“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 receiveth me: and whosoever shall receive me receiveth him that sent me: for he that is least among you all, the same shall be great,” Luke 9:46-48.
This reasoning as to who would be greatest amongst the apostles was one born of the sinful heart of man. Even we believers today are subject to such carnal thoughts as those that then prompted the discussion amongst the apostles as they followed the Lord to Capernaum.
We should note that they not merely ‘reasoned’ which of them would be the ‘greatest’ (the highest, the most important) in the kingdom of heaven. But the subject was a matter of dispute as Mark tells us, (Mark 9:33).
They were giving most serious thought to this subject.
The word translated ‘reasoning’ or ‘disputed’ first appears in Mark 2:6 and refers to the ‘reasoning’ within the hearts of certain scribes who were bothered by the Saviour’s claim to forgive sins.
“When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee. But there were certain of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts, Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only? And immediately when Jesus perceived in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, he said unto them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts?” Mark 2:5-8.
Church disputes
There likely have been more divisions and disagreements within the assemblies of God’s people about this matter than any other! Self-importance and the perceived failure of others to see our ‘importance’ has been at the heart of many a conflict among Christians.
John the Apostle encountered this desire for ‘preeminence’!
“I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not.”3 John 1:9.
In this case, Diotrephes considered himself important enough to withstand the ministry of John.
Self-importance sets a person against the preaching and the authority of God’s Word. This has been seen in ever so many church disputes!
Before they are really embarked upon any service for the Lord, the apostles were already discussing what honourable role would be allotted to them!
What a lesson for us lesser followers of the Saviour to learn! In this matter we have most assuredly followed in the footsteps of the apostles!
Please note
While the apostles sought to hide this discussion from the Lord, He indicates He was aware of it. “And he came to Capernaum: and being in the house he asked them, What was it that ye disputed among yourselves by the way? But they held their peace: for by the way they had disputed among themselves, who should be the greatest,” Mark 9:33-34.
Perhaps I could underscore first of all that the Saviour did not ask the question — “What was it that ye disputed among yourselves by the way?” — because He did not know what they discussed. Rather, He was seeking an acknowledgement from them that they had been engaged in such folly and thus to bring home to them the sinfulness of it.
Their holding “their peace” indicated that they did indeed feel a sense of shame when questioned by the Lord! Doubtless that shame was shown on their faces for the Lord did not insist on a reply but set about showing them what true ‘greatness’ in His kingdom consisted of.
Saviour’s answer
It is the Saviour’s response to this ‘dispute’ that I wish to consider.
I. HE USES A CHILD TO ILLUSTRATE TRUE GREATNESS
“And Jesus, . . . took a child, and set him by him”.
1. In this simple act there is illustrated for us what true spiritual greatness is. The word “took” means ‘laid hold of’. It is the same word used in the rescuing of Peter from sinking down into the lake. “And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him,” Matthew 14:31. So, in a very positive manner the Saviour put His hand on that child and drew him to His side.
2. The response of the child indicates ‘greatness’. The child did not resist, as we might expect a little one to do in such circumstances. But there was wrought within the heart of the little boy a ‘willingness to obey’ the Saviour’s drawing of him.
Submission
A right response to the Gospel is the beginning of spiritual greatness. When the Saviour draws us (John 12:32) and we obey His call, then we are acting in a manner so as to show true greatness. It is being in obedience to the Saviour that denotes true greatness. Such greatness often times goes unnoticed amongst Christians. Indeed, how often is obedience to the truth of Christ derided and scoffed at amongst Christians?
In this day of ‘looking back to Egypt’, a rejection of modern music and so-called hymns, is mocked. The ways of the world are employed in evangelism, indicating that the simple preaching of the cross is no longer sufficient in this age, and a denouncing of such in obedience to God’s Word, is ignored and rejected!
3. The child was unresisting even when the Saviour took him in His arms. Mark tells us this. “And he took a child, and set him in the midst of them: and when he had taken him in his arms, he said unto them,” Mark 9:36. The actions of Christ toward that little one were not met by any resistance or reluctance’ No, most contentedly the child submitted to the Saviour.
It is the Saviour’s purpose to draw us closer to Himself. True greatness is our submissive willingness to be so drawn!
II. THE APOSTLES, AS THEY DISPUTED, HAD THEIR EYES UPON THE IMAGINED HEIGHTS THEY DESIRED TO ATTAIN
1. As that little child was willing to drawn from where he had been most comfortable, beside his mother most likely, so a readiness to be drawn away from that which we naturally love, is a mark of true spiritual greatness. The Shorter Catechism teaches us what holiness, ‘sanctification’, truly is.
Question 35 : What is sanctification?
Answer: Sanctification is the work of God’s free grace, whereby we are renewed in the whole man after the image of God, and are enabled more and more to die unto sin, and live unto righteousness.
That little boy ‘died’ to that natural instinct of a child to be close to his mother, and submitted to the gentle drawing of the Saviour. He illustrates that merciful process by which the Saviour draws us away from that we love by nature to that which our ‘new nature’ loves!
This is the thinking of Paul when he exhorts the Ephesians.
“That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; and be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: neither give place to the devil. Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: and be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you. Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour,” Ephesians 4:22-5:2.
Would it not have grieved the Lord Jesus had that little boy clung to his mother’s skirts and resisted the Saviour’s hand? Yet how many of God’s people grieve the Holy Spirit by resisting His call away from the world and the flesh unto holiness?
Remember, “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit,” Romans 8:1.
2. On the occasion that Paul had to publicly rebuke Peter, it was because Peter had for a time ceased to act as the little boy. “But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed. For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision,” Galatians 2:11-12.
It was will of God that the Gospel be preached to the Gentiles. That was made plain in the ‘Great Commission’!
