Who Is the Greatest?

18 At that time the followers came to Jesus and asked, “Who is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”

² Jesus called a little child to him and stood the child before his followers. ³ Then he said, “I tell you the truth, you must change and become like little children. Otherwise, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. ⁴ The greatest person in the kingdom of heaven is the one who makes himself humble like this child.

⁵ “Whoever accepts a child in my name accepts me. ⁶ If one of these little children believes in me, and someone causes that child to sin, it would be better for that person to have a large stone tied around the neck and be drowned in the sea.

Who Is the Greatest?

³³ Jesus and his followers went to Capernaum. When they went into a house there, he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the road?” ³⁴ But the followers did not answer, because their argument on the road was about which one of them was the greatest.

³⁵ Jesus sat down and called the twelve apostles to him. He said, “Whoever wants to be the most important must be last of all and servant of all.”

³⁶ Then Jesus took a small child and had him stand among them. Taking the child in his arms, he said, ³⁷ “Whoever accepts a child like this in my name accepts me. And whoever accepts me accepts the One who sent me.”

Who Is the Greatest?

⁴⁶ Jesus’ followers began to have an argument about which one of them was the greatest. ⁴⁷ Jesus knew what they were thinking, so he took a little child and stood the child beside him. ⁴⁸ Then Jesus said, “Whoever accepts this little child in my name accepts me. And whoever accepts me accepts the One who sent me, because whoever is least among you all is really the greatest.”