A Truly Great and Happy Person (Matthew 17:24 – 18:9)

[Stephan Choe]

July 16, 2026

Key Verse 18:4: “Therefore, whoever humbles himself and becomes like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”

Jesus’ disciples have been following Him for nearly three years. Yet, deep in their hearts, each of them harbors a desire to be greater than the others and to be served by them.

Jesus teaches them, “Therefore, whoever humbles himself and becomes like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes such a child in my name welcomes me.” (4–5)

If we want to become good Christians, we must take this teaching to heart. May God make us good Christians and reveal His grace through us.

1. Jesus Pays the Temple Tax (17:24–27)

Maintaining the Temple in Jerusalem required substantial funds—for instance, for the daily sacrificial animals, incense, the priests' livelihood, and so forth. To this end, God had commanded the Israelites through Moses to pay a temple tax; under this regulation, all male Israelites over the age of twenty were required to contribute a silver shekel annually for the service of the Tabernacle (Exodus 30:13; cf. 2 Kings 12:5ff.; Nehemiah 10:33). Since Greek coins were in circulation during Jesus' time, the tax amount was set at a "didrachma" (double drachma), and the tax itself was commonly known by that name. At the time, a drachma was equivalent to a standard day's wage. It was a mandatory levy.

The tax collection process was systematically regulated. On the first day of the month of Adar—which roughly corresponds to our March—it was announced in every town that the time for tax payment had arrived. On the fifteenth of the month, booths were set up in every town where every liable resident had to pay their tax by the twenty-fifth of Adar. Temple tax collectors were authorized to gather funds both within and outside Judea. The collection of the temple tax and the transfer of the gathered funds took place under Roman protection. Finally, the collected money was placed into the offering chests located in the "Court of Women" within the Temple complex.

The men collecting the temple tax encounter Peter in Capernaum and ask him, "Does your teacher not pay the temple tax?" (24).

Had Jesus refused to pay, they could have reported him.

Peter answers, "Yes."

After this answer, Peter goes to Jesus. Before Peter can tell him about this incident, Jesus speaks to him first, saying,

“What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth collect tolls or taxes—from their own children or from strangers?”

Simon answers, “From strangers.”

Jesus replies, “Then the children are exempt. But so that we do not cause offense, go to the lake and cast out a line; take the first fish that comes up, and when you open its mouth, you will find a two-drachma coin; take that and give it to them for me and for yourself” (3–4).

In ancient times, kings levied taxes on their subjects, but the royal children did not have to pay. On the contrary, the taxes collected served in part to cover the living expenses of the royal family.

Here, the subject is the Temple—the house of God. And Jesus is the Son of God.

Let us recall a story from Jesus’ childhood. When Jesus was still young, he visited the Temple in Jerusalem with his parents. On the way home, his parents lost sight of him. They searched everywhere and finally found him in the Temple, in the midst of the teachers of the law. When his mother said to him, “Child, why have you done this to us? Look, your father and I have been searching for you in great anxiety,”

Jesus answered, “Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” (Luke 2:48–49).

2. The Disciples’ Dispute About Rank (18:1–5)

Jesus repeatedly preached about the Kingdom of Heaven. For instance, in His first sermon, He said, “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!” (Matthew 4:17). Jesus had come to lead people into the Kingdom of Heaven through repentance and faith in Him.

Then His disciples came to Jesus and asked Him, “Who, then, is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?”

Their question reveals their conception of the Kingdom of Heaven. It also exposes their hidden desire to stand above others and to rule over them. Such desires spring from their fallen human nature.

The disciples had followed Jesus day and night for nearly three years. They had heard His sermons and witnessed His deeds. Yet, they continued to harbor a secret desire to rule over others and be served by them. That is why the Luther Bible refers to this account as “The Disciples’ Dispute About Rank.”

Because people want to rule over others, misunderstandings, anger, hatred, strife, murder, and war arise. Every person carries such a hidden desire within; for when the Devil tempted the first humans, he planted this sinful craving in the human heart (Genesis 3). Since then, every person has been constantly exposed to the temptation to follow this sinful desire.

We ought to examine whether our desires align with God’s will or with our sinful nature. We must summon the courage to renounce godless desires and follow those that please God. Whoever possesses this courage is a courageous person.

How does Jesus answer the question, “Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?”

He calls a child to Himself and places the child in their midst. According to tradition, the child’s name was Ignatius of Antioch; he later became a significant servant of the church and, ultimately, a martyr.

Jesus says to his disciples,

“Unless you turn and become like children, you cannot enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself and becomes like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes such a child in my name welcomes me” (2–4).

