Daily Bible Study

Tweet

Day 49 Matthew 18:1 Matthew 18:1 At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? 2 And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, 3 And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receives me. 6 But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. 7 Woe unto the world because of offences! For it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence comes! 8 Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire. 9 And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire. 10 Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven. 11 For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost. 12 How think ye? If a man have a hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goes into the mountains, and seeks that which is gone astray? 13 And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoices more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray. 14 Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish. It’s natural for people to want to make something of themselves, so they aren’t living on the bottom rung of society. However, many people in the world seek after greatness, fame, fortune, and everything that lifts them up and sets them above the rest of their fellow man. In so doing, they walk through life thinking they are better than anyone else. Even Jesus’ disciples asked him who was the greatest in the kingdom of heaven and got an answer they weren’t expecting. He told them they were to be as innocent as little children, to humble themselves and be just like them, then only would they be great in the kingdom of heaven. Jesus further went on to tell them that anyone who harmed a child, offending them, and turning them from innocence to the harsh ways of the world, would be cast into hell. There isn’t a person on earth, who when a baby is born, doesn’t feel intense pleasure at the innocence of newborn life. They even want to feel that innocence again in their lives. Because of it, they want to do everything they can to protect that innocence as long as possible. Jesus told his disciples they were to return to that innocent way of life. How does one return to innocence? As Christians, the only way to return to innocence is to accept Jesus as Savior and Lord, to embrace what Jesus taught the people, treating your fellowman the way you want to be treated, not exploiting them for your own gain and pleasure, but seeking the good of everyone around you. The greatest teaching Jesus gave the people is found in the Sermon on the Mount – Matthew 5-7. Every example of how we are to treat people is found in those verses. Matthew 7:12 Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets. (KJV) When you treat people the way you want to be treated, you will be like the innocent child who enjoys life and all it has to offer. You will once again see the beauty around you. You will smell the fragrance of flowers instead of trampling them under foot. You will see nature in all its glory – the little boy who gets down on his stomach and looks at the earth, and the life it displays in the insects and frogs and puts his find in his pockets. You will stop when your little girl tugs on your hand and points out something that truly amazes her and brings her intense pleasure. You will see life through the eyes of a child, and you will remember what it was like a long time ago, before you learned the ways of the world and started climbing the ladder of success. Jesus told his disciples those were the people who would be great in God’s kingdom. Not the people who trampled people into dust to get ahead but put their fellowman first. Remember what it was like to be a child, to be innocent to the ways of life, then go out and treat people with the same unselfish love and desires, and you too will find God’s love shining down on you. Let’s pray: Father, help me remember what it was like to be a child, innocent to the ways of the world, enjoying all you offer, and treating my fellowman with respect and unselfish love. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen. Copyright © 7 June 2018 by Valerie Routhieaux Image courtesy of Pixabay