Glory Through Child-like Submission or The Lower, the Better!

Introduction

In the two events we see described in our text this morning, we see a common theme. In them, we see taught in different ways the mindset and heart attitude of a citizen of the Kingdom of God. By faith in Christ, we are united to him in his life, death, and resurrection. This being the case, we see here our deep need to be like him in every respect so that, through our unity with him by faith, we may indeed see our salvation at the glory of his coming.

This first story serves as a transition from the previous section to the next in this Gospel account, which properly begins in 18:1

Previously, events had led up to Peter’s confession of Christ, teachings about what that means, and the hidden nature of the power Jesus has as God’s chosen servant and Son. The next sections, ranging from here to 19:2, deals with the nature of the Kingdom, which is characterized by greatness through humility, compassion, and forgiveness. This is very contrary to the way things work in this world where pride, control, and passion govern the way people interact. In this we see an often repeated theme in Scripture; that those who humble themselves will be lifted up, and those who lift themselves up will be brought low.

A Child of God Lives Submissively in the World

This story at the end of chapter 17 is simple but a little challenging, and only Matthew records it.

The tax being collected here was the temple tax. That is, it was a Jewish religious tax, not a Roman civil tax, and it was expected of every Jewish adult male to pay for the services of the Temple. It was likely not enforced by law, but expected to be paid as a faithful Jew. It was based on the tax employed by Nehemiah in Neh 10:32-33 with the rebuilding of the Temple, and thus it had biblical warrant.

Nehemiah 10:32–33 ESV

“We also take on ourselves the obligation to give yearly a third part of a shekel for the service of the house of our God: for the showbread, the regular grain offering, the regular burnt offering, the Sabbaths, the new moons, the appointed feasts, the holy things, and the sin offerings to make atonement for Israel, and for all the work of the house of our God.

Peter, not thinking to deeply about it, agrees that Jesus does pay the tax. Why wouldn’t Jesus pay such a tax that was set up by God through the prophet Nehemiah to continue the service of the Temple? This sets up the illustration Jesus uses to challenge Peter’s understanding.

Children Don’t Pay Taxes

Jesus asks Peter a question to illustrate truth. In the illustration, a king or ruler who is levying taxes on citizens or foreigners would not levy those taxes on his own children, the members of the royal house. What makes this illustration confusing is that Jesus doesn’t clearly explain it. However, given the divine voice from heaven in the last chapter calling Jesus God’s beloved Son, its not hard to see the parallel. Peter had taken for granted that Jesus would pay this biblical fee, but Jesus shows him that, as the Son of God, he is not obliged to pay it simply because he is the Son of the God who imposed it.

There is a similar idea in Jesus’ claim to be the “Lord of the Sabbath”. The implication is that the Son is not subject to these elements of the Old Covenant because his position sets him as the one who commands, not the one who must obey.

This reasoning carries on to the disciples as well. In Christ, we are adopted as children of God. This is why the Christian is not obliged to keep the Jewish Sabbath, abstain from certain foods, or refrain from mixing fabric. The Son is free from the Old Covenant, which was given to rule over slaves and not sons. Instead, the Christian is bound to the law of love in which we unite ourselves to Christ by faith. Our good works are not in submission to the Law, but in conformity to him through whom we are adopted as Children of God.

If we take this further, we could say that a Christian is not naturally obliged to any human authority. Romans 13:1 makes it clear that all human authorities operate under God’s authority, and so they are servants while we are sons and daughters. In that sense, no human authority holds any weight or bond over us. We are the inheritors of the earth, those who will judge angels and sit with Christ on his Throne. Why should we submit to such things? This is what Jesus means in saying, “then the sons are free.”

An Inoffensive Child

But with all that in mind, let us take the greatest care to see what Jesus says next in verse 27. “However, not to give offense to them.”

Here, the text forces us to ask a very interesting question: why should the son of the King care about offending his subjects?

Today, the word offended has become cliche and highly controversial. The world seems to have split into two groups: some say that no one should ever be offended and that offensive language is akin to violence. Others go the opposite extreme and believe that people should say whatever they are thinking without caring who gets offended. We must be careful not to pull the modern social polarity of the western world into this ancient, middle-eastern text.

Typically, the son of the King is a prince who is not worried about his father’s servants being offended. The rules do not apply to him like they do to them, and they should understand that. The prince should not be someone who is afraid to offend others, it is others that should be afraid to offend him. So why would Jesus expect Peter, and us, to follow his reasoning when he shows the Son wishing to not be offensive?

