#DailyDevotion Who Is Least In The Kingdom Of Heaven?
Matthew 11:7-11
7When they were leaving, Jesus began to talk to the crowds about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see – a reed shaken by the wind? 8What, then, did you go out to see — a man dressed in soft robes? Those who wear soft robes you’ll find in the palaces of kings. 9“What, then, did you go out for — to see a prophet? I tell you, he’s even more than a prophet. 10This is the one of whom it is written: ‘I will send My messenger ahead of You to prepare Your way before You.’ 11I tell you the truth, there never has appeared a woman’s son greater than John the Baptizer. Yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than John.
People like watching a good show or even a bad show. They just like watching stuff. Unfortunately we see this all too well in society today. Someone is getting beat up, raped or murdered and no one helps. Everyone breaks out their phones and records it while they watch and we watch what they record. We want to be entertained. This must have some good in it for evil is only a perversion of the good. Well people were no different in Jesus’ day and they didn’t have cell phones or the internet. Truly, many people went into the wilderness and heard John and repented. Yet, from what Jesus is saying here, it seems many also went out to him because they found it entertaining in some fashion. Now that John was in prison, they were following Jesus around because they thought he was entertaining. I remember in college many college kids pulled up the TV evangelist late at night to be entertained by them.
But in the midst of the Jesus calls on them to see and discover a truth that if they believe and understand it could bring them eternal life. That is what he and John were called to do anyway, not to entertain people. So Jesus uses this to point out to them who John was. He was not a reed shaken by the wind. He was not a man dressed in soft clothes. (I read recently perhaps these were digs at Herod, who had imprisoned John). He was a prophet. He was more than a prophet.
“What is more than a prophet,” someone asked. He is the messenger, the herald of the LORD, the God of Israel, coming to his people. He is the last of the Old Testament prophets and the one who announces the LORD in the flesh who had come to save his people. He prepares the way for the Lord of Lords and King of kings, by his preaching and calling people to repentance. John announces the LORD has come and points the people to follow him. John is the one who is the woman’s son who is the greatest of all born among men.
“Yet, the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than John.” Who is greater than John than the one whom John prepared the way. He is Jesus. Jesus is the least in God’s kingdom because he is the servant of all. He did not come in his first advent to rule but to offer up his body as a sacrifice for the sin of the world. As the Baptist pointed to Jesus, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” We see Jesus as the least as he is sacrificed upon the altar of the cross and in doing so has become the world’s servant and sacrifice. However, since Jesus has lowered himself to such a low estate for everyone, the Father has also lifted up Jesus to his right hand above every rule, authority and power and above every name that is named. We who believe Jesus are lifted up with him and become great in the kingdom of God.
Heavenly Father, you sent John to prepare the way for your Son Jesus Christ and great is his honor in doing so. You sent Jesus to serve us all by being the atoning sacrifice. Give us faith in Jesus that we may repent of our sins and be joined to him. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.