Why is it that we always measure everything by who the best at it or who’s the richest or most popular or highest ranking or most powerful? Every year we have lists and competitions and contests to determine these things – the Super Bowl, the NBA playoffs, the Forbes list of the richest Americans, the Nobel prize, the SAT, Nielsen ratings, and the presidential elections …
A recent study showed that when given the opportunity, we will spend considerable amounts of energy and worth just to push the other guy down. The study, conducted by economists Andrew Oswalk of Warwick University and Daniel Zizzo of Oxford found that when a group of people gamble a sum of money against random numbers – and can see how their competitors are doing – if given the choice they will spend up to 25 cents of each dollar the win in order to burn up a dollar of their competitors money. Their conclusion: "Sad to say, there is more envy in the world than altruism."
"I always believed that I could be number one in the world … Being number one right now, I’ve got a bull’s eye on my back." Apolo Anton Ohno (gold medal winner of the 1500m speed skating event at the Salt Lake Olympics)
The problem with being number one is that there is always a number two just waiting to knock you off. A news director I knew would say to complaining reporters – "Go ahead and complain – if you don’t like your job I’ve got a stack of resume tapes in my office of people who’d love to take your place."
And don’t think that wanting to be number one started recently. Jesus’ disciples had the same itch to be looked at as the best as we do.
Jesus, of course, is the undisputed best at everything. And yet – He never aspired to what we would call greatness. And He’s going to put a pin in the swelling balloon of pride in His disciples and in us as well.
18:1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"
On the surface this might seem like a good question. The word "greatest" comes from the word "mega" like megabyte. It means "larger" or "greater". In the last chapter Jesus has just talked about how they were part of a greater kingdom than Rome. Rome was the epitome of power. And Caesar was at the pinnacle of that power. That’s pretty heady stuff. It would be like someone telling you that your citizenship made you more powerful than the president of the United States. "Wow – important AND powerful!"
So as often happens with alpha males – the members of the pack start to vie with each other – "hey, if we’re that powerful, then who among us is the most powerful?" We always judge our worth by who we are better than, don’t we? And it doesn’t stop when we become Christians. Whose church is bigger, who reads the Bible more, who prays more fervently, who has more salvations on their Christian witnessing belt?
And women – don’t think you’re immune either. A recent study found that women in the workplace often purposefully undermine and secretly sabotage each other to get ahead – picture being stabbed in the back with a letter opener on the way to the water cooler and you get the idea.
Another time when the disciples were catfighting each other Jesus answered their question about who was greatest by using the analogy of a servant. This time, though, He’s going to turn the idea of power on it’s head. A servant, you see, knows his place in the pecking order – the bottom. As Jesus’ kingdom has many facets – so too do the citizens of His kingdom.
Now, imagine the scene. The disciples are pumped – "we’re going to learn the secret of how to be the greatest – get our your Palm Pilot and start taking notes, man!" But instead of pulling out a PowerPoint presentation on the 10 tips to getting to the top Jesus pulls a child out into the middle of the crowd.
2 He called a little child and had him stand among them.
This is probably a boy or girl – not a baby or a teenager. "Okay," the disciples think, "we’re supposed to treat others like children in comparison to us – they’re weak and small and insignificant and we’re big and powerful and great!" Not quite.
3 And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
I’m sure by this point the disciples are getting that sinking feeling in their guts like "we’ve blown it again." Jesus says "you need to change."
So if being number one isn’t the way to go, what is it? It’s becoming like a child. So what’s the difference? It’s the goal. A person who wants to be number one wants power and recognition. A child simply wants more than anything love and protection. The trouble is – the two goals are mutually exclusive. And often when they meet – climbing to number one means you are climbing over someone else – "I must become more so you must become less."
No – you’ve got to change. Change here means "to twist." The idea is you’re going down a road and suddenly you turn or twist around the start going the other way.
What He’s saying is that the direction you’re headed – win at all costs, compare yourselves with others, more is better – it’s all wrong. Why? Well essentially that attitude can be summed up in one letter: "I".
The attitude is very old – and started with Lucifer, Satan himself.
Isaiah 14:12-15
"How you have fallen from heaven, O morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations!
13 You said in your heart, "I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly,on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain.
14 I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High."
15 But you are brought down to the grave, to the depths of the pit."
This attitude of "I will ascend" comes down to us through Eve – as Satan in the guise of a serpent promised that she "would be like God" if she just ate the forbidden fruit. God said she would die – and she did. And so do we when we strive to be #1. So here’s what happens if we continue down that road:
Galatians 6:8
8 The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.
"Destruction" means "to decay" or "spoil." Basically the things you do to please the sinful nature – the "I’m the most important thing in the world" part of you – not only won’t last, they will decay your life. Like exposing metal to moisture – the more exposure, the more rust will eat up the metal until it falls apart. We think we are going to the top – but in reality we are setting ourselves up for a fall to the bottom.
