The apostles started out as a group of men arguing over who would be the greatest – who would be the most important people in the kingdom of God. And Jesus continually brought up the image of a child to remind them of two points:
- In Luke 9, Jesus brought a child over and said “Whoever receives this child in my name receives me … For he who is least among you all is the one who is greatest.” The one in the kingdom of God who is greatest is the one on whom God places the most emphasis, displays the highest regard and care. and as we learn from parables such as Parable of the Lost Sheep, Jesus’ concern is first and foremost seeking and saving the lost, the weak, the abandoned. Rather than arguing over who is most important, focus on what God views as important: making sure those “little children” are safe and built up in the coming church of Christ.
- In Luke 18, Jesus again uses a child as an example, but this time takes it a step further, saying that “whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” The point now is that you need to display the same humility as this child, understanding that you’re the willing tool for the master’s use in the kingdom, the one who must be led, carried, placed where he needs to be by Jesus, who is your king and your head.
As future leaders of the Lord’s church, the apostles needed to understand this in order to lead effectively, not as tyrants imposing their will, but as shepherds constantly evaluating how they lead based on the needs and well-being of the flock.
And when we look at how the apostles governed the early church, we can see how they took these lessons to heart – sometimes leading with strength and authority, sometimes with meekness and gentleness, but always motivated out of love for their fellow children of God.