January 26, 2010
Matthew 18
Pastor Jason Yon
Seriously…how could a children's pastor pass up an opportunity to talk about kids in a devotional on Matthew 18?
At different times in scripture, we see that the disciples were a little prideful. How could the men that walked the most closely and learned from the most humble man on Earth be so concerned about their position? They seemed to want to be the one recognized as closest to Jesus, to know who would sit next to Him on the throne in Heaven and in this narrative, they wanted to know who would be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. The Lord had to correct the heart behind their question, saying that they needed to “…change and become like little children.” (Matthew 18:3b)
Pride separates us from the Lord and the perfect plan He has for our lives. 1 Peter 5:5 says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Jesus calls us to be humble like a child.
Little children are like sponges. I love that. They are in a learning stage, and don’t know everything (as some adults think they do). Yet they soak up and learn everything they can because they are so humble, wanting to learn and grow.
Even though the disciples were closest to Jesus and knew more about Him and His teaching than anyone else, they still struggled with pride. Let’s learn from their example, becoming like little children – humble, always willing and ready to learn, grow and “soak up” what the Lord has for us.
Jason Yon is a Sanford, Florida native and just began his eighth year of service on the Grace Covenant pastoral staff.
