Jesus’ followers asked him about greatest in his kingdom. They were constantly confused between what they had been taught about a coming kingdom on earth where the king of Israel would rule and what Jesus seemed to be teaching about a new kind of kingdom.
At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”
Jesus answered a couple of ways. He first addressed what ancients have called the “beginner’s mind.” In other words, we must clear our minds of preconceived ideas and opinions to accept Jesus’ teachings.
He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.”
He did not stop there. Taking a second look at the relationship of children to us, he said,
“If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.”
That means people such as I who write these blogs and others who teach others no matter where and what bear significant responsibility for what we teach. Are we passing along misinformation and ill-formed opinions we’ve picked up from spurious sources? Are we studying and meditating and trying to pass along spiritual truths compatible with Jesus’ teachings?
It’s worth pausing to reflect periodically assuring we’re keeping to the path.
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