Luke 9:46-48

Luke chapter 9 and verses 46 through 48 for our text and study this morning. 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, receiveeth me, newsoever shall receive me, receiveeth him that sent me, for he that is least among you, the same shall be great. God bless to us the reading of His holy and sacred word this morning. You’ll recall at one point on the road to the celestial city, Mr. Christian saw a man ahead of him named Faith. and Mr. Christian wanted Faithful to slow down so he could catch up with him and walk with him. But Faithful, however, was afraid to stop and wait, as he put it, no, I am upon my life in the Avenger of Blood is behind me. While Mr. Christian was somewhat agitated that Faithful wouldn’t slow down for him, putting forth all his strength, he caught up and he passed Faithful. and as he did, Christian vane gloriously smiled, according to Bunyan, for now he was first and faithful was behind him. And yet suddenly he stumbled and fell. And he had to wait for Mr. Christian to catch up and help him up. It was Bunyan’s way, I think, to show the need for humility and that pride goes before a fall. I think that’s what he is indicating to us. Like Mr. Christian, you may find humility a hard lesson to learn. Nothing seems so adverse to the flesh as seeking to have a humble spirit. Repeatedly, Christ must drive home this truth to his own disciples. And of course, this is recorded for our benefit. for we need to hear the same message as the disciples of Christ. I want to speak this morning on the need for humility. And I’ll begin by saying this. We see your need for humility here in verse 46. So there arose a reasoning among them, which of them should be greatest? You see a desire here among Christians to be the greatest. Mark’s Gospel, which, Russell was kind enough to read for us this morning, reveals this dispute occurred on the way to Copernium. And Mark’s Gospel uses the word dispute. The word reasoning here does mean dispute or debate of some sort that was taking place. Now, in all probability, if we back up the last week’s study, it was probably their mistaken ideas about the kingdom of God being an earthly kingdom which led to this dispute. Because the disciples expected Christ to establish a kingdom like all the other kingdoms of the earth, one visible, one with kingly pomp and glory and so forth, and that they would have a place in it. And the question is, where are they going to have a place in it? Well, I should have a higher place. and you do and so forth. And so they wanted a position of greatness and authority in the kingdom. Being confused, an unbecoming spirit and ambition and pride overwhelms them. Each reasoning that perhaps he should have the higher place in the kingdom. It’s not difficult to conceive what some of them might have said. James the Younger and Jude were actually relatives of Christ. They were, I believe, cousins. The word is used there is sometimes as my brother, but it has the idea of relatives of some sort, maybe a cousin of Christ. And they thought maybe we should be entitled to one of the greatest places because we’re related by blood to Jesus. And then there’s Peter James and John, the Holy Triumvirate, that the three. that always got to go into those special places like the Mount of Transfiguration or the Garden of Gassimony. Or you recall that they were also in on the raising of Jaris’ daughter from the dead. because of this close relationship with the Lord, they might have thought, well, we should have a higher place than you do. and then there’s Andrew who could have said, well, wait a minute, I’m the first disciple that was brought to Christ. And I brought you, Peter. I should be first. even Judas might have thought something about this. You could have taken the position, well, you know, I hold the sacred trust of our Lord in that I hold the money bag. I take care of the finances. Surely I ought to have a high place in the kingdom. It’s sad when you think about this. This occurred under Christ’s ministry. It shows how much corruption exists. within the best of Christians. These are the disciples, the ones that he’s chosen to be apostles, that preach his gospel, and yet here’s a problem. My friend, no sin is more deeply rooted in us than the sin of pride. It is difficult to deal with the pride of man’s heart. This ambition for honor above others to strive for superiority, to be the greatest, or to have a high opinion to oneself that others are not as good as you. To many have the spirit of deatrophies who love to have the free eminence. Sadly, this is true, even among ministers of the gospel, because who were disciples? Who were these people who were chosen to the apostles? But ministers, Even among ministers, this can be a problem. You remember what the Lord said to the companion of Jeremiah the prophet. His name was Baroque, the son of Naraya. Seekest thou great things for thyself? Seek them not. Don’t do it. The great