Matthew 18:3 (KJV)
And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
I'm going to go out on a limb and say that Jesus is using hyperbole here.
The disciples had been debating who was the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Jesus turned the discussion on its head and suggested they should be more concerned about whether they would enter heaven at all!
I've witnessed plenty of this "greatest" talk over the years as a Christian.
- The fastest-growing church.
- The friendliest church.
- The best soul-winning church.
- The greatest preacher of our generation.
- The greatest theologian in our country.
On the other hand, I've also witnessed a reluctance to become as little children. Genuine humility is very humbling.
I'd hate to think that this necessarily demonstrates a lack of genuine salvation. Just as Jesus doesn't literally require us to cut off our hand to be saved, neither is He teaching that humility is the basis of salvation—or none of us would be saved.
But there is no doubt that there is a powerful lesson here. I believe that's the purpose of the hyperbole—to arrest our attention.
Here's the lesson:
- Greatness is not the goal.
- Get over it! Get over yourself!
Set your eyes on a target so much bigger than anything you've ever imagined in this world.
Heaven!
Get your eyes there, and everything else pales by comparison
#KingdomOfHeaven #BiblicalHumility #FollowJesus #Matthew18v3 #KJVBible
Greatness Is Not the Goal: When Eternity Becomes Your Focus, Pride Loses its Power
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