The greatest in the kingdom of heaven

 Matthew 18:1-10

He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.

Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come! If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. And if your eye causes you to stumble, gouge 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 the fire of hell.

See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.

This is Matthew's fourth teaching section, on relationships in the new community. God's kingdom operates by totally different standards from the world's. Status-seeking is out. So is the policy of the weakest to the wall. On the contrary, the spiritually weak is the special responsibility of the strong. 

Why?

Jesus teaches us we have to humble ourselves and respect each other, especially the weak one or little one. Help the weak one is the same as helping Jesus Christ. It will be rewarded in heaven.

Woe to the world cause people to stumble, so be careful to do and say anything don't let other stumbles, but good to others.

If we could not make our body away from the sins or stumble, it is better to cut it off. So we have do our best to enter the kingdom of the Lord.

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天國裏誰最大，耶穌教導對象漸漸專注在門徒身上。

人的問題在於喜歡爭排名，開車不想被插入前面，學校中強第一，家中也是在比較，和鄰居比，和弟兄姊妹比。

耶穌的教導是誰回轉像小孩子就是最大，這是指地位，小孩子在當是是不計算在內的，不重要的。神重視這樣的人。自己降卑，自己認為不重要，依附神的人。如何謙卑像小孩子：去服事那弱者，不用競爭的態度來看待。

不重要就算了，還使人跌倒的，罪惡更重了，不要因為我的信仰、行為使人跌倒，神要將他剪除。

17章耶穌可以不用繳這稅，為了避免拌倒別人，所以要彼得去繳聖殿稅。耶穌也謙卑回轉，我們怎能不謙卑。不要為自己爭。

天國裏每個人都一樣大。我們先與人和睦，再使人和睦。

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How?

Be humble and do our best effort to enter the kingdom of the Lord!