"The Greatest"

The disciples asked Jesus who was the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Jesus calls a child, sets him before them and says, "Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." (Matt. 18:2-3)

The greatest...man has their own ideas of the greatest. Some say Elvis Presley was the greatest of the music industry. Others say John Wayne is the greatest in the movie industry. Some say Albert Eisenstein is the greatest mind that ever lived. Fred Astaire was hailed as the greatest dancer of all time. People have their personal likes who and what they think is the greatest.

Yesterday, I sat and held my new born grandchild, my fourth. My mind raced around as I looked upon the life of the purest thing we will ever have on this earth in regard to God and Christ. A baby, a small child has accomplished nothing in our world. All they know is humility and love. We develop them to fear what we fear, to seek what we place emphasis on, to react to how we react and to love the way we love. That is rather sobering, wouldn't you say? But as a baby, a small child, Jesus said they were the greatest without one ounce of accomplishment. The message: we as adults need to be humble and converted as a child or we aren't going to make it. Your job, your accomplishments, your college education, your wits or smarts, your friends, your money, your home is not drawing any of us closer to the Lord. It might mean something to us but it doesn't to the Lord. To the Lord, a baby, a child is the greatest and we need to learn that the only thing we are leaving this world with is our souls. And that translates to one thing: if we have humbled ourselves before the throne of the living God, letting Him convert us according to His word and ways, depending on Him completely for making us whole and one in Jesus and walking in that newness. That's the greatest!