Focus

Pay attention to the tension in your body. Let go of it and any expectations to do anything, but God’s will today. Prepare yourself to hear God’s word.

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Read

Matthew 18:1-7 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

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. Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me. “If any of you put a stumbling block before one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for you if a great millstone were fastened around your neck and you were drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe to the world because of stumbling blocks! Occasions for stumbling are bound to come, but woe to the one by whom the stumbling block comes!

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Reflect

“A Humble Child and a Heavy Stone”

Focusing Idea: We are called to live both humbly and responsibly.

Our text for today begins by asking who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven and, by implication, in the church. Jesus answers the question by putting a child in front of the disciples and declaring that childlikeness is the key to greatness. Admittedly, children are intellectually and emotionally immature, but they also have many precious qualities; humility and openness to God are just two of those qualities. We need both of these things to enter the kingdom of heaven. Our text then moves from ‘children’ to ‘little ones’. These little ones are not just children, but the weaker ones in the community of faith; they can be children, teenagers, and even adults. Regardless of age, they are the ones who can easily be lead astray by the bad example of others within the community. Jesus obviously considers leading a little one astray to be a serious offense, hence the millstone around our neck warning. From this warning, we can conclude that the desire of God is that not even one little one be lost. How terrible, then, to be responsible for someone being separated from God; I cannot help but think that this happens quite a lot in our society and, sadly, in our church.

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Pray

Gracious God, helps us to walk both humbly, acknowledging our sins, and responsibly before others, by setting a good example of how a follower of Christ is called to live. Amen.

Go with God!