Matthew 18:2 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them

NIV: He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them.

NASB: And He called a child to Himself and set him among them,

CSB: He called a small child and had him stand among them.

NLT: Jesus called a little child to him and put the child among them.

KJV: And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them,

NKJV: Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them,

The disciples have asked Jesus a very revealing question: Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? The very fact that they are asking the question and some of the events to follow show that they do not yet understand that Jesus has not come to set up His kingdom on earth at this time (John 18:36). It also shows that they do not yet understand how different Jesus' kingdom will be from every other kingdom that has ever existed.

Jesus begins to answer their question by calling a little child to come over to Him. Some commentators speculate this scene is unfolding at Peter's house so, perhaps, this is one of his children. Jesus sets the child in the middle of this group of disciples.

Children are the most powerless members of most societies. This was especially true in ancient times. Jewish people loved their children, but children had no rights under the law of Moses. They had no status in a very status-conscious culture. They were completely dependent on those who cared for them to provide everything they needed and to protect them from harm.

The very fact that Jesus focused the attention of this ambitious group of men on a child may have been remarkable. What He will say about children and the kingdom of heaven will be astounding (Matthew 18:3).

Matthew 18:1–6 describes Jesus' surprising answer to a question from the disciples about who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. He calls a child to Him and puts that child in the middle of the group. He says they must become "like children" in order to enter the kingdom—a reference to humility and sincere obedience. The greatest is one who humbles himself in this way. Those who receive children like that in Jesus' name receive Him. Using the metaphor of drowning, Jesus warns anyone who would cause one of His followers to sin.

Jesus uses two questions from the disciples to teach important lessons. The "greatest" in the kingdom is the one who humbles himself like a child. Temptation is unavoidable in earthly life, but it's worth going to extremes to avoid falling for it. Even so, those who fall should not be hated and despised. God the Father values them highly and wants none of them to perish. In fact, Jesus lays out a clear, careful process to confront sin in others before removing them from the community. Christ also replies to Peter's question about forgiveness with a parable. This story represents both God's amazing forgiveness, and the way we ought to respond as Christians.

Matthew 18 follows the action of the previous chapter with teaching from Jesus on several issues. These include humility, using the example of a child. Jesus also teaches about avoiding sin and offering forgiveness to others. Interestingly, the following chapter will also feature references to children and to wealth, as Christ continues to explain the will of God to His disciples.

The Gospel of Matthew clearly shows the influence of its writer's background, and his effort to reach a specific audience. Matthew was one of Jesus' twelve disciples, a Jewish man, and a former tax collector. This profession would have required literacy, and Matthew may have transcribed some of Jesus' words as they were spoken. This book is filled with references to the Old Testament, demonstrating to Israel that Jesus is the Promised One. Matthew also includes many references to coins, likely due to his former profession. Matthew records extensive accounts of Jesus' teaching, more than the other three Gospels.