Lynne Graham
St. Paul’s, Montrose
Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 18: 4
You gotta love those disciples! “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” they asked Jesus. The question itself is evidence that they had missed the boat. If they were worried about stature in God’s kingdom, they had a hard lesson to learn. In reality, the disciples were not so different from us. Over two thousand years later, we still strive to be the “greatest.” We want the biggest house, the fastest car, the prestigious job, the smartest children, the most money in the bank. None of that matters to Jesus nor in the kingdom of God.
Jesus points to a child as the epitome of what we must be like to enter the kingdom of heaven. Why a child? Because children were as low on the totem pole as one could get in that society; they were unimportant. So to be humble like a child was to be lowly, not proud, not assertive, unpretentious. If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all (Mark 9:35).
The servant of all? So how does this speak to us on a pilgrimage that will be “a time of discernment, planning and decision making about the mission strategy of the diocese?” In what ways can we break down walls through service to others? I believe that our approach must be one of “what can we do together” rather than “what can we do for you.” By humbling ourselves in service, we afford others dignity and respect, and thus become our greatest selves.
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