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

¹ At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom from heaven?"

² Calling a little child forward, he had him stand among them. ³ Then he said, "I tell all of you with certainty, unless you change and become like little children, you will never get into the kingdom from heaven. ⁴ Therefore, whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom from heaven, ⁵ and whoever receives a little child like this in my name receives me."

⁶ "If anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a large millstone were hung around his neck and he were drowned at the bottom of the sea. ⁷ How terrible it will be for the world due to its temptations to sin! Temptations to sin are bound to happen, but how terrible it will be for that person who causes someone to sin! ⁸ "So if your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life injured or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. ⁹ And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell fire.

³³ Then they came to Capernaum. While Jesus was at home, he asked the disciples, "What were you arguing about on the road?" ³⁴ But they kept silent, because they had argued on the road with one another about who was the greatest. ³⁵ So he sat down, called the Twelve, and told them, "If anyone wants to be first, he must be last of all and servant of all." ³⁶ Then he took a little child and had him stand among them. He took him in his arms and told them, ³⁷ "Whoever welcomes a child like this in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me."

⁴⁶ Later, an argument started among the disciples as to which of them might be the greatest. ⁴⁷ But Jesus, knowing their inner thoughts, took a little child and had him stand beside him. ⁴⁸ Then he told them, "Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me, because the one who is least among all of you is the one who is greatest."