An argument arose among them about which of them was the greatest.
Parallel Translations
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An argument arose among them about which of them was the greatest.
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Then ther arose a disputacion amonge the: who shuld be the greatest.
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Then there arose a disputation among them, which of them should be the greatest.
Cross-references (13)
Passages linked to Luke 9:46 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Matthew 18:1-5 In that hour the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who then is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?” Jesus called a little child to himself, and set him in the middle of them, and said, “Most certainly I tell you, unless you turn, and become as little children, you will in no way enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. Whoever therefore humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. Whoever receives one such little child in my name receives me,
- Matthew 20:20-22 Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to him with her sons, kneeling and asking a certain thing of him. He said to her, “What do you want?” She said to him, “Command that these, my two sons, may sit, one on your right hand, and one on your left hand, in your Kingdom.” But Jesus answered, “You don’t know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” They said to him, “We are able.”
- Mark 9:33-37 He came to Capernaum, and when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you arguing among yourselves on the way?” But they were silent, for they had disputed with one another on the way about who was the greatest. He sat down, and called the twelve; and he said to them, “If any man wants to be first, he shall be last of all, and servant of all.” He took a little child, and set him in the middle of them. Taking him in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever receives one such little child in my name, receives me, and whoever receives me, doesn’t receive me, but him who sent me.”
- Philippians 2:3 doing nothing through rivalry or through conceit, but in humility, each counting others better than himself;
- 3 John 1:9 I wrote to the assembly, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first among them, doesn’t accept what we say.
- Matthew 23:6-7 and love the place of honor at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues, the salutations in the marketplaces, and to be called ‘Rabbi, Rabbi’ by men.
- Luke 14:7-11 He spoke a parable to those who were invited, when he noticed how they chose the best seats, and said to them, “When you are invited by anyone to a wedding feast, don’t sit in the best seat, since perhaps someone more honorable than you might be invited by him, and he who invited both of you would come and tell you, ‘Make room for this person.’ Then you would begin, with shame, to take the lowest place. But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that when he who invited you comes, he may tell you, ‘Friend, move up higher.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at the table with you. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”
- Luke 22:24-27 A dispute also arose among them, which of them was considered to be greatest. He said to them, “The kings of the nations lord it over them, and those who have authority over them are called ‘benefactors.’ But not so with you. But one who is the greater among you, let him become as the younger, and one who is governing, as one who serves. For who is greater, one who sits at the table, or one who serves? Isn’t it he who sits at the table? But I am among you as one who serves.
- Romans 12:3 For I say through the grace that was given me, to every man who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think reasonably, as God has apportioned to each person a measure of faith.
- Romans 12:10 In love of the brothers be tenderly affectionate to one another; in honor preferring one another;
- Galatians 5:20-21 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, strife, jealousies, outbursts of anger, rivalries, divisions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these; of which I forewarn you, even as I also forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit God’s Kingdom.
- Galatians 5:25-26 If we live by the Spirit, let’s also walk by the Spirit. Let’s not become conceited, provoking one another, and envying one another.
- Philippians 2:14 Do all things without complaining and arguing,
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Explain this verse (23 sources)
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Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain The end of ambition is ignomy; but the end…
The end of ambition is ignomy; but the end of modest obedience is glory.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain 46 Then there arose a reasoning among them, which…
46 Then there arose a reasoning among them, which of them should be greatest.
Ver. 46. See Mat 18:1; Mar 9:34.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain See Poole on "Mat 18:1", and following verses to…
See Poole on "Mat 18:1", and following verses to Mat 18:6. See Poole on "Mar 9:33", and following verses to Mar 9:37. This paragraph showeth what need there was of the preceding discourse, that our Saviour should prepare them with a preinforming them about his suffering, that when they saw it their faith in him as the Messiah might not fail; for they were possessed with the common notion of their country, that the Messiah should deliver them from the temporal pressures which they were under, and exercise a civil or military secular power; this made them think of places of priority and greatness, about which we often find them disputing. Our Lord, to bring them off that false notion of him and his kingdom, taketh a child, and setteth him before them, and saith, Whosoever shall receive this child, &c. What Luke saith must be interpreted by what we had before in Matthew and Mark. This child, that is, one that is as humble as this child, &c.: see the notes before mentioned.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
William Burkitt 1703 · Public Domain It may justly seem a wonder, that when our…
It may justly seem a wonder, that when our blessed Saviour discoursed so frequently with his disciples about his sufferings, that they should at the same time be disputing among themselves about precedency and pre-eminency, which of them should be the greatest, the first in place, and the highest in dignity and honor.
But from this instance we may learn, that the holiest and best of men are too prone to ambition, ready to catch at the bait of honor, to affect a precedency before, and superiority over others. Here the apostles themselves were touched with the itch of ambition; to cure this, our Saviour sets before them a little child, as the proper emblem of humility; showing that they ought to be as free from pride and ambition as a young child, which affects nothing of precedency.
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Such as are of the highest eminency in the church, ought to be singularly adorned with the grace of humility, looking upon themselves as lying under the greatest obligation to be most eminently useful and serviceable to the church’s good.
William Burkitt's Expository Notes on the New Testament (1700–1703) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain And John answered and said, Master,.... The Syriac and…
And John answered and said, Master,.... The Syriac and Persic versions read, "our Master":
we saw one casting out devils in thy name, and we forbad him; See Gill on Mar 9:38.
