Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Matthew 18:4
Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
4. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself ] He who shall be most Christ-like in humility (see Php 2:7-9) shall be most like Christ in glory.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 4. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself] So great is the disparity between the kingdom of Christ and the kingdoms of this world, that there is no way of rising to honours in the former, but by humility of mind, and continual self-abasement.
The same is greatest] Thus our Lord shows them that they were all equal, and that there could be no superiority among them, but what must come from the deepest humility; he intimates also, that wherever this principle should be found, it would save its possessor from seeking worldly honours or earthly profits, and from seeking to be a ruler over his brethren, or a lord in God’s heritage.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Whosoever therefore shall humble himself,…. Whoever shall entertain mean thoughts of himself, and prefer others to himself, shall behave in a modest humble manner, not affecting dominion over others, or treating his brethren and Christians in a haughty and supercilious manner, with scorn and contempt; but condescend to those of the lowest state, and place himself in the lowest form, conversing with his friends freely and familiarly, without distinction,
as this little child; or any other of the like age; for there is no reason to suppose, that there was anything peculiar in this child, which was not in another, it being common to children to behave towards one another, as on a level; not to envy one another, or to set up one above another, or be vainly elated with the distinctions of birth and fortune.
The same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven; in the Gospel church state; which was verified in the Apostle Paul, though not one of the twelve: nor are these words limited to them; at least, this passage may be illustrated in his case: he thought himself to be the chief of sinners, and less than the least of all saints, and unworthy to be called an apostle; yet had the largest measures of grace, the greatest gifts and abilities; and was honoured with the greatest usefulness and success in the preaching of the Gospel to the conversion of sinners, and planting of churches; labouring more abundantly than they all.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
This little child ( ). This saying about humbling oneself Jesus repeated a number of times as for instance in Mt 23:12. Probably Jesus pointed to the child by his side. The ninth-century story that the child was Ignatius is worthless. It is not that the child humbled himself, but that the child is humble from the nature of the case in relation to older persons. That is true, however “bumptious” the child himself may be. Bruce observes that to humble oneself is “the most difficult thing in the world for saint as for sinner.”
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
As this little child. Not, as this little child humbles himself, but, shall make himself humble as this little child is lowly; shall willingly become by spiritual process what the child is by nature.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
4. Whosoever shall humble himself like this little child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. This is intended to guard us against supposing that we degrade ourselves in any measure by freely surrendering every kind of distinction. And hence we may obtain a short definition (500) of humility. That man is truly humble who neither claims any personal merit in the sight of God, nor proudly despises brethren, or aims at being thought superior to them, but reckons it enough that he is one of the members of Christ, and desires nothing more than that the Head alone should be exalted.
(500) “ La vraye definition;” — “the true definition.”
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
B. RELATIVE STANDING IN THE KINGDOM DEPENDS ON HUMILITY. (18:4)
Mat. 18:4 Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. The humblest is the greatest; the most important is he who admits his deep spiritual need, real inferiority and subordination.
Whoever humbles himself must do so in relationship to others. Self-humiliation, as God intends it, cannot take place in a vacuum, i.e. by solitary ascetics. All true humility expresses itself by putting ones own ambitions in the background in order to serve others. This is but the repetition of the teaching of the Beatitudes: the great are not the powerful, the rich, the self-seeking the self-important who, because they are too proud to serve, demand for themselves service from others.
As this little child is often assumed to mean: Whoever shall humble himself as this little child is humble. It is more probable that Jesus means: Whoever shall lower himself to the level on which this child stands in relation to everyone else, is greatest. That is, whoever freely and willingly places himself on the level of natural subordination occupied by the child in reference to everyone else is the greatest in the kingdom. Why should this be true?
1.
