The Irony Of Greatness
“At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” He called a child, whom he put among them, and said, “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” NRSV
Who is the greatest asked the disciples, with themselves in view no doubt!? I say this because the young are driven by the toxic combo of comparison and competition. Their metrics are fame, numbers, and finances. The disciples are indicative of any group of young men, particularly if they are in some position of privilege/advantage. For instance, in the case of sports, music, fresh out of university, corporate ladders – anywhere younger people jostle for prominence; the need to be noticed and do better than the competition. It’s very human, and in some circles, it is encouraged. All very Darwinian, except that we are not animals, despite our behaviour.
To make his point Jesus upturns cultural and religious expectations by bringing a child into their midst. What strikes us as valuable, and laudable, is often completely bypassed in the evaluation of Jesus; the first will be last and the last will be first.
A child, for goodness’s sake – that would have been difficult to swallow but this was only to show them something they failed to comprehend by the blindness of their competitive behaviour. When everything is about winning, nothing is about the kingdom of heaven. The counter-intuitive nature of God’s kingdom is an affront to our competitive bent.
Jesus told his disciples that they had to change (repent), they had to become like a child to do so. Children didn’t have status, children were seen and not heard, children play together, and children can be difficult and selfish – but it is unlikely Jesus is referring to these all-too-human traits of children. He refers to the capacity of being able to hear, being able to be taught, and being without cynicism and care. To be like this is to be a child-like disciple of Jesus.
This is not easy, as it works against the grain, but it is vital to enter the kingdom of heaven. To say this is a corrective to the disciples is an understatement because they jostle for position and prominence. Can we hear what Jesus graphically portrayed with the child? They struggled.
True greatness then is becoming humble – not needing accolades or notoriety. These people, like children, will be the greatest, and here is the point, humility, the point to which Jesus is directing this conversation, is never concerned with nor seeks greatness. This is the irony of greatness.