Matthew 18:2

Monday, 16 March 2026

Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, Matthew 18:2

“And Jesus, having summoned a child, He stood him in their midst” (CG).

In the previous verse, the disciples came to Jesus asking who the greatest in the kingdom of the heavens was. In response, Matthew records, “And Jesus, having summoned a child, He stood him in their midst.”

It is the initiation of His response, forming an object lesson for them to consider and remember. In Matthew 17:25, it was recorded that Jesus was in “the house” in Capernaum. This, then, is probably Peter’s house. Matthew 9:33 confirms they are still in the house. As such, this is a child within the house, not an arbitrary child off the street.

He probably called the boy’s name and said, “Come here!” One of the least in the house, as far as understanding, responsibility, etc., a mere child, has been summoned to teach what is on God’s mind concerning greatness.

In this account, Mark will add the thought, “And when He had taken him in His arms...” In other words, this was a very young child who had been brought before the disciples.

Thus, the question of “greatest” is being answered already. Without a word yet spoken, we can see that greatness includes the idea of dependency, something every small child exhibits.

Life application: Without going any further, and while considering the matter of dependency, who do you think God is more pleased with? Will it be a person who goes to a messianic synagogue, observes the feasts of the Lord, doesn’t eat pork and refuses to eat lobster (what a tragedy!), and who is doing his best to merit God’s favor through such things, or will it be a person who so desperately understands his sin that he throws himself solely at the mercy of Christ, asking for the slightest crumb of His infinite mercy to forgive him for the life he has led?

The answer is explained elsewhere in the gospels –

“Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: 10 ‘Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, “God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.” 13 And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, “God, be merciful to me a sinner!” 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.’” Luke18:9-14

God is unimpressed with showoffs and people who think they somehow merit His favor. Rather, those who arrogantly hold to the Law of Moses for their justification are an offensive stench to Him. Why? Because they deny two fundamental truths that are key to salvation.

First, they deny the work of the cross of Jesus Christ and its efficacy in procuring salvation for mankind. The great point of sending Jesus to the cross was to fulfill the typology of the sacrificial system set forth in the Law of Moses. In His fulfillment of it, the law was annulled, nailed to the cross in the body of Jesus Christ, who is the embodiment of the law.

Second, they implicitly deny the deity of Jesus Christ. If He is God, and indeed He is, then to say that we need to do more to procure our salvation means that God failed to procure our salvation. Even if Jesus weren’t God, this would be true, but because Jesus is God, it is an eternal slap in the face of God who came to do for us what we cannot do.

There are many other points of doctrine that such people fail at when they demand works to prove or continue proving salvation. This infection fills almost all churches to some extent. We don’t have to prove anything. We are saved, once and for all time, through the precious blood of Jesus Christ. All we have to do is believe. And in believing, with the mere faith of a child, we are saved.

God is pleased with such simple, complete, and heartfelt faith. Thank God today for His wonderful salvation that you have accepted... by faith.

Lord God, how grateful we are to You for the full, final, finished, and forever salvation that You have provided through the giving of Your Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.