Because he who makes himself the willing servant of others, helping them to live a joyous, holy life useful to God and their fellows, is, in effect, honoring that gentleman or lady in them which, by his efforts, they can be helped to become. What a startling realization: which is greater? an earthly king or the kingmaker? If the kingmaker can unmake a king as well as make him, then the kingmaker is the greater. If, therefore, a disciple busies himself serving others, laboring unselfishly to help them realize their highest, noblest goals in Gods service, helping them, in short, to reign, HE IS A KINGMAKER and the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. This, of course, does not mean that he is superior to God the heavenly King who really does not need any of our service to make it possible for Him to rule over the universe. However, since Jesus the Messianic King has chosen to use our service to extend His government on this earth among its people, then by His grace and through our service we make Him our King and bring others under His sway.
To state this concept another way, who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven: the person who tramples down others to fight his way through the higher echelons to sit with folded hands at the top of the human pyramid and press down from the top, or he who is supporting the weight of the entire pyramid on his shoulders, pushes up from the bottom, lifting everyone above him ever higher toward God who rules at the undisputed peak?
2.
Because it is only in and because of this genuine self-abnegation, true humility and service to others that one will develop the kind of character qualities Jesus desires in all of His servants. Gibson (PHC, XXII, 430) pictures what it meant to the Twelve:
They did not indeed, get over their selfishness all at once; but how grandly were they cured of it when their training was finished! If there is one thing more characteristic of the Apostles in their after life than any other, it is their self-forgetfulnesstheir self-effacement, we may say. Where does Matthew ever say a word about the sayings or doings of Matthew? Even John, who was nearest of all to the heart of the Saviour, and with Him in all His most trying hours, can write a whole Gospel without mentioning his own name; and when he has occasion to speak of John the Baptist does it as if there were no other John in existence. So was it with them all.
Some have noticed that no worse distortion of our Lords principle could be imagined than for someone to put himself deliberately in last place or go through the motions of serving others as a means of climbing the ladder of social success to the top. Lenski (Matthew, 683) cites Pope Gregory the Great (who) called himself servus servorum (servant of servants). He did it in order to be the greatest, did it in a mechanical fashion, by a shrewd kind of calculation, putting on humbleness in order to secure greatness. This description, however, raises the legitimate question whether one can really get to true greatness this way. One of two things would happen first: either ones selfish ambition would soon tire of this game, rip off its mask and hurry to make up lost time in the unabashed scramble to the top of the pile, showing itself for the pride it really is, or else the person would be transformed in the attempt, Since our motives undermine or validate all our actions, cannot those who sought greatness for selfish reasons, change course when faced with the realization that true greatness is only possible to the pure in heart? Can they learn obedience by the things they suffer by emptying themselves, taking the attitude of a servant and becoming obedient even to death (Heb. 5:7-9; Php. 2:7-9), even with the specific goal of arriving at the crown (Heb. 12:1-3; Gal. 6:9 f)? Conversion is possible, but it will not take place until false humility is crucified. Bruce (Training, 195) teaches that
The higher we rise in the kingdom the more we shall be like Jesus in this humbling of Himself, Childlikeness such as He exhibited is an invariable characteristic of spiritual advancement, even as its absence is the mark of moral littleness. The little man, even when well-intentioned, is ever consequential (= self-important) and scheming: ever thinking of himself, his honour, dignity, reputation, even when professedly doing good. He always studies to glorify God in a way that shall at the time glorify himself. Frequently above the love of gain, he is never above the feeling of self-importance. The great ones in the kingdom, on the other hand, throw themselves with such unreservedness into the work to which they are called, that they have neither time nor inclination to inquire what place they shall obtain in this world or the next . . . if only He be glorified.
Humility expresses itself in the following characteristic ways:
a.
An unwillingness to assert oneself at the expense of others, or absence of ambitious pride and self-aggrandizement.
b.
A willingness to forget injuries suffered, no room in ones soul for bitterness, unwillingness to judge harshly.
c.