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Because he followeth not with us; the Syriac, Persic, and Ethiopic versions read, "because he followeth not thee with us"; did not join in company with them, and follow Christ along with them, and as they did.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain And there arose a reasoning among them - This…
And there arose a reasoning among them - This kind of reasoning always arose at the most improper times that could be imagined.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain Verse 46. There arose a reasoning] εισηλθε δε διαλογισμος,…
Verse 46. There arose a reasoning] εισηλθε δε διαλογισμος, A dialogue took place - one inquired, and another answered, and so on. See this subject explained on Mt 18:1, &c.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain Luk 9:46-48. And there arose a reasoning among them…
Luk 9:46-48. And there arose a reasoning among them — According to our version here, this reasoning, or dispute, happened at the time when Jesus rebuked his disciples for it. But, Mar 9:33, we are expressly told, that it happened as they went into Capernaum. The evangelists, however, may be reconciled by translating Luke’s words, εισηλθε δε διαλογισμος εν αυτοις, Now there had arisen a reasoning among them — Namely, as they travelled to Capernaum. This kind of reasoning, it may be observed, always arose at the most improper times that could be imagined; which of them should be greatest — Thus they clearly manifested their ambitious views, and their carnal, worldly spirit; and how entirely they misunderstood the nature of Christ’s kingdom, which is not of this world; and Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart — For he perfectly knew all that passed within them; took a child and said unto them — If you would be truly great, humble yourselves to the meanest offices: he that is least in his own eyes shall be great indeed. For a full explanation of this occurrence, and of our Lord’s improvement of it, and lessons taught his disciples on the occasion, see the notes on Mat 18:1-6; and Mar 9:33-40, where the two next verses also are explained.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain See the notes at Mat 18:1-5. Compare Mar 9:33-38.
See the notes at Mat 18:1-5. Compare Mar 9:33-38.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain And there entered a thought, &c. It is improbable…
And there entered a thought, &c. It is improbable that all the disciples had fallen into this fault: but the evangelist, that he might not point out any in particular as guilty of it, says indiscriminately, that this thought had entered among them. (St. Cyril in St. Thomas Aquinas)
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain STRIFE AMONG THE TWELVE WHO SHOULD BE GREATEST--JOHN REBUKED…
STRIFE AMONG THE TWELVE WHO SHOULD BE GREATEST--JOHN REBUKED FOR EXCLUSIVENESS. (Luk 9:46-48)
(See on Mat 18:1-5).
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain § 79.—THE DISCIPLES CONTEND WHO SHOULD BE GREATEST, Luk_9:46-50.
§ 79.—THE DISCIPLES CONTEND WHO SHOULD BE GREATEST, Luk_9:46-50.
Mat_18:1-35; Mar_9:33-50. See notes on parallel sections.
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We have now (Luk_9:51) arrived at an extended passage, (including Luk_9:51 to Luk_18:15,) which may be called THE GREAT LUKEAN SECTION; comprising Luke’s largest independent contribution to Gospel history. Commentators have generally looked upon this entire section as simply a miscellaneous collection of narratives and discourses, put in this place because the evangelist knew no better time and locality to assign them. Our Historical Synopsis (vol. i, pp. 9-16) is constructed according to the Harmony of Newcome, and we prefer to allow it to remain. But we incline to prefer, so far as this part of the Gospels is concerned, the later plan of Wieseler, by which the whole is brought into a beautiful harmony, especially with John, and a more spirited narrative life is infused into the entire passage.
There are in this section three notices of Jesus’s travels, (namely, Luk_9:51; Luk_13:22; Luk_17:11,) which divide the passage into three parts. Supposing the first to correspond with the going to the FEAST OF TABERNACLES, (Joh_7:14,) the second to the going, after the Feast of Dedication, from Perea to Bethany, to raise Lazarus, and thence to his retirement to Ephraim; and the third to his departing from Ephraim westward to the Jordan, to join the caravans, on their way TO HIS LAST PASSOVER at Jerusalem, and we shall have a beautiful harmony which will be verified by the details. These three points divide this whole Lukean section into three parts: first, the period before arriving at the Feast of Tabernacles, (Luk_9:51 to Luk_10:16;) second, the interval between the Feast of Tabernacles and the Feast of Dedication, (Luk_10:17 to Luk_13:21;) third, the interval between the Feast of Dedication and the Lord’s Last Passover. Hence we have the following:
HARMONY.
Before the Feast of Tabernacles
Jesus having been for some time driven from Judea into Galilee, Joh_7:1.
being advised by his brothers to go to the Feast of Tabernacles, Joh_7:2-9.
leaves Galilee for the last time Mat_19:1.
and sets his face towards Jerusalem Luk_9:51.
Having secretly sent messengers to pioneer his way through Samaria Luk_9:52-56.
after rejecting some unsuitable candidates Luk_9:57-62.
he selects and sends forth the SEVENTY Luk_10:1-16.
and arrives at Jerusalem in the midst of THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES, Joh_7:14.
Between the Feast of Tabernacle and the Feast of Dedication
Debates and discourses ensue at the Feast of Tabernacles Joh_7:15 to Joh_10:21.
On leaving he receives the return of the Seventy Luk_10:17-24.
and prosecutes a ministry in Judea Luk_10:25 to Luk_13:21.
Again he is in Jerusalem at THE FEAST OF DEDICATION; Joh_10:22-38.
Between the Feast of Dedication and the Last of Passover
but, driven by persecution, takes refuge in Peraea; Joh_10:39-42.
whence, returning towards Jerusalem, Luk_13:22.
he lingers, preaches, and travels three days, Luk_13:23 to Luk_17:10.
and arriving at Bethany, raises Lazarus Joh_11:1-53.
and retires to Ephraim for refuge Joh_11:54.
Thence travelling on the border land of Samaria and Galilee towards the Jordan, in order to join the Passover caravans for Jerusalem, Luk_17:11.
teaching and working miracles he comes to Jericho, Luk_17:12 to Luk_18:35.
on his way to his last PASSOVER at Jerusalem.
We affirm not this Harmony to be (what no Harmony over yet constructed is) demonstrably a programme of the true order of facts; but it incurs, perhaps, no more difficulties, and produces far happier adjustments, than any we have as yet examined.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 46. a reasoning Rather, a dispute.
46. a reasoning Rather, a dispute.
which of them should be greatest] Their jealous ambition had been kindled partly by false Messianic hopes, partly perhaps by the recent distinction bestowed on Peter, James, and John. Observe how little Christ’s words to Peter had been understood to confer on him any special preeminence! This unseemly dispute was again stirred up at the Last Supper, Luk_22:24-26._
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain (46) Then there arose a reasoning among them.—Better, a…
(46) Then there arose a reasoning among them.—Better, a dispute, or questioning. See Notes on Mat_18:1-5, and Mar_9:33-41.
Which of them should be greatest.—Better, which of them was the greatest.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain Vers. 46-48. How the Lord answered the question which…
Vers. 46-48. How the Lord answered the question which arose among the disciples as to which was the greatest.