conductor, Leonard Bernstein, was once asked, what was the hardest instrument to play in the orchestra. The most difficult. He thought for a moment, and then he finally said second fiddle. He said, I can get many a first violinist. But to find someone who can play the second fiddle with enthusiasm, he said, that’s a problem. And if we have no second fiddle, he says we have no harmony. There’s an old ditty. It needs more skill than I can tell to play the second fiddle well. No one wants to be second fiddle. No one wants to take a lower position. And so it is here in the religious realm. There’s always this desire to be the greatest. Beware of that. We should beware of that. There’s a sin that can easily creep in, even among the best. So you see a desire in professing Christians here to be the greatest. You all, see a fine you find here a failure to learn from Christ example and teaching. It is sad when you think about it. What has Christ been talking about? We remember we read in verse 22 how he said, the son of man must suffer many things and be rejected to the elders and chief priest and scribes and be slain and be raised the third day and then in verse 44 he just said this. Let these sayings sink down into your. your ears for the son of man shall be delivered into the hands of man. Jesus is speaking of his humiliation and one of the disciples thinking about. They’re exaltation. It’s interesting that Matthew’s Gospel says at the same time. While Jesus is talking about one thing, they’re thinking about something that just the opposite, completely different from the master. The scripture says, being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. How different then? The thoughts of the Savior and the thoughts of the disciples at this same time. Friends, the more like Christ we are, the less we’re going to be like disciples. Think about that. The more like Christ you are, the more you will pursue humility. in your life. Listen to David in Psalm 131 in verse 1. Lord, my heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty. Neither do I exercise myself in great matters or in things too high for me. The Apostle Paul, who because of his great visions, because of the great revelation that was given to him, said at one point he could be exalted above measure. The Lord gave him a thorn in the flesh. and you recall he says in a very humble way that he is the least of all saints in the book of Ephesians chapter 3 and verse 8 and the chief of sinners in verse Timothy 115 this is the great apostle Paul greatly used of God who’s not the least among the apostles he says he is but when you think about it he exceeded them all in many ways and his sacrifice and preaching the gospel. but he says, you know what? I’m not even the greatest saint. I’m the least of all saints, he says. Friends, the more grace God gives us, the more we’re going to realize our own sinful self, which leads us to a spirit of humiliation. It is better for us. to see our own corruptions then to promote ourselves is better than our fellow Christians. If God increases the grace, he will also increase humility in us. We need to learn from Christ to humble ourselves, not to think too highly of ourselves. Because God resistseth the proud and God gives grace to the humph. Let another praise thee. I’m not thine own mouth as Proverbs 272 says. So you find a failure to learn from Christ example of teaching here. Now let me make a couple observations at this point. It’s more important that you are sure that you are in the kingdom than whether you are the greatest in the kingdom. For I tell you, one of these disciples that was disputing about being the greatest in the kingdom of God. wasn’t even in the kingdom and his name was Judas, as we well know. Look with me at Matthew Chapter 7 in verses 21 to 23 because here we see some people that are surprised that they’re not going to be included in heaven and the kingdom of heaven. The scripture says here in Jesus speaking, not everyone that saith unto me Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven. heaven, but he that doeth the will of my father, which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? And in thy name have cast out devils, and in thy name done many wonderful works, and then will I profess under them, I never knew you. Apart from me, he that work in equity. They thought they should be in the kingdom of heaven. They’re not getting in. And so we see here the most important is to know you are in the kingdom. Here are some people they’re professing surprise that they’re left out. They’re excluded. You know, the scripture says, except your righteousness exceed that of the scribes and the Pharisees, you shall not in no case, enter the kingdom of heaven. Unless you have righteousness, it exceeds the most outwardly righteous people, that you can think of, you can’t enter in. You know where you can obtain that kind of righteousness? It’s not personal righteousness. It’s the righteousness