Today, I am reading and commenting on  Matthew 18-20.

Twice in today’s passage Jesus teaches about what it takes to be great in the kingdom of heaven.   Each time He expresses it somewhat differently, although both convey a similar message.  The first time He tells us that in order to even enter the kingdom of heaven we must become like children and to become great in the kingdom of heaven we must assume the lowly position of a child.  The second time, Jesus tells us that in order to be great in the kingdom of heaven we must serve others.  In between, Jesus tells us that the last will become first and the first will become last, which ties in with His teaching elsewhere that we should not seek honor for ourselves.

However, I want to focus on what Jesus says after telling us to become like children.  He tells us that it would be better to have a weight tied around our necks and be cast into the sea than to cause children, and those who believe on Him like children, to sin.  Further, He warns not to look down on children, or those with childlike faith, because God places a high value on each and everyone of them.  I believe that this passage has double meaning.  First, Jesus applies this to those who follow Him with a childlike faith, which should be all of us, but I believe there is a warning here for those who interact with children as well.  As I read this this morning I think of what is going on in our schools.  Let us be sure that we are not contributing to the corruption of children, and let us seek to help children avoid such corruption.

I use the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.