A happy child [1]

Here, Jesus teaches us three things:  

First, Jesus teaches us humility and gratitude.

A person does not enter the Kingdom of Heaven through their good deeds, but through God’s grace. For God does not want people to become proud because of their actions. Therefore, one can enter the Kingdom of Heaven only through faith in Jesus Christ. Since we do not attain the Kingdom of Heaven through our own good deeds—but solely through God’s grace—we must gratefully accept this grace found in Jesus Christ. Consequently, we have no grounds for arrogance; rather, we have every reason to remain humble and grateful.  

Who receives God’s grace? Someone who knows they are in urgent need of it. We are weak human beings and constantly require God’s grace. We should remain humble and grateful people. We ought to acknowledge our shortcomings and gratefully accept forgiveness and God’s blessing. In this way, we can be certain of entering the Kingdom of Heaven. Arrogant, ungrateful people, on the other hand, do not enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Thus, we must not become self-righteous or ungrateful.  

Second, Jesus teaches us to trust in God.

Children are symbols not only of humility and gratitude but also of trust. Children trust their parents and do not worry unnecessarily about what they will eat or drink or where they will sleep, for they trust that their parents will provide for them.

Indeed, our Heavenly Father lovingly cares for us. He generously gives us air, sunlight, and rain. He causes crops, animals, and trees to grow and to produce fruit and offspring; in doing so, He provides us with food and a beautiful natural world. He gives us work so that we may use our time meaningfully. When we trust in God, we experience deep inner peace and can praise and thank God from the heart. Through our childlike trust, we should encourage those around us to also believe in Jesus Christ and trust in God.  

Third, Jesus teaches us to serve rather than to rule.

Jesus says in verse 5, “And whoever welcomes such a child in my name welcomes me.”

We should not exalt ourselves above others. Instead of expecting others to serve us, we should serve them. Of course, Jesus does not mean that we must perform every task—cooking, doing laundry, cleaning, tidying up, and so on—ourselves. If we were to do that, we would quickly collapse and fall ill. Rather, Jesus means that we are called to serve. Therefore, we should serve God and our fellow human beings with joy. We should be willing to take on tasks that seem insignificant, such as childcare or cleaning. In Jesus Christ, every task holds deep meaning. Jesus delights in this and blesses us.  

Nevertheless, we must renew our joy and strength from time to time; for without this, our energy and joy are quickly depleted—a state known as “burnout.”

We must therefore draw sufficient strength from God to recharge and thus be capable of serving God and others well. May God help us to wholeheartedly embrace the happiness of a life spent in service to others and to serve them with joy.    

3. Warning against leading others to fall away (6–9)

Jesus continues, “But whoever leads one of these little ones who believe in me to fall away—it would be better for him to have a millstone hung around his neck and be drowned in the deepest part of the sea” (6).

Jesus warns His disciples against allowing themselves to be used by the Devil as instruments of temptation. This warning applies to all Christians. Since the Fall of Adam, people in the world have been tempted by evil (Galatians 1:4; 1 John 5:19). The fallen world constantly tries to lure us into falling away.

Jesus is our Redeemer. He came to save us from evil and bring us under the rule of God.

Jesus says to us, “If your eye leads you to fall away, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell” (9).

We live in a world where no one is free from the temptation to sin. The world is truly full of temptations. Yet this fact by no means absolves us of our responsibility. When we have sinned, we should immediately repent and accept forgiveness in Jesus Christ.

We ought to guard ourselves against sin. That is a passive defense against sin.

But we should not limit ourselves to a passive defense; we should also go on the offensive: we should actively dedicate ourselves as instruments of the Gospel. This active, offensive approach is extremely effective. When we work actively for the Gospel, we can effectively defend ourselves and save many others from sin.

Living in the Grace of Christ

Jesus said, “Whoever humbles himself and becomes like this child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.”

How can we humble ourselves and become like a child?

The answer is: "Live in the grace of Christ."

Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Yet He humbled Himself and became a human being. Then He died for our guilt. Through this grace, we have received forgiveness and become children of God. We owe everything we have become to the grace of God. Therefore, we should thank God for this grace and live and serve within it. We are called to serve others and to build them up out of a grateful heart.

Ultimately, we are to give glory to God. Amen!

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[1] https://www.magnific.com/de/fotos-kostenlos/nahaufnahme-mutter-die-glueckliches-kind-haelt_11103621.htm#fromView=keyword&page=5&position=3&uuid=c134a8c6-9beb-4f07-954b-4a5134e7bcb6&query=Lachende+kinder