Matthew 18:1-9 - The Question About Who Is Greatest

¹ At that hour the disciples came and asked Jesus, "Who is greatest in the Realm of heaven?"

² So he called a child, set it among them, ³ and said, "I tell you truly, unless you turn and become like children, you will never get into the Realm of heaven at all. ⁴ Whoever humbles himself like this child, he is the greatest in the Realm of heaven; ⁵ and whoever receives a little child like this for my sake, receives me.

⁶ But whoever is a hindrance to one of these little ones who believe in me, better for him to have a great mill-stone hung round his neck and be sunk in the deep sea. ⁷ Woe to the world for hindrances! Hindrances have to come, but ??woe to the man by whom the hindrance does come! ⁸ If your hand or your foot is a hindrance to you, cut it off and throw it away; better be maimed or crippled and get into Life, than keep both feet or hands and be thrown into the everlasting fire. ⁹ If your eye is a hindrance to you, tear it out and throw it away; better get into Life with one eye than keep your two eyes and be thrown into the fire of Gehenna.

³³ Then they reached Capharnahum. And when he was indoors he asked them, "What were you arguing about on the road?" ³⁴ They said nothing, for on the road they had been disputing about which of them was the greatest. ³⁵ So he sat down and called the twelve. "If anyone wants to be first," he said to them, "he must be last of all and the servant of all." ³⁶ Then he took a little child, set it among them, and putting his arms round it said to them, ³⁷ "Whoever receives one of these little ones in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives not me but him who sent me."

⁴⁶ A dispute arose among them as to which of them was the greatest. ⁴⁷ Jesus knew the dispute that occupied their minds, so he took hold of a little child and set it by his side; ⁴⁸ then he said to them, "Whoever receives this little child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me. For it is the lowliest of you all who is great."