You’ve Been Promoted to the Lowest Little One (Mat 18:1-5).

Class Outline:

Sunday July 13,2025

 

Main idea: At regeneration, Jesus promotes His saints to the status of lowest little ones. 

 

Looking at the wrong things is a systematic problem with God’s people (idols, self, pride, worldly status). 

 

Text: MAT 18:1-5 (part 1 of the Sermon of Community). 

 

MAT 18:1

 

They are not concerned with secular greatness, but in the kingdom of heaven. 

 

The “greatest” refers to status. 

 

This sermon and Mat 17 are perpetual reminders that the church does not exist for her own sake.

 

MAT 18:2-3

 

Jesus’ example is striking for being unstriking. 

 

Paidion - He purposely presents (places) the child among them.

 

In the first century a child has no status. They were expected to do two things: listen and obey. [think of the Shemah, DEU 6:4-5] 

 

Even a slave has more status than a child: GAL 4:1-2.

 

Jesus is speaking to adults. He is conscious of their lost childlikeness before God. He thus gives humility a special nuance. It is to become a child again before God - but not innocence or playfulness, rather to trust Him utterly, to expect everything from Him and nothing from self. This is the only way to become great in the kingdom of God. The low status of the child who is completely dependent on his father.

 

Converted - strepho = turn.

 

Converted or turned and become like the child is to be made of no status. 

 

You are looking the wrong way - at the wrong thing (PHI 4:12-13, I know how to get along in humble means; I can do all things). 

 

And become like children - what we are turning to. No status. This is a radical change.  

 

It is starting again - born again. JOH 3:3; JOH 3:5. 

 

Theme in the Gospels: “Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted” (MAT 23:12; LUK 14:11; LUK 18:14). 

 

PHI 2:5-8, humbled Himself to the point of death. 

 

Will not enter into the kingdom of heaven: Salvation by works? 

 

May it never be. This demands faith. 

 

Salvation’s one-time event, by faith in Christ, puts each of us in this position, but like the disciples at the time, we do not know how little we are at the beginning.

 

At salvation Jesus promotes you to the lowest little one status.

 

It is a promotion, for it is miles greater than the greatest man of status on earth (1CO 1:25).

 

The Holy Spirit within us is teaching us this truth so that our life (experience) will match our reality (position). 

 

He is not dealing with the plan of salvation here. He is stating the status of heaven which only He can make us: holy, righteous, little ones. 

 

Anyone who humbles himself as this paidion is greatest. 

 

Paradoxically the promise is greatness. He does awaken ambition in us but for another place and another way. 

 

What is greatness in the kingdom of heaven?

 

The only great One in heaven is the King. There is ambition, but it is for His glory. 

 

“Humbles” tapeinoo = attitude of humility.

 

The noun tapeinos = pertaining to being of low social status or to relative inability to cope, lowly, undistinguished, of no account. 

 

Greeks saw this word only in light of weakness. It was never desirable. Christ was the first One in history to make tapeinos a virtue.

 

To seek the status of a child is to abandon the quest for status entirely.

 

It means to be of low status (not imagined but real!). 

 

Application: MAT 18:5 Welcome the little ones in the name of Christ. 

 

We each take them into our lives and our homes. 

 

To receive “such a one” in the name of the Lord, means to treat the lowest in the manner of the Lord. The welcomers are like the Lord and the welcomed are treated like the Lord. 

 

Don’t fear. God is always a shield and bulwark to the oppressed, poor, humble. This promise is all over the Bible (PSA 34:16; PSA 138:6). 

 

When we take them in - to our house and our lives, we actually take Jesus in. (PRO 16:19; ROM 12:16)

 

The motivation for receiving the little ones is the name of Jesus, which essentially means, out of devotion to Him, or because of what He means to you.

 

Down is the way up.

 

MAT 18:1-4 calls us to humility; then vs. 5 gives us a major way to practice humility. Jesus makes the little ones His cause. Since that is true, so should we.