Vers. 46, 47. Then there arose a reasoning among them, which of them should be greatest. And Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart. Somewhere on their journey back to the south, between the neighbourhood of Caesarea Philippi and the old scene of his labours, Capernaum, this dispute must have taken place. Shortly after their arrival at Capernaum, the Master called them together, and gave them the following lesson on human greatness. Took a child, and set him by him. St. Mark mentions that this teaching was "in the house," and commentators have suggested, with some probability, that the house was St. Peter"s, and the child one of his. Clement of Alexandria ("Stromata," 3:448, B) especially mentions that this apostle had children. St. Matthew relates this incident at greater length, and, still dwelling upon the text of the little one," gives us another and different sketch of the Masters teaching on this occasion. St. Mark tells us how Jesus folded his arms round the little creature in loving fondness. If the child, as above suggested, was Peter"s own, such an incident as that embrace would never have been forgotten by the father, and would, of course, find a place in the memoir of his faithful disciple Mark. A (late) tradition of the Eastern Church identifies this child with him who afterwards became the famous Ignatius, Bishop of Antioch, a martyr. Ignatius styled himself Theophoros; this, understood in a passive sense, would signify "one who had been carried by God." But in this Father"s own writings we find the name used by himself in an active sense, as "one who carries God within himself." And Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, took a child. The dispute "which of them should be greatest," which no doubt had taken place among themselves in their last journey from the north of the Holy Land to Capernaum, was still a leading thought in the hearts of the twelve, so little had they really understood their Master"s teaching, and especially his later solemn words which pointed the way of the cross as the only way to heaven and to real greatness. The Lord reads these poor sinful hearts; then, calling them together, he takes a child in his arms, and sets him by him. By this action the Lord answers the silent questioning thought of the worldly twelve. "The child stands as the type of the humble and childlike disciple, and (the dispute having been about the comparative greatness of the disciples) such a disciple is the greatest; he is so honoured by God that he stands on earth as the representative of Christ, and of God himself (ver. 47), since "he that is willingly least among you all, the same shall be truly great" (ver. 48)" (Meyer).
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Vers. 46-50. Humility and charity.
Were these apostles sinners above all ecclesiastics because of this reasoning which arose among them? Were their controversies about precedence one whir more foolish and unseemly than the controversies with which the air of councils and courts is laden, and by which passions are often enkindled to fever heat? Alas! is it not the earthenness of the vessel in which the heavenly treasure is deposited which is made manifest in the strife, "Who shall be greatest"? Jesus" action is a symbol to be read, marked, learned, and inwardly digested by all. "He took a little child, and set him by his side," as if to say, "See, there is the greatness of the kingdom of heaven;" nay, as may be gathered from St. Matthew, as if to say more strongly still, "There is no other greatness recognized in the heavenly kingdom than that of character. Except you are fashioned according to the character delineated in childhood, you cannot even enter the kingdom." Reflect on the import of this saying, this symbol. Does it seem strange that (Mat_18:4) Christ should distinguish humility as the characteristic of the child? But is not the essence of humility unconsciousness of self? And is not this unconsciousness the trait conspicuous in a truly childlike child? The little one has a will, a temper, but there is not much of the feeling of self. Watch the caresses and endearments; they are less love seeking to be loved, than love merely loving, absorbed in loving. Observe the play; the costly toy is seldom the most prized; the pleasure found in toy or romp is the outgoing of self. Nature is spontaneous, free. Therein, says Jesus, we have a revelation of heaven, a sign of the real greatness. The image likest God, the fact, in this universe, nearest God, with most in it of the stamp of the high and holy One, is the little child whom Christ has called. The everlasting love humbles itself as the little child. It loves, it is absorbed in loving. The Incarnation only makes us see what is hidden in the very being of God self-emptying, making self of no reputation. The King of kings is the Servant of servants. He is among us the one that serveth. "Be ye therefore imitators of God as the children of his love." For it is pride that stands between us and the true greatness. We are great only in the measure in which we lose ourselves, in which we find our life, in a cause or truth which is higher than ourselves. The world has three chief patterns of greatness. Culture the development, through science and art, of a certain inward sweetness and light. Power the ability to use men as pawns on a chess-board, to project far and near the image of self. Luxury imbedding the years in the voluptuous comfort which money commands.
That which is common to all these forms, from the most gross to the most refined, is that the supreme reference of the mind is to having rather than being, getting rather than giving, being served rather than serving. Christ"s idea is in sharp antagonism to this. To be of use, to be free from that self-love which is always akin to self-idolatry, to be men in understanding but children in heart and spirit, this is the mark which he presents when, in answer to the reasoning in the heart, he says, pointing to the child," He that is least among you all, the same shall be great." A sentence ever to be pondered, implying (Mat_18:3) that the soul has been turned to the right law of its being. "He restoreth my soul." With this lesson of humility there is joined at this time a lesson of charity and forbearance. How this lesson was occasioned is explained in ver. 49. The expression used by the Lord, "in my Name," seems to have suggested to John an incident, perhaps the circumstance which somehow gave rise to the reasoning, "Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy Name, and we forbade him, because he followeth not with us." Interdict honestly enough meant! But one wholly foreign to the law of the spirit of Christ"s life. His greatness is that he is not confined to any circle; his gospel is "the presence of a good diffused." There is a virtue in even the hem of his garment. The communion of God with men is always wider than the communion of men with God. He is in contact with minds which do not even consciously surrender to him. Beware of identifying the bestowment of spiritual grace with the acknowledgments of belief according to any set of words, or with adherence to any particular company of believers. "The Spirit divideth to every man severally as he wills." It is not for any to forbid another "because he followeth not with us." No; in the next chapter we shall find Christ protesting, "He that is not with me is against me." That is the one side of his mind. But it is balanced by the other (ver. 50), "He that is not against us is for us." The two sentences are not mutually contradictory. The one establishes that there is no middle course between Christ and Satan; that those who will not join Christ in his warfare against Satan must, directly or indirectly, aid Satan against Christ. In the other it is shown that the man whom John and his brethren forbade was really with Christ in his warfare, and had received from him the faith which was mighty against the kingdom of darkness. The miracle in Christ"s Name was the proof that he was really on Christ"s side, gathering with him. "Try the spirits," such is practically the rejoinder of Jesus; "do not forbid simply because one has not complied with what you consider necessary or right; look at the character of the deed, at the motive present to him; if that bear the mark of my Name, account him with me, although he follows not with you." John would have been justified in going to the man who cast out devils, and expounding the way of God more perfectly to him; he was not justified in prohibiting. Most difficult of graces is the grace of charity; charity as distinguished from the toleration which is the outcome of a mind that has no positive conviction of its own, and regards all views as alike to it; charity which has its hand firm in definite truth, but recognizes that Christ, not any man or any system, is the Truth; "Thou, O Lord, art more than they; "and because of this reverence, this feeling of the infiniteness of truth, allows for many forms of apprehension, welcoming the Name of the Lord, howsoever it is revealed in character and life, and, when there cannot be fellowship, sorrowing rather than denouncing. Humility and charity God has joined together. They are the two inseparable features of the childlike character. Where humility reigns, there is always the desire to be fair, to acknowledge the excellences even of doctrines and opinions to which the mind is opposed; most of all, of persons from whom it may differ. "0 Lord, who hast taught us that all our doings without charity are nothing worth; send thy Holy Ghost, and pour into our hearts that most excellent gift of charity, the very bond of peace and of all virtues, without which whosoever liveth is counted dead before thee.
