Luke 9:46-48 An argument arose among them as to which of them was the greatest. But when Jesus perceived the thought of their hearts, he took a child and put him by his side, and said to them, “Whoever receives this child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me; for he who is least among you all is the one who is great.”
How do you measure greatness? What is it that makes you think someone is great? Is it some particular ability? Perhaps greatness is their intelligence, or power, or fame or fortune. I don't know your answer, but I think you can miss who Jesus meant. The term translated child here could mean a young person, but it could also have been anyone from what we might call the underclass. It could have been a homeless man. It might have been the person he just healed of a demon. It doesn't matter all that much because I believe Jesus is saying it is himself who is the greatest. We get a hint in the gospel of John with the foot washing at the last supper. Jesus washes their feet and then speaks of their calling him master and he says so he is, but he came to serve and showed it again in their midst by doing the slaves task. The master is the one who serves, the greatest is the one who serves the underclass, the lowliest in society, the outcast.
Again and again the disciples who saw Jesus ministry first hand, seemed to want power or fame or some other reward for following him, even after he said to them if you want to be my disciples pick up your cross and follow me. They were looking for an advantage for themselves and a better life when Jesus said die to self and you shall live. Often we pick and choose the parts of the gospel that suit our life and our desires and miss this importance of serving the outcast and the underclass. Who in that situation was the greatest, Jesus the Christ. master of all and servant of all.
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