It is here that we start to get at the heart of this fourth great discourse, almost like a sermon, in Matthew. Here, Jesus will be showing us how the sons of the Kingdom of God are to act differently than princes in Kingdoms of the world do. Everything gets turned upside down in the Kingdom of heave, or rather they get turned right-side up! The last are first, the least are the greatest, the poor inherit a Kingdom, and so on. Luke’s Gospel highlights this in his recounting of the beatitudes in Luke 6:20-26

Luke 6:20–26 ESV

And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. “Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied. “Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh. “Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man! Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets. “But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. “Woe to you who are full now, for you shall be hungry. “Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep. “Woe to you, when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets.

Jesus shows great care not to give undue offense or create unnecessary controversy. Jesus had every right to storm into Herod’s palace and overthrow him. He had every right to kick the high priest out of the Temple and take up that mantle. He had every right to have all nations and people’s worship him, with an army of angels subduing anyone who would refuse. But he didn’t. Jesus came the first time in meekness, humility, gentleness, patience, and poverty. His glory was kept secret so that even the disciples should not tell anyone that he was the Christ until after his resurrection. Why does Jesus do this?

Mainly, he does this to show the mission he is on: to preach the Kingdom of Heaven, fulfill all righteousness, die, and be raised. He will not go to the cross over any dispute except his identity as the Son of God. His mission is one of embracing humility, and so he is willing to subject himself to a tax that otherwise he would not be subject to.

He also in this shows his compassionate and gentle heart. Jesus is not in the business of offending those whose eyes are blind simply to offend them. He will avoid offense if necessary so that the offense of the Gospel may be the only thing in view.

As a result, Jesus shows God’s provision in telling Peter to catch a fish in which he would find the money for both of them to pay the tax.

In this, we see that Jesus expects Peter to live the same way. Christians are called to be as unoffensive as possible. I do not believe it is fruitful in most cases for Christians to be publicly vocal about political opinions. In a world where left and right, conservative and liberal, draw ever further apart, it is not the role of the Church to “pick a side” in the world’s political debate. In doing so, we are sure to cut off some ears to which we are called to preach the Gospel. This does not mean the Church remains silent in the face of blatant injustice, but rather that in speaking we are careful and wise in what we say and which hills we choose to fight on. It is interesting to me that many Christians only choose to speak against the injustices that the world is currently speaking against.

We also see the provision of God for these things. Not only does God expect us to humbly submit to those around us, but he gives us the resources to do so. But since we are never told whether Peter did catch this fish or not, the option remains whether we will make use of that grace or not.

A Child of God Lives Humbly in the Church

We then transition into another scenario in which the discourse truly begins. “At that time” suggests a continuation from what just happened, and indeed the theme of humility and submission as markers of character for children of the Kingdom continues.

From Mark and Luke’s account, we know that this was a debate the disciples were having with each other and which Jesus perceived.

Greatness in the Kingdom of God

The question is certainly notable. The Kingdom of Heaven is the greatest Kingdom, the one which Daniel prophesied of through Nebuchadnezzar’s dream in Dan 2:44

Daniel 2:44 ESV

And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever,

To hold such a place in the Kingdom as Daniel did in Nebuchadnezzar’s court would be splendid. Surely no honour given to the kings of this world could ever compare with such glory and majesty. But who would it be? We know from throughout this gospel that there are different levels of honour in the Kingdom of God, but who would be the greatest?

Ironically, the disciples are already being childlike, but in the wrong way. Children will often argue about who is the best, strongest, smartest, and so on. This is not the childlike attitude Jesus looks for as he sets this child before them.

The Glory of Humble Submission

Instead, once again Jesus shows the way of the Kingdom of God as being upside down when seen next to the way earthly kingdoms work.

Verse 3 is very stark: “unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” Jesus has changed the conversation from who is the greatest to who gets into this Kingdom at all. While there may be many different kinds of people in our society now, some better and some worse, the Kingdom of God is only open to those with the specific childlike quality Jesus has in mind.

In verse 4, it is clear what this quality is: humility. “Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” So we see that while all Kingdom citizens must adopt this childlike humility, the one who adopts it the best is the greatest. Jesus is not telling us to be like children in every way; ignorant, selfish, immature, emotionally unstable, or impulsive. What he is specifically pointing to is the child’s ability to be free of concern for social status. A baby runs around in a diaper and doesn’t care who sees them. A toddler says what they are thinking without worrying about if people will judge him for it. In short, children do not know enough about the world to understand the concept of social status and appearance. So there is a great irony to what Jesus is saying. We could phrase it like this, “the greatest in the kingdom of heaven is the person who doesn’t care about being the greatest.” To even enter the Kingdom means a disregard for the very concept of becoming great and instead embracing a contentment with being low, weak, and in need of help.

This is the mindset of every believer, though it may not be consistent. Part of following Jesus is a forgetfulness of our own personal pursuits replaced with submissive trust and humility.

