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Embracing and Becoming the Least
An argument arose among the disciples about which of them was the
greatest. Jesus realized the intention of their hearts and took a
child and placed it by his side and said to them, “Whoever receives
this child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives
the one who sent me. For the one who is least among all of you is
the one who is the greatest.” Luke 9:46–48
The Twelve Apostles had left everything behind to follow Jesus.
Their lives had been radically transformed. As they accompanied Him
on His mission, they heard the very voice of God preach and teach.
They witnessed His divine power as He performed miracles and cast
out demons. And yet, today’s Gospel reveals that they still
struggled with a common weakness of fallen human nature: ambition.
They argued among themselves about who was the greatest.
Jesus, though surely sorrowful over their foolish dispute,
responded not with rebuke but with merciful instruction. He
addressed the intention of their hearts by offering a striking
lesson as He placed a child at His side. That child became a living
parable—a model of true greatness in the eyes of God.
In many cultures today, children are cherished, protected, and seen
as possessing great dignity. Parents work hard to ensure their
children know their value. But in first-century Israel, the
perception of children was quite different. While loved by their
families, children were socially insignificant. Their high
mortality rate and inability to contribute to the household’s
livelihood often rendered them overlooked or dismissed. For Jesus
to place a child at the center of His teaching and to equate
receiving that child with receiving Himself would have been both
startling and countercultural.
In this act, Jesus uproots worldly standards of greatness. In His
Kingdom, true greatness is not found in status, success, or
acclaim. It is found in humility, simplicity, and openness of
heart. To welcome the lowly, the unnoticed, and the vulnerable in
Jesus’ name is to welcome Jesus Himself. And to welcome Jesus is to
welcome the Father who sent Him.
Consider whom you most readily welcome and embrace. Teenagers often
dream of meeting the rich and famous. Adults may strive for social
status or recognition. In truth, we are not so different from the
Apostles, who desired esteem among their peers and to be chosen
while others are set aside.
Jesus offers us two essential lessons through this living parable.
First, like our Lord, we must love and embrace the lowly and the
weak. Jesus was not drawn to the status of the Pharisees or the
social elites. He found joy in embracing the child, the sinner, the
tax collector, the leper, the crippled, the blind, and the poor.
These were the ones who, because of their low status, were often
more humble and receptive. If we wish to be like our Lord, we must
seek out the humble and the lowly, for it was to such souls that He
was drawn.
Second, we are not only called to embrace the lowly, we are called
to become the lowly. We must become like children: dependent,
vulnerable, humble, and easily overlooked in the eyes of the world.
Why? Because those are the very ones Jesus embraced. And if we
desire to rest in His arms, we must take the lowest place, trusting
that it is there that true greatness is found.
Reflect today on the countercultural lesson Jesus taught and apply
it to your own life. Turn your eyes to the weakest, humblest, and
most vulnerable. Allow grace to draw you to these simple souls. Run
to the sinner and outcast. Then, don’t stop there. Strive also to
live in that same humility and dependence. Turn from worldly views
of greatness and embrace Jesus’ view. Become like a child, embrace
the weakest among you, and our Lord will embrace you.
Most loving Lord, though You loved all people with the
perfection of charity, Your mercy and compassion poured forth,
especially upon the weakest, most humble, and lowliest. Please fill
my heart with that same love You so perfectly exemplified. Help me
also to heed Your warning that I must become humble and lowly like
a child in order to receive the greatness of Your eternal embrace.
Jesus, I trust in You.
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