Today’s Encouragement is Matthew 18:4 Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
This child –
Jesus identified one child and pointed out this child’s humility to his disciples. Imagine how the child must have felt! Jesus used him as an example to this group of adult men, which must have been very intimidating to the child… unless, unless the child was just looking at Jesus… and then, everything else fades away…
But also humbling for the disciples! These men who had been hand-chosen by Jesus to spend 3 years living, eating, sleeping, traveling, and listening to Him. He’d taught them some difficult lessons for certain… and here was another… become humble like a child, choose to become, choose to accept humility… as a child would, and then be the greatest in the Kingdom! What a contradiction? How can a humble child be ‘Great’ in the Kingdom?
Greatness in the Kingdom would imply, from the perspective of the world, great power, wisdom, strength, and courage as well. And it seems, from almost all known examples, greatness requires characteristics like, self-assurance, a pride of self, a confidence in self which seems always to dwarf the average person. While not every single leader is excessively prideful, the characteristic is usually not lacking in business and political leaders, is it?
And yet, Jesus says “No” to the world’s ways, and instead proclaims… “Childlike humility is greatness in God’s Kingdom.
Help us Lord to become as humble as a child, in total faith, trust, hope and reliance on You. We can do nothing without You.
Nothing without You
Bebo Norman
Today’s Encouragement 