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

¹ At that hour his disciples came to Jesus and asked him, "Who is really greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"

² When he had called a little child to him, Jesus set him among them, and answered. ³ "In solemn truth I tell you that unless you turn and become like little children, you will not even enter the kingdom of heaven. ⁴ "Whoever therefore will humble himself like this little child, is greatest in the kingdom of heaven; ⁵ "and whoever receives one such child for my sake, receives me.

⁶ "But whoever shall cause one of these little ones who believe in me to stumble, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung about his neck, and he were drowned in the depths of the sea. ⁷ "Woe unto the world because of such stumbling-blocks! They will surely come, but woe unto each man by whom they come! ⁸ "If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life maimed or crippled, than to keep both hands or both feet and be cast into the everlasting burning. ⁹ "If your eye keeps causing you to stumble, pluck it out and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life with only one eye, than to keep both eyes and be cast into the Gehenna of fire.

³³ Then they came to Capernaum; and when he got into the house he asked them, "What were you discussing on the road?" ³⁴ But they were silent, for on the road they were disputing together which one was greatest. ³⁵ So he sat down and called the Twelve, and said to them, "If any one wishes to be first, he must be last of all, and the servant of all." ³⁶ Then Jesus took a little child, set it among them, and folding it in his arms, he said, ³⁷ "Whoever in my name receives one such little child, receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me, but Him who sent me."

⁴⁶ Now there arose a dispute among them as to which one of them was the greatest. ⁴⁷ And Jesus who knew the dispute that was in their hearts, took a young child, and placed him by his side; ⁴⁸ then he said to them. "Whoever shall receive this little child in my name receives me; and whoever shall receive me receives him that sent me. For it is the lowliest among you all who is great."