Vers. 46-48. The Church and the child.
The scene is well worthy the genius of the artist: the disciples together, but still at variance with one another, with cold or averted look; the Master with a little child in his arms, (Mar_9:36) either turning a reproachful glance on his, disciples, or a look of tenderness upon that little one; the child himself with a trustful but wondering expression in his countenance. The scene is suggestive of the thought What"s the child to the Church ? (For homily on the contention between the apostles, see Luk_22:24) We may consider
I WHAT THE CHILD WAS TO THE DISCIPLES. The answer to this question is not much. They were devout and worthy men; but they were Jews, and they shared the mental habits of their countrymen. To them the little child was of small account one to be kept carefully out of sight; one to be taken charge of by parent or teacher, but superfluous in society; one too many when a great man was present, when a great prophet was speaking, or a great healer was healing. This we know from their conduct on a memorable occasion. (Luk_18:15)
II WHAT THE CHILD IS TO THE CHURCH. The poor, our Lord said, we have "always with us." So is it with the children. Whoever are absent, they are present; whoever fail, they abound. The child is in the midst of us, and we have to decide what he shall be to us. Taught by our Lord"s teaching, led by his example, imbued with his Spirit, we have to take up a very different attitude from that of the disciples. The Christian Church no longer regards the child as one that has to be carefully kept out of the way lest he should be troublesome. It welcomes him cordially; like its Master, it takes him into the embrace of its affection and its care.
1. It regards the children as the Church of the future. It remembers that "death and change are busy ever," that the fathers and mothers are passing on and away, and that others will soon be needed to take their place. When a few more years have come, the place which knows us now will know us no more; who then, but the children about our feet, will bear the flag we bear, will speak the truth we speak, will do the work we do?
2. It regards the children as a present valuable heritage. For the little child
(1) can be a recipient of Divine truth, and not only can he be this, but his natural open-mindedness and trustfulness make him a peculiarly apt learner in Christ"s great school;
(2) can be a true follower of the Divine Master to him also Jesus says, "Follow me," and not only can he "rise and follow" him, but his disposition to trust and love and obey makes him to be a close and a very acceptable follower of his Lord;
(3) can illustrate in his own way the excellences of the Christian life, by the exhibition of those virtues and graces which most become childhood and youth. The Church of Christ should find in the little child its most interesting and its most valuable disciple. And this a great deal the more because of
III WHAT THE CHILD IS TO THE SAVIOUR HIMSELF. This is very much indeed. For Christ knows, as we do not, all the possibilities of the little child the height to which he may rise, or the depth to which he may sink; the good he may live to do, or the evil he may live to work; the blessedness to which he may attain, or the shame and woe which may be his end. He is more deeply interested in the young than we are, and however earnest and eloquent our voice of invitation or of warning may be, more earnest far is the voice of the Lord himself, as he says, "Come unto me, take my yoke upon you,... my yoke is easy, my burden is light. C.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Biblical Illustrator 1887 · Public Domain Which of them should be greatest
Luk_9:46-48
Which of them should be greatest
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The greatest in the kingdom of heaven
I.
Who ARE NOT the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?
1. The lofty in birth and the rich in possession have no claim, on such grounds, for this distinction.
2. Nor the loftiest in intellect.
3. Nor yet the man who--
(1) works the most;
(2) suffers the most;
(3) gives the most--in the service of God.
II. Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?
1. The humble man.
2. He who is the most docile.
3. He who is most unworldly.
4. He who is most loving in spirit.
5. He who cherishes a forgiving spirit. (T. W. Aveling.)
Unhappiness of striving to be great
Some time since, says Dr. Payson, in a letter to a young clergyman, I took up a little work purporting to be the lives of sundry characters as related by themselves. Two of those characters agreed in remarking that they were never happy until they ceased striving to be great men.
A child
How children are emblematic of conversion
Let us consider how little children furnish an apt emblem of conversion, or rather, of those who are being converted.
1. More particularly, and in reference to those qualifications in which the disciples now showed that they were very deficient, and yet of which we must all be possessed, if we are to be saved--little children are comparatively humble. Whatever seeds of evil may lurk in their minds, it is almost impossible that they should imagine themselves equal to those who are grown up. They are almost unavoidably sensible of their inferiority and dependence. And this is the state of mind towards God, to which we, as sinners, must be brought. Let us not think more highly of ourselves than we ought to think; but let us think soberly. Let us not imagine that we are rich and increased in goods, and have need of nothing; but let us feel and confess that we are wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.
2. Intimately connected with this disposition of humility is a disposition of teachableness; and of this, too, children are, in a considerable degree, possessed. Aware that their parents and teachers surpass them in knowledge, they look to them that they may learn of them; and they are at first very much disposed to believe and receive, without gainsaying and without doubt, whatever they tell them. In this, too, we mark an essential feature in the character of true converts in relation to God.