“And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature,” Mark 16:15.
But many professing believers amongst the Jews opposed this. Paul was engaged in a battle against this wickedness.
3. Though it has to be noted that, but for the providential intervention of God, Paul too would have yielded to the pressure of compromising Christian leaders.
Near the end of his ministry Paul came to Jerusalem and was well received by the leaders of the church BUT it is clear that they tolerated this spirit of rebellion amongst the Jews in Jerusalem even though they had publicly rejected it some years earlier as Acts 15 clearly shows.
But their advice to Paul as to the steps he should take in order to placate these Jewish objections to Paul’s ministry was a most compromising mish-mash and a surrender to the defiance of God’s will by the ‘Judaisers’ in Jerusalem.
Please note carefully what we read in Acts 21
“And the day following Paul went in with us unto James; and all the elders were present. And when he had saluted them, he declared particularly what things God had wrought among the Gentiles by his ministry. And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord, and said unto him, (1) Thou seest, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are which believe; and they are all zealous of the law: And they are informed of thee, that thou teachest all the Jews which are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their children, neither to walk after the customs. What is it therefore? the multitude must needs come together: for they will hear that thou art come. Do therefore this that we say to thee: We have four men which have a vow on them; Them take, and purify thyself with them, and be at charges with them, that they may shave their heads: and all may know that those things, whereof they were informed concerning thee, are nothing; but that thou thyself also walkest orderly, and keepest the law. As touching the Gentiles which believe, we have written and concluded that they observe no such thing, save only that they keep themselves from things offered to idols, and from blood, and from strangled, and from fornication.
(2) Then Paul took the men, and the next day purifying himself with them entered into the temple, to signify the accomplishment of the days of purification, until that an offering should be offered for every one of them. (3) And when the seven days were almost ended, the Jews which were of Asia, when they saw him in the temple, stirred up all the people, and laid hands on him, Crying out, Men of Israel, help: This is the man, that teacheth all men every where against the people, and the law, and this place: and further brought Greeks also into the temple, and hath polluted this holy place. (For they had seen before with him in the city Trophimus an Ephesian, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple.) And all the city was moved, and the people ran together: and they took Paul, and drew him out of the temple: and forthwith the doors were shut,” Acts 21:18-30.
Please note the sections I have marked.
1. See the high opinion James and the elders had of those who believed that Paul desecrated God’s Law by teaching that the Ceremonial Law was abolished because Christ had in His life, death and resurrection fulfilled all the types and shadows of God’s redemption that it had set forth.
Again, it occurs to me that James and the elders, if they were truly teaching the mind of God regarding these things, would long ago have defended and vindicated the ministry of Paul and corrected the misconceptions these Judaisers had of him.
Instead, they persuaded Paul to engage in a performance of some ceremonial law activities which were in complete contraction of what he had earlier taught! Notice that he ritualistically ‘purified’ himself and was about to offer a sacrifice, again in complete denial of what he had been long proclaiming, but for the riot that broke out in the temple!
2. Paul agreed to this compromising action. He was now the “aged Paul” (Philemon 1:9). He would soon be committed to jail in Rome and then martyred. He had suffered much and I have no doubt that he was vulnerable to the pressures mounted against him by the compromising leaders of the church in Jerusalem.
3. However, the merciful and kind Saviour intervened before Paul could go through with the offering of a sacrifice in denial of what he had taught. Note what verse 27 says: “And when the seven days were almost ended.” Just before he would have offered the sacrifice linked to purification, a riot was begun by the Judaisers who hated him and, but for the actions of Roman soldiers, Paul would have been killed by these wicked men.
For just a short time Paul ‘pulled back’ from doing the will of the Lord. However, the Lord interposed and stopped Paul acting contrary to all he had ever taught and so his name and reputation was spared.
There is not a servant of God but, at some time or other, was bent on acting foolishly and thus marring his testimony, had not the Lord intervened!
III. THE LITTLE CHILD, IN YIELDING TO CHRIST, ENDED BY BEING LIFTED UP IN CHRIST’S ARMS
“And when he had taken him in his arms,” Mark 9:36.
1. There is no higher place than this! The thinking of the worldling is how high can he get in the estimate of his fellow men.
Men love the praises of men. This Christ pointed out. “But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments, and love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi. But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren. And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven. Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ. But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted,” Matthew 23:5-12.
God’s eye
We are to live ever conscious of the Lord’s eye upon us and have a desire to please Him and not men. We are to live as Paul instructed.
“Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart,” Ephesians 6:6.
The little boy considered no other person but the Saviour who called him!
2. There is no more honoured place than in the arms of Christ. A parent will honour the child they love by gathering them up in their arms. That is what love demands. So it is with the Lord.
“The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them,” Deuteronomy 33:27. The arms of God are a place of security and safety beyond our understanding!
3. There is no more restful place than this. Remember young John at the Last Supper! “Then Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved following; which also leaned on his breast at supper, and said, Lord, which is he that betrayeth thee?” John 21:20.
What an illustration this is of the restful and calm position the faithful obedient to Christ may enjoy.
I am sure, like all mothers, the mother of the little boy would have felt some anxiety when the Lord took him up in His arms. She would likely have had some concerns about him falling. That to me seems but naturally.
But he was never safer, even when in his mother’s arms!
We can trust ourselves and our children to the keeping of the Lord without the slightest fear. His are the ‘everlasting’ unwearying arms of Jehovah!
He that by God’s mercy, through Gospel grace, has found refuge there, has reached the highest of all places of eminence and esteem and greatness.
“It is a faithful saying: for if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: if we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us,” 2 Timothy 2:11-12.
“Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years,” Revelation 20:6.
Rev Ivan Foster (Rtd)
Saturday, 24th January 2026
An article all should read!