No shame to admit ignorance, totally unassuming modesty regarding ones own opinions, no falsely assumed intellectual self-sufficiency, an acute awareness of ones own limitations and conditioning.
d.
The presence of a vivid, free imagination, because one does not assume he already knows it all, hence not stubbornly dedicated to limited cliches and stereotypes.
e.
No confidence in ones own merits as a basis for distinctions in rank.
f.
No insistence on ones own rights, no proud demands, unpretentiousness.
g.
Willingness to yield to the Lords leadership.
h.
Contentment, no sense of loss when others are honored and the recognition that everything one has is given to him, (1Co. 4:7)
Humility realizes that to God and others goes most, if not all, of the credit for ones attainments in life. In short, to evaluate ourselves as God does is humility. It cannot be degrading to face this reality. Far from being want of proper self-esteem, it is the only proper view of ourselves precisely as we are. It is a willingness to be evaluated as we really are, whether by God or others. This recognition of our absolute dependence on God and others that admits that our security and future are in the hands of others deflates any desire to compare our talents and accomplishments with those of our peers to their disadvantage. (1Co. 4:6-7)
3.
Because only an attitude of teachable humility, that admits ones own deep need, can be blessed by the Lord. Remember the examples of deep humility that impressed Jesus:
a.
The self-confessed unworthiness of the Roman centurion (Mat. 8:5-13)
b.
The Canaanite woman who accepted herself as a doggy under the table (Mat. 15:21-28)
c.
The sinful woman who washed His feet (Luk. 7:36-50)
d.
The reaction of Zacchaeus to His visit (Luk. 19:1-10)
e.
The anointing by Mary of Bethany (Mar. 14:3-9)
The kind of humility Jesus insists on is but a proper consciousness of our creaturely condition and a proper fear of God. To ignore this is to make oneself a little tin god, and only as we regain our healthy respect for the true God can we fathom the folly of social-climbing and the wisdom of that self-denial that bows its head to kneel beneath the load of everyone elses burdens to lift.
Greatest suggests great and greater. In fact, since each disciple possesses these character qualities in varying degrees, they would be relatively great according to their relative humility and usefulness to others. So, Jesus leaves intact the concept of relative difference in rank in the Kingdom, a fact that leaves room for consecrated competition and godly ambition and holy aggressiveness. Then, having shown that the name of the game and its highest goal is to be the humblest, most useful servant, He turns our redirected ambition loose to determine to be that servant. It is an entirely different ball game, but there is room for holy aggressiveness and competitive spirit. (See Rom. 12:10; Love one another with brotherly affection; outdo one another in showing honor!) Jesus did not return their question unanswered, noting, You ask a meaningless question (Mat. 18:1), because, in the Kingdom, the distinctions of great, greater and greatest do not exist. Our Lord is no communist who would level everyone to a gray equality that ignores personal differences and stifles initiative. Rather, infinite growth toward maturity is possible in the Kingdom, and its relative realization will unavoidably produce degrees and distinctions in maturity. But while such levels of status do exist in the Kingdom of God just as in earthly kingdoms, the all-important difference between them lies in the basis upon which these promotions are based, On earth, the prizes go to the self-seeking; in Gods Kingdom the truly great are the self-forgetful. This is why Bruce (Training, 195) recognizes that
In this sense, the greatest one in the kingdom, the King Himself, was the humblest of men. Of humility in the form of self-depreciation or self-humiliation on account of sin Jesus could know nothing, for there was no defect or fault in His character. But of the humility which consists in self-forgetfulness He was the perfect pattern. We cannot say that He thought little of Himself, but we may say that He thought not of Himself at all: He thought only of the Fathers glory and of mans good.
See Mat. 18:22-35 for Fact Questions.
Fuente: College Press Bible Study Textbook Series
(4) Whosoever therefore shall humble himself.This, then, was the answer to the question Who shall be the greatest. The secret of true greatness lay in that unconsciousness of being great, which takes the lowest position as that which of right belongs to it. For a man to humble himself with the purpose of attaining greatness would frustrate itself, and reduce humility to an hypocrisy. The pride that apes humility, the false lowliness of Col. 2:18, is even more hateful and contemptible than open self-assertion.
