Reading Luke 9:46-48 (KJV)
Then there arose a reasoning among them, which of them should be greatest. And Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, took a child, and set him by him, And said unto them, “Whosoever shall receive this child in my name receiveth me: and whosoever shall receive me receiveth him that sent me: for he that is least among you all, the same shall be great.”
The disciples still cannot comprehend who is this Jesus that they are following. They have seen him calm the storm, raise the dead, heal the sick, and free those possessed by demons. They have even seen Moses and Elias (Elijah) talking about what Jesus has come to do.
They (and us as well) need to understand that Jesus did not come to be served, but rather to serve. He came to give His life for us and to be humbled for the sake of love. The Kingdom that Jesus came to announce is a kingdom that mankind cannot understand if the Holy Spirit does not reveal it to us. It is a kingdom in which displaced and discarded people become heirs of the King. It is a kingdom in which mercy and forgiveness are a gift that God offers us freely. It is a Kingdom that is not of this world
For this reason, there is no room in this Kingdom for the discussion of the disciples. Who is the greatest? The one that the world considers to be the least of these; the one who serves; the one that offers himself up for the sake of love.
If we picture the Christian faith as a place where pride, egoism, and self-centeredness abound, we have failed to grasp that the Kingdom of God is about sacrifice, humility, love, and service (there is no better example of this than Jesus).

MEDITATE: Are our criteria and parameters in accordance with the Kingdom of God?

Translation by: Emily Stader