Learning to marvel…
Passage (NIV): Matthew 18:1-14
Preacher: Mark Kingston
Learning to marvel…
In Matthew 18, the disciples come to Jesus with a very human question: “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” In other words, who wins? Who comes out on top?
We may smile at the disciples, but we live in a world shaped by the same question. We are constantly measuring ourselves against other people. Are they more successful than me? A better parent than me? More gifted, attractive, spiritual, impressive?
That little word than gets everywhere.
But Jesus does something fascinating. He doesn’t answer the disciples by pointing to someone who has climbed higher than everyone else. Instead, he calls a child into the middle.
That is more than an illustration. By placing a child at the centre, Jesus changes the question itself. The child is not there as a model of achievement or status. A child has no position to defend, no rank to claim, no ladder to climb. Jesus is showing the disciples that the Kingdom is not reached by rising above others, but by letting go of the need to rise above them.
What if Jesus isn’t simply showing us a different way to get to the top? What if, by putting the child in the middle, he is taking the ladder away entirely?
Perhaps the Kingdom of God invites us to stop measuring people and start marvelling at them.
Think of the difference between a flower competition and a garden. In a Rose competition, there can only be one best rose. But nobody walks around a beautiful garden complaining that one rose is better or worse than the others. And no one complains that this tree is not very good at being a rose! It's the variety and diversity of shapes, colours and sizes of trees and plants that gives the garden its beauty. Each thing has its place.
Scripture gives us good reasons to see people this way. Here are two of them:
Made in the image: Genesis 1 tells us that every human being is made in the image of God. Think about that for a moment!
Part of the Body of Christ: Within the church, Paul goes even further. Together, we are the body of Christ, and even the parts that appear weaker are described as indispensable. There is something of Christ that becomes visible to all of us because you are here that would be missing without you.
Leave competition at the door
So - imagine a church where we leave this constant need to compete and compare at the door. Imagine what it would be like if you didn't have to prove that you are successful enough, spiritual enough or impressive enough to belong. Instead, people look at you and think: It’s awesome that you’re here. Let’s discover what God has put in you!
Watch what grows
When people no longer have to fight to earn their place, something begins to grow. Their voice strengthens. Their gifts emerge. They become more fully the person God made them to be.
Imagine being in a place where people deeply value you and intentionally encourage and cheer you on as you become more like Jesus...
As we become more of the person God intended us to be, all of us are blessed because we see something more of God that we could not have seen without them.
The Kingdom of God is not a room full of people competing to shine brightest. It is a garden where each life is given room to grow, and the whole garden becomes more beautiful because it does.
Reflection Questions
Where does the little word “than” show up most often in your life?
Who do you tend to compare yourself with, and what does that comparison do to you?Every person is made in the image of God.
Who do you find hardest to see that way, and what might you be missing in them?Paul says the church is like a body, with many different parts and every part needed.
What has God uniquely put in you, and how might your part help the whole body become more like JesusWho could you help flourish this week?
What is one simple thing you could do to notice, encourage or make room for what God is growing in them?
