Matthew 18:1-9 NIV
At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”
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.
“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.
Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come! If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, 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. And if your eye causes you to stumble, 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.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Unless you change..."; those are words we don't want to hear. I love the old joke that asks how many Methodists does it take to change a light bulb. The answer?
"Change???!!!"
The humor of course is that nobody likes change. Change is uncomfortable. It requires more effort, more attentiveness. We are creatures of habit and change upsets our routines. As a result we feel awkward and cautious, perhaps annoyed and frustrated. Change is rarely something we seek.
But we do seek changes. If we are given a health warning we make changes to our lifestyle, diet and exercise habits. If we get bored with our location, we move to a new town. If we feel our career needs a change we go on a job hunt seeking new employment and better opportunity.
Jesus tells His disciples that if they want to be great in the kingdom of heaven they must change. The question is, "How badly do they want to be great?" Are they willing to change in order to be great in God's eyes?
Of course God sees all His human creatures for their potential, and it is great. We are made in God's image! But we are, at the same time, in bondage to sin and fall short of God's glory. Classically speaking, it's impossible to save ourselves from this fallen and corrupt status. That's why we need a savior.
Often we think of salvation as admission into heaven after we die. Salvation is not simply your eternal address. Salvation means change. Salvation means transformation. The New Testament is full of transformation language. I think of transformation as a result of salvation and part of the journey of salvation to our ultimate goal, which is becoming like Jesus.
For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.
Romans 8:29 NIV
It is our divine destiny to be conformed to the image of Jesus, that is to change to become like Him.
Jesus told His disciples that they must change and become like little children or they will never enter the kingdom of heaven. His point is that we humble ourselves before Christ and before one another. The very question about who will be great in the kingdom reveals that the disciples are dreaming of positions of power when Jesus takes the throne. But Jesus uses the moment to teach that that if you want to be great in God's government, make yourself a servant to others. Welcome the lowly, the vulnerable, the needy and helpless. By doing so you welcome Christ into your life.
Having understood that the sins of pride, greed, and coveting were at work in His disciples, Jesus then warned them about what they set their eyes upon and what they do with their hands. Using prophetic rhetoric intended to shock and elicit a response, He told them if their eye causes them to sin, pluck it out. If their hand causes them to sin, cut it off. It's best to enter life maimed than to go to Hell in one piece.
Disturbing as this is, it does make a memorable impression, one not soon forgotten. Jesus' teaching is not to be understood literally, but poetically. The point is that we should remove from our lives those things that tempt us to sin. It's better to do without some things in this life in order to make a change for the better, eternal life.
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.
“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.
Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come! If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, 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. And if your eye causes you to stumble, 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.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Unless you change..."; those are words we don't want to hear. I love the old joke that asks how many Methodists does it take to change a light bulb. The answer?
"Change???!!!"
The humor of course is that nobody likes change. Change is uncomfortable. It requires more effort, more attentiveness. We are creatures of habit and change upsets our routines. As a result we feel awkward and cautious, perhaps annoyed and frustrated. Change is rarely something we seek.
But we do seek changes. If we are given a health warning we make changes to our lifestyle, diet and exercise habits. If we get bored with our location, we move to a new town. If we feel our career needs a change we go on a job hunt seeking new employment and better opportunity.
Jesus tells His disciples that if they want to be great in the kingdom of heaven they must change. The question is, "How badly do they want to be great?" Are they willing to change in order to be great in God's eyes?
Of course God sees all His human creatures for their potential, and it is great. We are made in God's image! But we are, at the same time, in bondage to sin and fall short of God's glory. Classically speaking, it's impossible to save ourselves from this fallen and corrupt status. That's why we need a savior.
Often we think of salvation as admission into heaven after we die. Salvation is not simply your eternal address. Salvation means change. Salvation means transformation. The New Testament is full of transformation language. I think of transformation as a result of salvation and part of the journey of salvation to our ultimate goal, which is becoming like Jesus.
For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.
Romans 8:29 NIV
It is our divine destiny to be conformed to the image of Jesus, that is to change to become like Him.
Jesus told His disciples that they must change and become like little children or they will never enter the kingdom of heaven. His point is that we humble ourselves before Christ and before one another. The very question about who will be great in the kingdom reveals that the disciples are dreaming of positions of power when Jesus takes the throne. But Jesus uses the moment to teach that that if you want to be great in God's government, make yourself a servant to others. Welcome the lowly, the vulnerable, the needy and helpless. By doing so you welcome Christ into your life.
Having understood that the sins of pride, greed, and coveting were at work in His disciples, Jesus then warned them about what they set their eyes upon and what they do with their hands. Using prophetic rhetoric intended to shock and elicit a response, He told them if their eye causes them to sin, pluck it out. If their hand causes them to sin, cut it off. It's best to enter life maimed than to go to Hell in one piece.
Disturbing as this is, it does make a memorable impression, one not soon forgotten. Jesus' teaching is not to be understood literally, but poetically. The point is that we should remove from our lives those things that tempt us to sin. It's better to do without some things in this life in order to make a change for the better, eternal life.
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