Basically there’s a fight going on in each of us – between two mutually exclusive elements. It’s a conflict. Listen to Galatians 5:17:
Galatians 5:17
17 For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.
We are not always aware of it, but this conflict is going on all the time within our hearts and minds. The more we are aware of it the less influence the fleshly nature will have over us and the more influence, hopefully, the new nature in Christ will exert. The word "conflict" literally means "to lie opposite." It is translated "adversary". No matter what the world tells you – the flesh and the spirit can’t have the same goal. You can’t do things that are clearly contrary to the character of Christ and then expect your spiritual life to flourish.
So how do we stop it? More on that in a minute – but first I want to talk about just how deep this "change" needs to be.
5 "And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me.
Is Jesus just talking about being nice to kids? No, however, in His day children were treated as 2nd class citizens. But He says "a little child like this." I think He means also those adults who have changed their attitude from being number one – to being like a child.
Here’s what can happen – after we come to the Lord the attitudes of the world creep back in. Those that have faith and trust in the Lord like a child become vulnerable to those who have slipped back into the "climbing to the top" attitude. This happens all the time in the church. Jesus says: be "welcoming." The word means: "to accept by a deliberate and ready reception what is offered."
This will make more sense as we talk about the character of a Child-like Christian. But the idea in general is to make a special point to accept those who put simple faith and trust in Jesus. What happens is that we become jaded by the world and by trials – and we begin to scoff at those who simply believe that the Lord has good things for them and trust in Him. Jesus says when you welcome this kind of faith – you are accepting and welcoming Me.
Unfortunately, when we don’t do this – it can lead to the opposite. Instead of welcoming some actually cause this kind of believer to stumble.
6 But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.
Children are trusting by nature – so too are believers who put simple trust in Jesus. Violating that trust by causing one of these to fall into sin through influence, false teaching, or example is a serious thing. Jesus says it’s worse than if you were to have a large millstone tied around your neck and thrown into the water – apparently this was one of the means of execution used at that time. But Jesus says it would be better if that were to happen to you than what awaits those who purposefully bring sin into the lives of those who trust in God.
7 "Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to sin! Such things must come, but woe to the man through whom they come! 8 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 maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. 9 And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.
Now Jesus is not saying that we should literally cut off our hands or feet or gouge out our eyes. He’s saying "if you could avoid hell by doing this – it would be worth it." Bottom line – don’t be an agent of stumbling in the life of another person – and secondly I think there is a spiritual principal for us in fighting temptation. If certain places or activities or smells or sights cause you to sin – then cut yourself off from them. A recovering alcoholic doesn’t frequent bars if he or she wants to stay sober. So we should remove stumbling blocks from others and stumbling blocks for ourselves.
Jesus values those with childlike faith – and He wants them preserved and not abused.
10 "See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.
"Look down" is a good translation here. The idea is "what is your opinion of those who through simple faith have put their trust in God for everything?" Do we scoff at them – think them naïve or even stupid? Don’t.
So now let’s talk about how to adopt this kind of attitude. The characteristic I want to focus on is this: the idea of dependency. Children are dependent on their parents – to provide food, shelter, and a nurturing environment in which they are protected from external dangers and placed in an environment where they can grow, mature and learn to survive on their own in safety and love.
Every parent who loves their kids does this. You hold their hand when they are crossing the street – make sure they don’t go out in the cold without a coat – stop them from touching the hot stove – then introduce them little by little to things that will cause them to grow.
Learning how to ride a bike is a prime example. When they’ve accomplished it they have so much more opportunities for growth as they speed around the neighborhood. But there is that in-between time – when you as a parent are holding on to the bike while they learn to ride it on their own.
The child is dependent on you – if you just let go before its time they’ll fall, hurt themselves, and not be as willing to trust or try it again.
We should have that same sort of relationship with God – trusting and depending on Him. There are two characteristics of a child that I would suggest would be beneficial for us as believers to adopt and maintain: innocence and dependency.
Innocence
Romans 16:19ff
… I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil.
Jesus said: Matthew 10:16ff
… be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.
A child trusts because they don’t any better. But I think what Jesus is telling us is that the character He wants in His followers is one who innocently trusts the Father and remains innocent or unmixed in the things of the world that are contrary to the things of God.
Dependency
2 Corinthians 1:9 Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.
We live in a world that is constantly changing, constantly challenging us, constantly hurting us and trying to bring us down. But we serve a God who does not change – and though we can’t always see His work in our lives, we need to trust that He really is there. Fight against the tendency to rely on your own wits to get you through. This is the road to the same kind of attitude Jesus is speaking against.
I know this is hard – but you know what? We have help – remember verse 10? We have angels that are constantly out there to help us – and furthermore, when we do have a hard time trusting God in this way, He doesn’t blast us and blame us.
12 "What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? 13 And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. 14 In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost.
God loves to play the role of rescuer. And in just the same way as a parent who has lost his or her child in the mall or the airport rejoices when they find them again – so too our God rejoices when He finds us – HE FINDS US! So relax – it’s okay to be a child in God’s hands –believing, trusting, relying like a child.
