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

¹ In that hour the disciples came to Jesus, saying, Who is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?

² And he took a little child, and put him in the middle of them, ³ And said, Truly, I say to you, If you do not have a change of heart and become like little children, you will not go into the kingdom of heaven. ⁴ Whoever, then, will make himself as low as this little child, the same is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. ⁵ And whoever gives honour to one such little child in my name, gives honour to me:

⁶ But whoever is a cause of trouble to one of these little ones who have faith in me, it would be better for him to have a great stone fixed to his neck, and to come to his end in the deep sea. ⁷ A curse is on the earth because of trouble! for it is necessary for trouble to come; but unhappy is that man through whom the trouble comes. ⁸ And if your hand or your foot is a cause of trouble, let it be cut off and put it away from you: it is better for you to go into life with the loss of a hand or a foot than, having two hands or two feet, to go into the eternal fire. ⁹ And if your eye is a cause of trouble to you, take it out, and put it away from you: it is better for you to go into life with one eye than, having two eyes, to go into the hell of fire.

³³ And they came to Capernaum: and when he was in the house, he put the question to them, What were you talking about on the way? ³⁴ But they said nothing: because they had had an argument between themselves on the way, about who was the greatest. ³⁵ And seating himself, he made the twelve come to him; and he said to them, If any man has the desire to be first, he will be last of all and servant of all. ³⁶ And he took a little child, and put him in the middle of them; and taking him in his arms, he said to them, ³⁷ Whoever will give honour to one such little child in my name, gives honour to me: and whoever gives honour to me, gives honour not to me, but to him who sent me.

⁴⁶ Now there was a discussion among them about which of them would be the greatest. ⁴⁷ But when Jesus saw the reasoning of their hearts, he took a small child and put him by his side, ⁴⁸ And said to them, Whoever gives honour to this child in my name, gives honour to me: and whoever gives honour to me, gives honour to him who sent me: for whoever is least among you all, that man is great.