3. Once more, here, children are comparatively free from worldliness and ambition. This world does not yet obviously appear to be their idol. They do not form plans or labour for the riches and the honours of public life. They readily associate with their inferiors, and do not aim at surpassing competitors for exalted stations. (J. Foote.)
True greatness
Apparently this was the first occasion on which the spirit of rivalry manifested itself among the disciples of our Lord. Followed close upon a scene which might well raise their hopes of personal distinction. Three of their number had just been witnesses of the Transfiguration; they had seen their Divine Master in that dazzling vesture of glory which betokened His coming accession. And it is conceivable that the special favour conferred upon the three who were admitted to that wonderful vision set all thinking. Then, too, it has been suggested that our Lords own promises to His disciples may have served to stir ambitious longings in their hearts.
1. Our Lord rebuked the first exhibition of the competitive spirit among His followers by taking a child and pointing to him as the true pattern of the essential grace of the gospel. The greatest is the humblest.
2. This ideal appeals to the best instincts of the human heart. (Canon Duckworth.)
Children and childhood
It is very good to me, in reading the Bible, to notice how much of the interest and hope of the world is made to depend upon the children that are unborn when the hope springs up. The hope of humanity rests in the children. When the Spartans replied to the king who demanded fifty of their children as hostages, We would prefer to give you a hundred of our most distinguished men, it was only an expression of the everlasting value of the child to any commonwealth and to every age. The great hope is always in the new birth. This the deepest reason for the unspeakable loyalty and reverence for children that so constantly filled the heart and life of Christ.
1. If it be true, then, that the hope of the world lies in the cradle, in what relation do we, who are now responsible for this new life, stand to it?
2. If we are wise and faithful to our trust there is in each child the making of a man or a woman who shall be a blessing and be blessed.
3. What is it, then, to receive a child in the name of Christ? This question would need no answer had there not been so many mistakes made about this simple, natural, and beautiful truth.
(1) Have faith in the Son of Man in the child. Guide and govern with best wisdom and love the life that is of the earth, earthy.
(2) Guard and reverence the Son of God in the child--the life that is from above. (R. Collyer.)
Christianity and childhood
Greek art gives us no children. Nay, it is equally true, though perhaps not so surprising, that up to the thirteenth century there were no Gothic children either. It was only when art was touched by Christianity, and when the Madonna and Child became the light of every honest heart and the joy of every pure soul, that pictures of children were possible. The tradition of the Beautiful Child lasted long. Then came a dark period in which children were ground to death by our millwheels, and the wealthy patrons of art could not conceive of the children of the poor except in vice and misery; and it is only now that you are beginning to restore the quiet earth to the steps of children. (Ruskin.)
Unobtrusiveness of the truly great
Travellers tell us that the forests of South America are full of the gem-like humming-bird, yet you may sometimes ride for hours without seeing one. They are most difficult to see when perched among the branches, and almost indistinguishable flying among the flowering trees; it is only every now and then that some accidental circumstance reveals the swarm of bejewelled creatures, and they flash upon the vision in white, red, green, blue, and purple. It is somewhat thus with society--the noblest, the most beautiful characters are not the obtrusive ones. Going through life carelessly, one might think all the people common enough; reading the newspapers, one might suppose the world to contain only bad men; but it may comfort us to remember the truly great and good shun observation and walk humbly with God. (W. L. Watkinson.)
The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
B. W. Johnson 1891 · Public Domain 46–50. Which of them should be greatest. See notes…
46–50. Which of them should be greatest. See notes on Matt. 18:1–6 and Mark 9:33–50. For notes on the question of John and the Lord's answer, see Mark as above.
B. W. Johnson's The People's New Testament with Notes (1889–1891) — public domain. Electronic text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) ThML edition.
The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary 1892 · Public Domain Luk_9:46. A reasoning.—Rather, “a dispute.”
CRITICAL NOTES
Luk_9:46. A reasoning.—Rather, “a dispute.”
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Luk_9:47. Perceiving the thought of their heart.—The word “thought “is the same as that in Luk_9:46, translated “reasoning.” We are naturally led to understand that the disputation was not carried on or fully spoken out in the presence of Jesus. A child—Rather,” a little child” (R.V.).
Luk_9:48.—Meyer explains the idea of the passage as follows: This child, the child whom Jesus sets before His followers, stands as a type of the humble and childlike disciple; and (the dispute having been about the comparative greatness of the disciples) such a disciple is the greatest: he is so honoured by God that he stands on earth as the representative of Christ, and of God Himself, since “he that is [willingly] least among you all, the same shall be [truly] great.”
Luk_9:49. In Thy name.—The words “in My name” (Luk_9:48) evidently suggested to John what he and others of the disciples had seen being done in the name of Christ. He was shocked at seeing one who was not of their company doing work which was not always possible for them to do (Luk_9:40).
Luk_9:50. Against us is for us.—A better reading is, “against you is for you” (R.V.). The meaning of the two is, however, virtually the same: “us” includes both Christ and His people. Another, and at first sight a contradictory maxim is found in Mat_12:30 : “He who is not with Me is against Me.” The whole section (Luk_9:51 to Luk_18:28) is the record of our Lord’s last journey from Galilee to Jerusalem; and most of the incidents related in it are peculiar to St. Luke. It was evidently not a direct journey, but a “slow, solemn, and public progress,” covering a period of some months. In Joh_10:22 we find our Lord in Jerusalem at the feast of the Dedication (about the end of December). After that feast He retired to Bethany beyond Jordan: from this retreat He came to Bethany near Jerusalem to raise Lazarus from the dead: then He again retired to Ephraim, and six days before the Passover He returned to Jerusalem for the last time.
MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.—Luk_9:46-50
Humility commended; Jealousy reproved.—In very different frames of mind did Jesus and the twelve apostles return from the Mount of Transfiguration to Capernaum. His thoughts were fixed upon the cross, theirs upon places of honour in the kingdom which they believed He was about to establish on earth. This difference came out in their respective utterances. Jesus spoke for the second time about His coming sufferings, while the disciples disputed among themselves which of them should be the greatest. This dispute is a humiliating revelation of the mood in which the disciples of Jesus were, and showed how far they were from obeying the command so lately heard by three of them on the holy mount—“Hear ye Him.” The cross of which He spoke they thought not of; or, rather, they banished it from their thoughts, and fixed their attention upon the honours and rewards which could scarcely fail to be theirs when their Master had set up His kingdom. It was therefore most needful for Jesus to banish this spirit of selfish ambition from the minds of His disciples, if they were to co-operate with Him as ministers of the kingdom of God.