As this little child.That which was to be the result of a deliberate act in the disciples was found in the childs nature as it was. They were to make themselves lowly as he was lowly. The transition from the plural to the singular gives an almost dramatic vividness to the form of our Lords teaching. We seem to see the child shrinking timidly, with blushing face and downcast eyes, from the notice thus drawn to him.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
4. Humble himself as this little child It is to meek and quiet humility that our Saviour would have them converted. Thus it is that even the Christian often needs converting to the abandonment of errors and false habits and to the fuller possession of Christian graces.
Greatest in the kingdom of heaven Hence there are degrees in the happiness of the blessed in heaven.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Mat 18:4 . Inference from the general principle of Mat 18:3 to the special child-like quality in which the disciples were deficient, as well as to the special subject of their question. If your entering the future Messianic kingdom at all is determined by your returning again to a child-like frame of mind, then above all must you acquire, through humble self-abasement, the unassuming character of this child, in order to be greater than others in the Messiah’s kingdom.
] quicunque; “de individuo , de quo quaerebant, non respondet,” Bengel. In what follows is emphatic, and accordingly stands near the beginning of the sentence. Had the subjunctive been critically certain, we should not have had to borrow from the second part of the statement (Fritzsche), but rather to observe the distinction in the manner of presenting the idea, according to which the insertion of marks the presupposition as conditioned. The future assumes the action as actually occurring in the future; while the subjunctive after the relative without keeps the future realization still within the domain of thought, without, however, conceiving of the realization as conditioned ( ). For this usage among Attic prose writers, see Khner, ad Xen. Mem . i. 6. 13.
Moreover, the words of Mat 18:3-4 , inasmuch as they are essentially connected with the question of the disciples, are certainly original, not an anticipation of Mat 19:13 ff. (Holtzmann), and dispose us to prefer the account of Matthew to that of Mark or Luke.
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
4 Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
Ver. 4. Whosoever therefore shall humble, &c. ] Children are not lifted up with pride, for the great things they are born to, neither mind they high places: but the child of a prince will play with the poorest, and make him his mate. Christians should not mind high things, but condescend to the meanest, and be carried by them, as the word signifieth ( ) Rom 12:16 ; especially since we are all born again by the same seed, there is no difference at all in our birth or inheritance. Why then look we so big one upon another? Why do we slight or browbeat any? Have we not all one Father?
The same is greatest in the kingdom ] He that can most vilify and nullify himself, shall be highest in heaven. When had David the kingdom given him in possession, but when he was as a weaned child? When was Mephibosheth advanced to David’s table, but when he made himself a dog, and therefore fit only to lie under the table, yea, a dead dog, and therefore fit only for the ditch? He that is in the low pits and caves of the earth, sees the stars in the firmament; when they who are on the tops of the mountains discern them not. He that is most humble seeth most of heaven, and shall have most of it: for the lower the ebb, the higher the tide, and the lower the foundation of virtue is laid, the higher shall the roof of glory be overlaid.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
4. ] Not . . : ‘iste parvulus non se humilitat , sed humilis est .’ Valla (in Meyer). ‘Quales pueri natura sunt, ab ambitu scilicet alieni, tales nos esse jubemur .’ Grotius.