Humility is not self-deprecation or self-hatred. This is simply a form of pride where one recognizes their lowliness but is unwilling to accept it. Humility is self-forgetfulness. It is a mindset in which everyone else looks taller and stronger than we are, but it doesn’t bother us because we are lifted up in the strong arms of a loving Father. Jesus himself sought no form of human honour, and in fact embraced every dishonour thrown at him. He was a wondering Rabbi who told his disciples to keep his identity a secret, who submitted himself to a temple tax he should not need to pay, and who ultimately let himself be tried by a corrupt judge and hang naked and bleeding on a cross in public shame. All of these things Christ accepted because of his humility, like a child who does not yet understand enough to desire honour or recognition.

This childlike humility comes out in a consistent attitude that is marked by obedience to authority, submission to others, trust in her parents and teachers, and respectful honesty without fear of losing reputation. For the Christian this plays out in obedience to church leaders within biblical parameters, submission to each other to the point of washing feet, a humiliating practice in Jesus world carried out by only the lowest of servants. It means trust in God, his Word, and the faithful teachers God has put in their lives to guide them. It also means humble honesty, as we shall in coming weeks. This humility may mean gently confronting someone about their sin without thought of how this may effect your reputation. It also means accepting correction with grace and obedience. It means seeing others as greater than ourselves, assuming ourselves to be the biggest sinner in the room, serving others out of love, and confessing our own sins.

The New Testament has much to say about how this plays out, but the core of the matter must not be forgotton. This is not something you do, it is a state of mind that you embrace.

Such an attitude can only exist where there is faith. Being the greatest feels great because there is security in it. To be the lowest is socially risky. In a company, the least important employee is the first to be laid off. Who will love and accept me if I am the lowest, like a child!? How will I be accepted and loved if I cannot get others to notice me? The Christian can for the same reason a child can; in knowing that they have a loving Father who is there to help them stand, pick them up, hold them when they cry, and love them no matter what.

Conclusion: Provision and Glory for the Submissive and Humble

Since Christ makes it clear that such an attitude is necessary for us to go to heaven, this is not something we can afford to miss. Fortunately, it is a point that has been brought up several times already in Matthew’s Gospel. The Beatitudes set out plainly that the Kingdom of God is for the poor in spirit, those who are very aware of sin spiritual weakness. A Christian is humbled by their sin and weakness and exalted and dignified in their adoption as Children of God. In their lifestyle, a Christian is humble and submissive in their relationships both in broader society and in the church, knowing that such humility is the path to glory.

This humility is carried out in faith of God’s provision. Indeed, true humility always requires faith in vindication. A lowly employee will only work his minimum wage job if he is convinced that is the best job he can get, but will quickly switch to a better job if given the opportunity. This is human nature, and its not bad. Humility is not an end in itself, but rather a path to a glorious resurrection with Christ. Just as Jesus embraced humility of the most extreme sort and was raised to newness of life, Christians embrace humility in the hope of a glory and immortality with Him.

Let us see then, brothers and sisters, the kind of heart and life we are to live and the kind of church we are to be. One reason we may reject the claim of authority in the pope is because he, seen as the greatest and most important man alive in God’s Church, is honoured with splendor in the same way as an earthly king. Such a person may seem glorious to fleshly eyes, but not to eyes of faith. Rather, such glory is revealed in the faithful church member, the one who gives themselves in prayer for their brothers and sisters, the one who gives her time and resources to serve their fellow church members. It is the one who is willing to be humiliated when they share the Gospel with the unsaved. It is the one who submits to government regulations they don’t like simply to avoid unnecessary offense. It is the one who takes the wisdom of their elders and other church members to heart and practices it even when they do not understand it. It is the one who diffuses an argument, who has patience with those they don’t get along with, who shows grace and compassion to the suffering, who submits to the preaching of the Word even when they don’t always agree with the pastor. It is the one who volunteers to do unseen service, the one who listens carefully before they speak, the one who refuses to slander or spread gossip, the one who gives without expecting recognition, the one who suffers wrong with grace and goes to the Lord for help in fervent prayer rather than grumbling. It is the one who forgives, who humbly corrects, who eagerly reconciles, and who works towards peaceful unity in the body of Christ. In a word, a Christian is willing to forget themselves, their desires, and their rights for the sake of the Kingdom so that they may be like Christ and so be glorified with him.

Brothers and sisters, let us embrace such a childlike heart of humility with joy. We are already children of God by adoption in Christ, and the obligations of society do not hold the same weight for us. We are above it all, and yet what we truly are is hidden now so that we may learn humility as Christ did through submission and service. It is not easy, and we all do stumble, but this is the race we are called to run. Our glorious life in Christ will one day be revealed, and on that day those of us who served with the lowliest heart will be raised the highest in the majesty of the Son of God, our Lord Jesus Christ.