I. The lesson of humility.—He chose a little child, and presented him to the disciples as a type of the feeble, the ignorant, and the poor, whom they were in danger of slighting and driving away by assuming airs of superiority, and also as a type of the humble in spirit. It is of the very nature of ambition to render him who cherishes it harsh and contemptuous towards others, especially towards those who are too weak and insignificant to be rivals. And hence, in order to be kind and gracious and loving in their relations with those to whom they ministered, the disciples needed to cast out from their minds the selfish schemes they were forming to secure their own advancement and high places in the kingdom. It is significant that Christ does not put an end to all strife by saying that there would not be difference of rank in that kingdom—that in it all would be equal. On the contrary, He distinctly says that there are grades of distinction there as well as in the kingdoms of the world; and He enunciates the principle according to which promotion would be given. “He that is least among you all, the same shall be great.” This child in its unpretentiousness, and simple trust and love, represents the type of character He would have them to imitate; and he who came nearest to it would become worthy of high rank in the kingdom of heaven.
II. Jealousy reproved.—The consciences of the disciples seem to have been touched by the reproof of Christ. It recalled to the memory of some of them the attitude they had recently taken up in dealing with one who was a believer in Christ, but who, for some reason or other, had kept aloof from their company. So far from “receiving” him and approving the good work he was doing in Christ’s name, they had forbidden him to proceed further in it. They tell what they had done, apparently with an uneasy feeling that their action would not meet with their Master’s approval. Perhaps the man whom they had interdicted was after all “a little one” whom they should have taken to their hearts, and not an enemy to be silenced. The same self-seeking spirit that had led them to dispute among themselves as to who should be greatest, had led them to resent any apparent encroachment upon their prerogatives as accredited ministers of Christ. The lesser fact that the exorcist followed not them over-shadowed the greater fact that he was a follower of their Lord. The reply of Christ, in which He claims as allies those who in faith in Him do good work, and in which He passes no censure upon those who are unattached to the visible Church, contains a lesson which His followers in all ages have been very slow to learn. Had it been learned, there would not have been the many exhibitions of bigotry and uncharitableness which have marred the history of the Church and diminished its power for doing good in the world. All would have been approved, encouraged, and helped who in the name of Christ strove against evil, and proved the genuineness of their attachment to Him by the success of their work. As it is, it is a defect of every organised form of Christianity that those connected with it look on all who are outside it with a certain measure of suspicion and jealousy and ill-will.
SUGGESTIVE COMMENTS ON Luk_9:46-62
Luk_9:46-62. Lessons to the Twelve.
I. Humility (Luk_9:46-48).
II. Tolerance (Luk_9:49-50).
III. Mercy (Luk_9:51-56).
IV. Self-sacrifice (Luk_9:57-62).—W. Taylor.
The Disposition which Christ Approves.—The aim of this whole section is to show the mind which our Lord desires to see in His disciples.
I. Childlike humility.
II. Gentle love.
III. Resolute self-devotion.
Luk_9:46-56. How Christ rebuked Pride.
I. Pride is a common sin.
II. It takes various forms.—
1. Pride of place (Luk_9:46-48).
2. Pride of party (Luk_9:49-50).
3. Offended pride (Luk_9:51-56).—W. Taylor.
Three Faults rebuked.—Three wrong dispositions rebuked:
(1) ambition to be greatest;
(2) intolerance, in forbidding even exorcism;
(3) vindictiveness, in proposing to avenge an insult by calling down fire from heaven.
Luk_9:46-50. Exclusiveness and Bigotry.—The same spirit of pride that led the apostles to vie with each other as to who should be greatest prompted them to manifest exclusiveness and bigotry in forbidding exorcism in the name of Christ because the exorcist did not belong to their circle.
Luk_9:46. “Which should be the greatest.”—The disciples were guilty of a double fault:
1. They were inclined to dispute about the rewards of victory before they had accomplished their warfare.
2. They were animated by selfish ambition and jealousy.
The Crown and the Cross.—The Saviour’s repeated predictions of His sufferings had not sunk into the minds of His disciples: they were thinking of the crown, while their Master’s eye was fixed upon the cross.
Luk_9:47. “Set him by Him.”—They knew that the greatest in the kingdom of heaven is he who is nearest to Christ; but they asked which of them had the best claim to the place. Probably the rest of the apostles envied those who had been with Christ upon the mount, and this was the origin of their strife.
Luk_9:48. “This child.”—The central point of comparison is the child’s humility. This humility
(1) frees the child’s understanding from vain imaginations,
(2) the child’s heart from rivalry, and
(3) the child’s will from stubbornness.—Van Oosterzee.
Luk_9:49. “We forbad him.”—Cf. the jealousy of Joshua against Eldad and Medad, and the noble answer of Moses (Num_11:27-29).
Luk_9:50. “Forbid him not.”—
1. A reproof for the past.
2. A direction for the future.
“He that is not,” etc.—When, in applied morals, we sit in judgment on ourselves, we should in ordinary circumstances apply the law stringently, “He who is not with Christ is against Him.” But when we are sitting in judgment on others, into whose hearts we cannot look directly, we should in ordinary circumstances apply the law generously, “He who is not against Christ is with Him.”—Morison.
Two Complementary Sayings.—In Mat_12:30 we have a saying which is at first contradictory to this: “He who is not with Me is against Me.” Yet both are true. In the contest between good and evil neutrality is as bad as enmity, so that those not for Christ are against Him; yet we can recognise all as on our side who are striving against evil, even if they are not using our methods or formally taking their place beside us. While the apostles were taught this lesson in toleration, the man receives only negative praise. There are always earnest Christian labourers who decline to be orderly in their methods. Their irregularity calls for toleration, not approval.
Inward Unity and Outward Conformity.—The saying in Matthew refers more to inward unity with Christ: this one to outward conformity with His people. The former may exist independently of the latter, and its existence unites real Christians, whatever their name and outward differences.
