DRAFT ONLY

Introduction
      This section in Matthew's gospel is part of the fourth teaching unit. There are three parts to this unit: The greatest in the Kingdom of heaven, v1-10; The repentant sinner is the greatest, v12-20 ; The parable of the unmerciful servant, v21-35.

The passage
      v1-5. The tone of this passage is set immediately by the disciples who ask, who is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven? Obviously it was a issue of discussion, and we can suspect that the disciples saw themselves as the "greatest". Had they not left all and followed Jesus? So Jesus identifies true greatness. This greatness is found when a person becomes as a little child, for such a person enters the Kingdom of Heaven. Yet, who is that child? A new convert, a young Christian, a humble Christian? Obviously the "child" is not a disciple who concerns himself with issues of greatness. It is someone who "humbles himself", who then, not only gets into the Kingdom of Heaven, but is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. The child is most surely the true believer, a disciple, someone who is "poor in spirit" - someone who recognizes they are lost in the sight of God, asks for mercy, and is freely granted forgiveness and thus eternal life. They stand in glory even above the angels. The forgiven sinner is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.
      (Note. I have avoided the idea of degrees of greatness in the Christian fellowship, as though becoming "like little children" is a method of becoming greater than a brother or sister.)
      v6-7. Matthew now presents some sayings which deal with the danger of causing this "little one" "to sin". Again, the little one is the repentant sinner. The sin is most probably a loss of "humility", for it is only the one who humbles themselves who enters the Kingdom of Heaven. The sin is thus an abandoning of the ground of salvation which is by grace through faith. We can only stand before God on the basis of his mercy freely given. That truth is easily undermined, and it is most often undermined by religious people - church people. Legalism is therefore, most probably, the "cause to sin". It is the "temptation", the thing which can trip us up. It is the danger which Paul describes as, "after beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?" Gal.3:3. Thus Paul reminds his readers, "know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ", Gal.2:16. A Christian church must radically remove any idea that might exist within the fellowship which would promote legalism, for "no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin" Rom.3:20.
      Jesus is therefore warning church people, disciples - the self righteous churchman - of the danger of a particular temptation which will destroy the faith of someone who wholly rests on the grace of God for their salvation. I am convinced that this "stumbling block" is legalism - the idea that our Christian lives progress in Christ-likeness and are blessed with God's favour, by means of an effort of the will applied to the Law of God. I can't help but suspect that the disciples were right in the center of that danger. For them, greatness still came by personal righteousness. To promote that view, not only undermined personal righteousness, it undermined the very basis of salvation.
      v8-9. This exhortation is taken in many ways, sometimes literally. It is addressed directly to the churchman - the person with the potential to cause the little one to sin. The issue is, what sin has the potential to have us "thrown into the fire of hell?" There is only one such sin and that is to abandon faith in Christ - elsewhere known as the "sin against the Holy Spirit". Legalism is the one element which will undermine our faith in Christ and therefore it's causes must be removed. Paul removed the cause by removing the law from the life of a Christian. "Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law", Gal.3:25. So Jesus is telling the disciple, cast away your reliance on the law as a means to progress in God's favour - ie. become "great". Not only will such reliance undermine the faith of others, it will undermine your own.
      v10. Jesus concludes by reminding religious church people to be accepting of the "little ones", rather than be disparaging. It is easy to look down the nose at those who have little in the way of the Christian graces, Christian knowledge, piety or matters of churchmanship. Yet, as far as God is concerned, these things are not counted in the issue of true greatness. A good image of the two groups we are dealing with in chapter 18 is to be found in Jesus' parable of the Pharisee and the Publican. The churchman thanked God for his blessings given on the basis of his righteous behaviour. The sinner bowed his head and asked for mercy, so he went home "justified" in the sight of God. Our tendency is: first, to affirm the goodness of the Christian fellowship, which goodness will prompt the blessings of God; second, to sense superiority in the face of the simple believer who tentatively seeks God's mercy. In the end, it was not the religious man who was saved, but the sinner. Being a good Christian gets no one to heaven and earns us no status (greatness) in the sight of God. Our standing depends totally on the greatness of Christ.