that Christ gives. It’s a perfect righteousness that he’s talking about. And be found in Him, in Christ, not having my own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is of the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith. That’s the most important thing. know that Christ’s blood and righteousness have forgiven your sins and have made you acceptable in God’s sight and that you’re in the kingdom. It may be more important to be assured you’re in the kingdom than focus on your place in the kingdom. Secondly, you find either Peter near any other apostle had supremacy over the rest. If you study this passage carefully, contrary to the teaching in the Roman Catholic Church, none of the other apostles thought that Peter was the greatest. They thought they were the greatest, right? The fact that the apostles had this dispute about who was the greatest tells us that they weren’t willing to concede this position of the greatest to Peter, that he could be the first post. so to speak. And by the way, Jesus does not settle this dispute by saying, hey, wait, Peter is the greatest. Does he? Here’s the perfect opportunity to exalt Peter and say, yes, Peter should be exalted up here. No, he doesn’t. Basically, he’s going to tell him you need to cultivate humility. That Christ says, what makes you great is humility. That was a freebie. I’m thrown out. That was a freebie. That was one of those free things. things I’m throwing in, don’t cost you any. But again, you see how that here is a text that maybe you wouldn’t think in that light, but here it is, when you think about it it in connection with the teaching of the Roman Catholic Church doctrine, it becomes obvious that the doctrine doesn’t hold up. So your need for humility is seen here. Secondly, Jesus Christ knows you need humility. Verse 47, and Jesus perceiving the thought of their heart, took a child, and set him by him. Jesus fully knows the thoughts and intense of your heart. Mark’s Gospel states, and we read it this morning, that when Christ and disciples arrived at Copernium, Jesus says to them, what was it that you disputed among yourselves on the way. What was that dispute about you were having? Not that he didn’t know what the dispute was about, but it was a teaching moment to bring it out of them. And at first, they were reluctant to say. In fact, the Bible says in Mark 934, but they held their peace. You would think by now that they would know that you can’t put anything over on Jesus Christ. He can read their minds. You know, exactly what they were disputing about on the way. And so we read here in our text, Jesus perceiving the thought of their heart. They didn’t have to articulate it. He knew exactly what they were thinking. He knew everything they had said, despite their attempts to keep it secret. Now, Jesus knows that the apostles need humility, even though they don’t know it. He knows it. And you should realize that all things are naked and open. under the eyes of him with whom we have to do. It would be wise to keep that in mind. Because even though Christ may be at a further distance away from us now than he was from the disciples on the way, he has just as much knowledge of us as he had of the disciples. There was a family in which a plate of cookies was set out on the dinner table. The mother had just made. They’re nice and fresh. The aroma fills the air and she sets these cookies down on the dining room table and she leaves the room. The children are playing in the living room and they saw that plate of cookies and the little boy said, I’m going to get one of those cookies. And as soon as the mother left the room, he jumps up and he tiptoes quietly over to the table and he reaches out his hand to grab the cookies. No, no, no, you must not touch them. His sister says, she pulls him back. The boy says, Mom won’t know it. She didn’t count them. Pushing his sister aside. He reaches out of his hand again, and this time he’s assured he’s going to get a cookie. But his sister says, if she didn’t, God may have counted him. The little boy’s hand was stayed with these words. Yes, children. God surely knows, even though your parents may not know what’s going on, God knows what’s going on. How solemn is this fact. It ought to fill us with a holy awe and fear and how this ought to curb our attitude of pride in their lives. Christ fully knows the thoughts and intents of your heart. Christ often uses, you’ll notice, a vivid illustration to make a strong impression upon you. Jesus takes a child and sets this child beside him. You didn’t know that little children could be used for as an object lesson, did you? Jesus was a master teacher and he often drove home important lessons by using an object lesson or telling a story of some, a parable, or whatever. It could be a true story. But he told us. some kind of story or he indeed gives an object lesson. So here he uses a small child to demonstrate the characteristics that Christians should have. Now