Lessons taught by the incident.
I. Beware of hasty conclusions concerning men’s spiritual state based on merely external indications.
II. “Forbid him not” reminds us of the sorrowful fact that too often in the history of the Church it has been the spirit of the twelve rather than that of their Master which has predominated.
III. Outward union among Christians may be impracticable, yet the duty remains of recognising from the heart all who truly love Christ, whatever Church they may be in; they should be dearer to us than those in our own Church who may be in spirit and life not with Christ, but against Him.
A Lesson of Mercy.—This text teaches us a lesson of mercy. It guides our estimate of others. It says: “Do not make a man an offender for a word; do not let your sympathies be narrowed to the circle of those who express the same convictions in the same phrases, or seek the same end by the same precise means, as yourself. Be prepared to believe and act upon the belief that God is not limited to one field of action or to one kind of character, but can aid and bless the work, and will eventually accept the person of all those who love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity, and who avail themselves of His help in combating evil within and around them.”—Vaughan.
The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary (gen. ed. Joseph S. Exell; Funk & Wagnalls, c. 1892) — public domain (pre-1929). A full-Bible homiletical/sermon-outline anthology covering 65 of 66 books (2 John is absent from the source module). Text from a community e-Sword module.
William B. Godbey 1900 · Public Domain Mat 18:1; Mar 9:33-35; Luk 9:46-47. Mark: “And being…
APOSTOLICAL AMBITION
Mat 18:1; Mar 9:33-35; Luk 9:46-47. Mark: “And being in the house, He asked them, What were you disputing about with one another on the road? And they were silent; for on the road they had been disputing with one another which one should be greater. And He, sitting down, called the Twelve, and says to them, If any one wishes to be first, he shall be last of all, and the servant of all.” We see here the outcropping of ambition among the apostles, each one wanting the pre-eminence in the gospel kingdom; thus most unequivocally illustrating their need of the fiery baptism, to consume all their ambition, and humiliate them, meek and lowly, at the feet of Jesus, in utter and eternal abandonment to God, to be taught by the Holy Ghost. This is demonstrative proof of the second work of grace in the Divine economy, as no one would dare to call in question the conversion of the apostles. They had already, pursuant to our Savior’s commission, gone all over that country, preaching the gospel, casting out demons, and healing the sick. Jesus never sent out sinners to preach. He does not yoke up the devil’s cattle to pull the salvation wagon, but always uses His own. Jesus very pertinently notifies them that, in His kingdom, the one highest in office is least of all — i.e., deepest down in the valley of humiliation — and servant of all, as his official administrations include all, actually making him the benefactor of all his subordinates. While this is not always true in ecclesiastical officers, it is invariably the matter of fact in the kingdom of God; as in the Divine estimation, going down is coming up, and the enlargement of our field of labor simply magnifies our servitude to all included in these augmented dominions.
William B. Godbey, Commentary on the New Testament (1896–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
J. W. McGarvey 1914 · Public Domain J. W. McGarvey's The Fourfold Gospel [LXXIII. False Ambition].
J. W. McGarvey's The Fourfold Gospel [LXXIII. False Ambition].
LXXIII. FALSE AMBITION VERSUS CHILDLIKENESS. (Capernaum, Autumn, A. D. 29.) aMATT. XVIII. 1-14; bMARK IX. 33-50; cLUKE IX. 46-50.
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c46 And there arose a reasoning among them, which of them was the greatest. b33 And he came to Capernaum: c47 But when Jesus saw the reasoning of their heart, band when he was in the house [probably Simon Peter's house] he asked them, What were ye reasoning on the way? 34 But they held their peace: for they had disputed one with another on the way, who i was the greatest. [The Lord with his disciples was now on his way back to Galilee from Cæsarea Philippi, where, some ten days before, he had promised the keys of the kingdom to Peter, and where he had honored Peter and the sons of Zebedee by a mysterious withdrawal into the mount. These facts, therefore, no doubt started the dispute as to which should hold the highest office in the kingdom. The fires of envy thus set burning were not easily quenched. We find them bursting forth again from time to time down to the very verge of Christ's exit from the world-- Mat_20:20-24, Luk_22:24.] 35 And he sat down, and called the twelve, and he said unto them, If any man would be first, he shall be last of all, and servant of all. [The spirit which proudly seeks to be first in place thereby consents to make itself last in character, for it reverses the graces of the soul, turning love into envy, humility into pride, generosity into selfishness, etc.] a1 In that hour came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven? [Not comprehending our Lord's answer and wishing to have him definitely point out the honored person, they now come asking this question. Had Jesus wished to teach the primacy of Peter, no better opportunity [430] could have been found.] 2 And he called to him a little child b36 And he took a child, cand set him by his side, band set him in the midst of them: and taking him in his arms, he said unto them, aVerily I say unto you, Except ye turn, and become as little children, ye shall in no wise 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. [Jesus told them plainly that they must turn from their sin of personal ambition or they could not be his disciples--part of his kingdom--and he pointed them to a little child as the model in this particular, because the humble spirit in which the child looks up to its parents stood out in sharp contrast with their self-seeking, self-exalting ambition.] 5 And b37 Whosoever shall receive one of such little children cthis little child in my name, receiveth me: and whosoever shall receive breceiveth me, receiveth not me, but creceiveth him that sent me: for he that is least among you all, the same is great. [Greatness does not consist in place. Disciples who receive those of a childlike spirit and disposition that they may thereby honor the name of Christ are honored of Christ as the greatest. The words "in my name" probably suggested to John the incident which follows.] 49 And John answered and said, Master, bTeacher, we saw one casting out demons in thy name; and we forbade him, cbecause he followeth bfollowed cnot with us. [Was not one of our immediate company. This man's actions had excited the jealousy of John. Jealousy as to official prerogative is very common. His zeal for Jesus reminds us of the friends of Moses ( Num_11:27-29). But Jesus shows that one who knows enough of him to use his power is not apt to dishonor him.] 50 But Jesus said unto him, bForbid him not: for there is no man who shall do a mighty work in my name, and be able quickly to speak evil of me. 40 For he that is not against us is for us. cfor he that is not against [431] you is for you. [The converse of this statement is found at Mat_12:30. The two statements taken together declare the impossibility of neutrality. If a man is in no sense against Christ, then he is for him; and if he is not for Christ, he is against him.] b41 For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink, because ye are Christ's, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward. [Jesus here returns to the discussion of greatness, and reasserts the doctrine that the smallest act of righteousness, if performed for the sake of the King, shall be honored in the kingdom. For comment, see Isa_66:24, and refers to those worms which feed upon the carcasses of men. The fire and worm can hardly be taken literally, for the two figures are incompatible--worms do not frequent fires. The two figures depict hell as a state of decay which is never completed and of burning which does not consume. Some regard the worm as a symbol of the gnawings of remorse, and the fire as a symbol of actual punishment.] 