Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?
The answer to that question had been the subject of controversy among the chosen twelve disciples. The apostles are probably thinking that one of them is the greatest and they want The Lord to name such. Their entire conception of greatness is wrong! They think in terms of earthly qualifications. They keep comparing their selves to each other. Those who desire to be great naturally work toward that goal by exalting themselves. It is born of pure selfishness... "But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant." (Matthew 23:11).
In reply to the above disciples' question, The Lord chose at first not to say anything. Rather He chose to illustrate what He was about to say by calling a little child. We all may know that the little children have a teachable spirit. They love to be taught, and therefore their minds are all open to truth. Clearly, we cannot and should not become like children in every respect in order to enter heaven... "When I was a child, I spoke as a child; I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things." (1 Corinthians 13:11).
The Lord was not evading their original query. Anyone who hopes to become great in heaven must first qualify to enter heaven. So Jesus first focused on that, using the child as an example. Have we become like a little child? Have we become small in our own eyes and acknowledged our weakness? We must be converted: from pride to humility... from worldly ambition to spiritual ambition... from godlessness to godliness.."Be clothed with humility, for God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble." (1 Peter 5:5).
Most of us can accept the equation: Receiving the Son equal receiving the Father. The Son and the Father are one (John 10:30). But how difficult it is to accept this equation: Receiving a child in Lord's name equal receiving the Son and equal receiving the Father! The Lord then lifts children even higher identifying with Himself to a degree that we would have never believed...“Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me;and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me.” (Mark 9:37)”.
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