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Mat 18:4 . : the most difficult thing in the world for saint as for sinner. Raphel ( Annot. in S. S.) distinguishes three forms of self-humiliation: in mind (Phi 2:3 ), by words, and by acts, giving classical examples of the latter two. It is easy to humble oneself by self-disparaging words, or by symbolic acts, as when the Egyptian monks wore hoods, like children’s caps (Elsner), but to be humble in spirit , and so child-like! . The really humble man is as great in the moral world as he is rare.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
as this. Not as this little child humbles himself, for no one but the Lord humbles Himself. Compare Php 1:2, Php 1:7, Php 1:8.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
4.] Not . . : iste parvulus non se humilitat, sed humilis est. Valla (in Meyer). Quales pueri natura sunt, ab ambitu scilicet alieni, tales nos esse jubemur . Grotius.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Mat 18:4. , whosoever) No answer is given concerning the individual whom they inquired about.-, this man) sc. he, I tell you.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
humble: Mat 23:11, Mat 23:12, Psa 131:1, Psa 131:2, Isa 57:15, Luk 14:11, 1Pe 5:5, Jam 4:10
greatest: Mat 18:1, Mat 20:26, Mat 20:27, Mar 10:43, Luk 9:48
Reciprocal: 1Sa 15:17 – When thou 1Ki 3:7 – a little Pro 29:23 – honour Jer 13:18 – Humble Mat 11:25 – and hast Mat 20:25 – called Mar 10:14 – for Luk 18:16 – for Act 8:31 – How Act 10:33 – are we Act 18:26 – expounded 1Co 3:18 – let Eph 4:14 – no more
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
THE CULTIVATION OF HUMILITY
Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
Mat 18:4
Mark, it is not be humble, it is shall humble himself. It implies a process and then a victory. How shall we cultivate this grace?
I. Be sure that you are loved.We are all inclined to be proud to those whom we think do not like us, and we all can stoop to anything for those of whom we are fond, and of whom we believe they are fond of us. Therefore, the first root of humility is love.
II. Realise yourself the object of great mercy. Take your sorrows as a proof of remembrance, and all your blessings as each a mark of an individual favour to youfor this will endear God to you.
III. Be more reverential in your religion.In your posture, in your way of kneeling, in your way of addressing God, and speaking about sacred things, in your very voice and manner when you are engaged in what is holybecause if once you can establish the relationship of a true humility to God, it will not be very difficult to go on to be humble to man.
IV. Always try to keep yourself a little child.Whatever age you are throw yourself back into your own childhood, and be often realising again what you used to think, and what you used to feel, when you were a very little child.
The Rev. James Vaughan.
Illustration
Christ was always a child. Did you ever notice it, that the apostles St. Peter and St. John, speakingnot alone of His infancy, nor of His early years,but altogether of His whole life and His glory, twice call Him, the Holy Child Jesus. The expression is as true as it is remarkable. For observe, that for thirty yearswhatever His occupation wasHe was at Nazareth with His parents, wholly and only subject to them. And the other three years, beautiful traits of his reverential love to His mother gleam out, as for instance, when He paid such instant and profound obedience to her wish and suggestion at the marriage-feast, in His frequent returns back to the home at Nazareth, and His careful thought of her in His dying hours. And to God, Christ was always the Child. He always knelt, His eye was always upward, He traced all His powers to His Father.
Fuente: Church Pulpit Commentary
18:4
The comparison is made directly in this verse. Literal children were not to become members of the kingdom, for they do not need it, but men and women must become as these children on the matter of humbleness.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Mat 18:4. Humble himself as this little child. Not humble himself as this little child has done, but become humble as this little child is in this company. The absolute innocence of children is not implied, but simply this: The real greatness of the child consists in its perfect contentment with its littleness and dependence. This is necessary for entrance to the kingdom; our greatness there is measured by our humility. The answer virtually forbids the putting of such a question, and is then expanded into a discourse about the dignity of Christs little ones.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
As if our Lord had said, “That the apostle, or that minister, who thinks as meanly of himself as a little child, and is humble and lowly in his own esteem, he deserves the highest place of dignity and honour in my church.”
Note, That the truly humble person, who is freest from affecting pre-eminency, is most worthy of the highest dignity and eminency in the church of God: and in the account of Christ, the way to be honourable is to be humble. “Before honour is humility.”