if you read through the Gospels, Jesus often illustrates his teachings so that they are memorable. They get fixed in your mind. Here’s something that’s interesting. Just go through the sermon on the mouth. Just see how many word pictures do you find there? doesn’t Jesus compare Christians to salt to light like a candle doesn’t he compare Christians to and to a servant and master situation with regard to God being their father doesn’t God of the wildflowers in the field indicate something about his care for us as his children if he takes care of these wildflowers surely he takes care of his own children. This whole idea casting pearls before swine taking that which is the riches of the gospel casting before scoffers. The straight gate, the narrow way he talks about that leads to eternal life. He compares people to fruit trees. And either good or bad fruit is produced by the tree so you know what kind of tree you got. House is being built with a good foundation on the rock or a poor foundation on the sand. And when the storms of life come up, one gets swept away, the other stands fast. Jesus provides a good example for Christian teachers here. If you want a biblical principle to stick in people’s minds, sometimes it’s good to illustrate it. Illustrations and object lessons are windows. In the house of the sermon, they let a little light in. Sometimes we get heavy sermons that get dark. Sometimes you have to just let a little light in with the illustrations. And often you will remember the illustration and then you’ll recall the principle that was being taught. You might be surprised how the simplest mind, like that of a child, readily will grasp God’s truth. when it’s illustrated in a vivid manner. So Jesus Christ knows your need for humility. Thirdly, your greatness is by way of humility. Verse 48, and he said unto them, whosoever shall receive this child in my name, receiveth me, and whosoever receiveth me, receiveth him that sent me, for he that is least among you all, the same shall be great. if you would, turn with me to the book of Luke, chapter 18, because here we have a lengthier section on this verse of scripture. A little bit more detail. First six verses of chapter 18 of Matthew. Matthew, did I say something else? I say Luke. Matthew 18, 1 to 6. At the same time, came the disciples unto Jesus saying, who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? Jesus called a little child unto him and said him in the midst of them, and said, verily, I say unto you, accept you be converted, become as little children, ye shall not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever, therefore, therefore, shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest, in the kingdom of heaven. Uso shall receive one such little child in my name, receiveth me. But also shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me. It were better for him that a millstone were hung or hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. Now, let me say here that Jesus is not teaching that all children are innocent or sinless, or they’re all. a phone in Adam. But they are comparatively harmless, sort of like the offspring, the young of a, even a ferocious lion. You can play with the cubs when they’re first born when they’re little without getting harmed. But as they get bigger, they get more dangerous to be around. So we should keep that in my… Also, notice he uses the word converted here. He used This is the word converted in a sense of a changed mind, a change of mind. Besides your initial conversion, we would say that is a change of mind, from what you used to think as an unsaved person, to what you are now as an enlightened person. The Christian needs many changes of mind as they go through the Christian life. As you grow in holiness in separation from the world. world, there’s a lot of changes of mind to take place. You remember that Peter, upon denying his Lord, needed to be converted. Jesus says, when thou are converted, when you have a change of mind about this, when you repent, make things right, denounce your actions, then you go out and strengthen the other apostles, and the disciples as well. It wasn’t he was getting converted, but he had to change his mind. It is. need a change of mind. Jesus says here in Matthew 18, the disciples need to be converted. They need a change of mind from being proud and ambitious to being humble and content with their place. Now, little children are comparatively humble in comparison to adults. Children are very sensitively humble in comparison to adults. Children are very sensitively humble in comparison to adults. Children. Children are of their inferiority and dependence. They know they’re not strong, and they know that they’re not wise, and therefore they have to depend on their parents to help them. As a parent, they’ll turn to you, maybe for lifting things, for finding things, for solving problems, for meals and clothing, for meals and clothing, for