Greatness Begins with Humility
You can’t enter the kingdom by climbing higher. You enter by stooping lower.
The disciples asked, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”
Jesus answered in a way that cut straight to the heart:
“Unless you turn and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 18:3)
They wanted to talk about rank and recognition. Jesus wanted to talk about repentance and humility.
What It Means to “Turn”
When Jesus says “turn,” He’s talking about a change of heart.
You can’t enter the kingdom by climbing higher. You enter by stooping lower.
That’s not easy when we’ve been trained to win arguments, defend ourselves, and make sure others see that we’re right. But Jesus says the starting point isn’t being proven right; it’s being made humble.
James 4:6 says, “God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Without humility, we are not just out of step with Jesus—God Himself actively opposes us.
The Qualities of a Child
In Jesus’ culture, children had no standing. They were utterly dependent on others for food, shelter, and safety.
That’s the picture Jesus gives us.
Greatness in the kingdom is measured by humility—by knowing we have nothing without Him and living in total dependence on His grace.
Think about that toddler in Jesus’ lap:
Dependent on others for care
Nothing to offer in terms of status or power
Vulnerable without protection
Trusting instead of suspicious
Peter would later write, “All of you clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.” (1 Peter 5:5)
Humility is not weakness. Instead, it is the very posture that opens us to God’s strength.
Humility in Times of Disagreement
This matters deeply when conflict arises in the church.
In the heat of controversy, pride prompts us to dig in, assume the worst about others, and seek ways to prove our point. Humility makes us “quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger” (James 1:19).
Humility doesn’t mean abandoning truth—it means holding to truth with a spirit that seeks to build up rather than tear down (Ephesians 4:29).
It means asking, “How can I honor Christ in the way I speak about this brother or sister?” instead of, “How can I win this argument?”
Why This Matters
If we want the church to function as God intended, we must start here.
Pride will always fracture the body. Humility will always protect it.
Philippians 2:3–4 puts it plainly: “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves. Everyone should look not to his own interests, but rather to the interests of others.”
And when the world sees us disagree but still treat each other with love, respect, and patience, it gives credibility to the gospel we preach (John 13:35).
On Monday, we’ll learn…
How we treat each other is how we treat Jesus. We’ll examine Matthew 18:5 and explore why welcoming another believer is far more significant than we often realize.