49 For every one shall be salted with fire. [At this point many ancient authorities add, "and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt."] 50 Salt is good: but if the salt have lost its saltness, wherewith will ye season it? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace one with another. [We have here one of the most difficult passages in the Bible. If the word "fire" were found in an isolated text it might be taken as a symbol either of purification or of punishment. But the context here determines its meaning, for it has just been taken twice as a symbol of punishment. Salt is a symbol of that which preserves from decay. Now, Jesus has just been talking about the future state, with its two conditions or states [433] of bliss and punishment. In both of these states the souls of men are salted or preserved. Every one of the wicked is preserved by a negative or false salt--a worm which feeds but does not die, and a fire which consumes but refuses to go out. Though this state is a condition of life, it is such a negative and false condition that it is elsewhere termed a second death. It is therefore rightly called a "salted" or preserved condition, yet it contradicts the symbolic idea of saltness. As we understand it, the difficulty of the passage lies in this contradictory sense in which the term "salt" is used--a contradiction in which the term "eternal life" also shares, for eternal life is the constant contrast to life in hell, though that life also is spoken of as eternal. The true Christian--the man who offers his body as "a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God"--is preserved by the true salt or element of preservation, which is a divinely begotten life of righteousness within him. This is the good state of preservation which a man is counseled to obtain, and not to lose, since it will not be restored to him. The passage summarizes and contrasts the two states of future preservation, one being the salt of eternal life which preserves a man to enjoy the love of God in heaven, and the other being the salt of fire which preserves him in hell to endure the just punishment of God. The "every one" in Mar_9:49 refers to the sufferers mentioned in Mar_9:48.] a10 See 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 who is in heaven. [Jesus here resumes his warning against that pride which exalts itself and despises the humble; disclosing the fact that the ministration of angels is not only general but special, certain angels being entrusted with the care of certain individuals, and all of them supplementing their own wisdom and power by direct access to the presence of God.] 12 How think ye? if any man have a hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and go unto the mountains, and seek that which is goeth astray? 13 And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, [434] he rejoiceth over it more than over the ninety and nine which have not gone astray. 14 Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish. [Those who have led highly moral lives have a tendency to despise those who have been defiled by gross sin. This truth is abundantly illustrated by the conduct of the Pharisees, but that such little ones should not be despised Jesus speaks this warning parable. Though the sheep in the fold and the one that is lost have, as individuals, the same intrinsic value, yet this even balance of value is somewhat modified by the sentiments and emotions incident to loss and recovery. Moreover, the anxiety and trouble caused by the sheep's wandering do not depreciate but rather enhance the value of that sheep, because the heart of the Shepherd is so replete with goodness that the misbehavior of the sheep prompts him to feel pity and compassion, rather than to cherish resentment and revenge. Sin does not add to a man's intrinsic value in God's sight--nay, it detracts from it; but it excites in the heart of God pity, compassion, and other tender emotions which make it extremely dangerous for those who hinder his reformation and imperil his soul by despising him.]
[FFG 430-435]
J. W. McGarvey (with Philip Y. Pendleton), Commentaries on the New Testament (The Fourfold Gospel, 1914; Acts; and the epistles) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Paul E. Kretzmann 1924 · Public Domain Lessons in Humility.
Lessons in Humility.
The question as to the greatest:
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v. 46. Then there arose a reasoning among them which of them should be greatest.
v. 47. And Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, took a child and set him by Him,
v. 48. and said unto them, Whosoever shall receive this child in My name receiveth Me; and whosoever shall receive Me receiveth Him that sent Me; for he that is least among you, the same shall be great.
Just how great the spiritual denseness of the disciples was even at that time, appears from this incident. For while Jesus was concerned about the work of salvation, about the woe and weal of the whole world, the apostles were bickering, in petty jealousy, about rank in their own midst. There was a regular altercation about the question in their circle on this trifling matter. Luke does not relate that Jesus asked them about their dispute, being content to point out the lesson which Jesus taught. The Master took a little child and placed it beside Him as He was standing in their midst, telling them that by receiving this little child they would receive Him, and therefore also Him that sent Him. The little and insignificant in the eyes of the world is great in the eyes of Jesus, if there is faith to be found. And then He states the great paradox, the apparent contradiction which holds true in the kingdom of God: He that is smaller than all, he is great in the kingdom of God. He that is satisfied with the humblest, lowest position, if he can but serve the Master, he has the true qualities that make for greatness, and will be acknowledged in that way by Christ Himself.
Paul E. Kretzmann, Popular Commentary of the Bible (1921–1924) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 General Information:
General Information:
The disciples begin to argue about who will be the most powerful among them.
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among them
"among the disciples"
knowing the reasoning in their hearts
Here "hearts" is a metonym for their minds. AT: "knowing the reasoning in their minds" or "knowing what they were thinking" (See: Metonymy)
in my name
This refers to a person doing something as a representative of Jesus. AT: "because of me" (See: Metonymy)
in my name, welcomes me
This metaphor could also be stated as a simile. AT: "in my name, it is like he is welcoming me" (See: Metaphor)
the one who sent me
"God, who sent me"
the one who is great
"the ones whom God considers to be most important"
translationWords
Jesus
heart
receive
send
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 9:46-50 The disciples’ failure to apprehend Jesus’ impending death…
9:46-50 The disciples’ failure to apprehend Jesus’ impending death was now illustrated by their pride and selfishness.
9:46 Jesus had just predicted his own suffering and death, so the disciples’ arguing about which of them was the greatest showed astonishing pride and insensitivity.
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.