housing, for housing, direction, oversight, learning skills, learning the value of things, all those things they learn from you. And Jesus is saying, this is the state of mind you need to have toward God, your Heavenly Father. Let us not think more highly of ourselves than we ought to think. Remember, you are a child. You’re dependent upon your Heavenly Father. Acknowledge and deplore your utter guilt and depravity of nature. and your spiritual weakness to walk in God’s ways. We have to admit our reliance on God’s divine mercy and grace every day that we live. So little children are compared to living humble. Little children are willing to be taught. Now, children are aware that you surpass them in knowledge, and so they go to you when they want to learn something. They look to you. They’re like sponges. They’re ready to soak up all. the knowledge you have. You teach them how to tie their shoe. You how to plant a garden, how to read words, how to cross the street. You know, look both ways before you cross. How to set the table, where to put the silverware, the plates and the glasses, how to brush their hair, how to wash the dishes. All these things the parent teaches the child. and whatever the parent tells them, the children learn to do it that way. That’s the way the parent taught them and that’s the way they do it. Now this disposition is essential for a citizen of the kingdom of heaven. As newborn bays, we desire to sincere milk of the word that we may grow thereby. We want God to teach us so that we would follow in his ways. do things the way he wants us to do. We look to our Heavenly Father to learn how to live and how to serve him in this life. And we ask God to open our eyes that we may learn more from His Word. We have to have a teachable spirit and be eager to learn. Little children are willing to be taught. We also see that little children are comparatively free of ambition. You know, children don’t start. out with grand plans or labor for wealth and honor of public life and to be somebody great to start out with. They’ll readily play with inferiors. They don’t care whether the kid in the playground is rich or poor if they can play with them. They’re much more ready to share with a friend and they are to take advantage of him or her. And this is a disposition that we as Christians are to have toward our fellow believers. Not to seek an exalted status over them, but treat other Christians as friends, not as rivals, and be willing to take the lowest seat at the feast, not seeking the highest. So you’re to have the disposition of a child. They’re comparatively humble, they’re teachable, and they’re comparatively free of ambition. But also, notice this. You are assured that this is the way of greatness. Isn’t it odd? It’s ironic that in scripture, if you want to be great, you have to be humble. You have to be the least to be the greatest. Isn’t that God’s way? Jesus not intend here to confine the application to this particular child or any child in a literal sense, per se. Christ refers to chiefly to children in the spiritual sense, as I think comes out in Matthew 18. New converts, young Christians, whereas John says in his epistle, little children. Not that he couldn’t include little children if they were believers, but it’s no small thing to be able to appreciate those who are humble and meek. And yet to receive one childlike believer in Christ’s name. And yet to receive name is said to receive Christ himself. Only if you can delight in one with a lowly, trustful character. Can you delight in Jesus Christ? Because that’s the way he is. Can you count it all joy to serve such persons? Only then may you be assured that you’re serving Christ. If you receive Christ by receiving a young convert, then according to Matthew 10 you received by God the Father also. Scripture says this, for he that is least among you, he who considers himself and behaves as such in his conduct, who is lowly and meek, he truly is great in the kingdom of heaven. The most respected, the most honored Christians in the church, ought to be the most humble and the most who engage in self-denial. The humblest Christians are the best Christians. They’re not seeking greatness. They deserve it the most, but they’re not seeking it. So your greatness as a way is by way of humility, I should say. Well, Christian’s vanglory was such seen in his passing up a faithful and then give him the big smile, look at me. I’m a he. now. Well, that didn’t prove out to be too good because God chasen you. You and I need to learn humility too. And here we find the need to study the life of Christ. If there’s one who showed the greatest humility, it’s Jesus Christ. Let us learn from him. And let us learn from his teaching here of the disciples. We need a disposition like that of the disciples. We need a disposition like that of of a small child, he says, that’s humble, teachable, and free of ambition in order to be great. Let us close with the word of prayer.