is
better for you to enter life with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into the hell of fire.
This is a call to radical holiness. What is the connection between holiness and humility? A humble
person is not obsessed with pleasing themselves. They are obsessed with pleasing God. A proud person loves
gratifying self…
Whenever we sin we are saying that pleasing ourselves is more important than pleasing God. In fact,
rebellion against God is the height of arrogance.
So should we literally cut off our hands and gouge out our eyes???
Illustration: I read about a man who was a pick pocket… he could not stop stealing stuff from people’s
pockets so he cut his hand off. I don’t think that is what Jesus wants us to do.
Jesus uses graphic language to shock us…
Jesus does not literally want us to cut off our hands and our eyes… but this is a call to violent and
dramatic action.
If you struggle with porn get rid of the internet…
If you are an impulsive spender shred your credit cards…
If you over eat every time you eat out stop eating out…
We must take violent, decisive, and specific action.
John Owen said, “Be killing sin or it will be killing you.”
A humble person is an accepting person…
A humble person cares about the holiness of others…
A humble person cares about pleasing God.
A humble person is a lowly servant…
Jesus talks about true greatness in Matthew 18 and he talks about it again in Matthew 20 and 23.
Matthew 20:26 (ESV) — 26 It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you
must be your servant,
Matthew 23:11 (ESV) — 11 The greatest among you shall be your servant.
Serving in the nursery is true greatness
Serving on the set up team is true greatness
Serving on the production team…
Changing diapers is true greatness…
Doing the dishes is true greatness…
Saying no to watching the big game to serve your wife by working on the “honey do list” is true
greatness.
A humble person is an accepting person…
A humble person cares about the holiness of others…
A humble person cares about pleasing God.
A humble person is a lowly servant…
We could also sayA humble person is not preoccupied with his rights
A humble person is interested in others…
A humble person is quick to admit that he is wrong
A humble person is a generous person
A humble person is a praying person
Humility is true greatness in God’s kingdom. When people believe this it creates an incredible
community. The kind of community that the people around you are starving for.
What would it look like if we really sought to live this way???
We have looked at four thingsGreatness questioned
Greatness illustrated
Greatness defined
Greatness profiled
Conclusion:
This may crush some of you…
You realize that you are proud… you realize that you are guilty.
As the gospel of Matthew unfolds we see hope.
Matthew 20:26–28 (ESV) — 26 It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you
must be your servant, 27 and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, 28 even as the Son of Man
came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Jesus was the greatest man to ever live because Jesus was the greatest servant to ever live. But not only
was he our example he was also our savior. He suffered and died to forgive us for all of our pride.
We grow in humility by fixing our gaze again, and again, and again at the cross. Lets pray…