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1 At that time, the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?” 2 He called over a child to stand in the midst of them. 3 He said, “Amen I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. 4 Whoever will humble themselves like this little child, they are the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. 5 Whoever welcomes a child like this in my name, welcomes me. 6 If anyone would shatter the faith of one of these little ones who believes in me, it would have been better for that person had they had a millstone hung around their neck and been thrown into the depth of the sea. 7 Woe to the world because of the things that break people’s faith! There will always be scandals, but woe to the person through whom a scandal comes! 8 If you hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter into life crippled or maimed than to be cast into the eternal fire with both hands and feet. 9 If your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and throw it away. It is better to enter into life one-eyed than to be cast into fiery Gehenna with two eyes. 10 See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I tell you that their angels in heaven are constantly face-to-face with my Father in heaven. [11 For the Son of Man has come to save what has been lost.]

Comments

Mt 18 is traditionally referred to as the Discourse on the Church or the Ecclesiastical Discourse. The disciples, having learned the Jesus is the Messiah in Mt 16, are still hoping for the establishment of a worldly kingdom, despite Jesus’ blunt warnings that he is going to suffer and die (16.21, 17.22-23). To counter this, Jesus teaches them how they are to relate to one another in community. The word he uses is ekklesia, meaning gathering or assembly and traditionally translated as church. When the disciples (perhaps sensitive to the appointment of Peter as leader in 16.13-19 and the preferential treatment given to Peter, James, and John in 17.1-8) ask Jesus who is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven, he presents a child as an example of who is most important. Children were treasured by their families in Jewish culture (cf Ps 127.3-5), but they would not have been seen as leaders or high-status individuals. Jesus tells the disciples that they must become like children and give preferential attention to them in their community (“children” here refers both to literal children and by metaphorical extension to members of the community who are humble and of low status). The worst thing anyone can do in Jesus’ community is to act in a way that shatters the faith of its most vulnerable members. [Verse 11, which corresponds to Lk 19.10, is absent from most manuscripts.]