Verse 1
THE EMBLEM OF HUMILITY, Matthew 18:1-6.
1. At the same time Literally at that season; namely, at Capernaum, shortly after the miracle of the coin in the fish’s mouth.
Saying, Who is the greatest In regard to the propounding of this question, there is an apparent discrepancy between the evangelists, which we may lay before our readers in full, as an illustrative specimen of the nature of such discrepancies, and the proper modes of dealing with them.
MATTHEW.
Came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? And Jesus called a little child.
And being in the house, he asked them, What was it that ye disputed among yourselves by the way? But they held their peace: for they had disputed among themselves who should be the greatest. And he sat down, and called the twelve, and saith unto them, etc. And he took a child.
Then there arose a reasoning among them, which of them should be greatest. And Jesus perceiving the thought of their heart took a child.
At first glance we should imagine an irreconcilable difference, and error of detail. But a closer inspection will show that each evangelist gives different stages of the same transaction. Luke tells of the first rising of the dispute, which probably took place on the way, from fishing in the lake, to Capernaum; and then he omits the rest until Jesus placed the child before them.
Mark commences after they had come into the house, when Jesus questioned them, and they were silent; he omits what followed until the Lord called all together and placed the child before them.
Matthew tells us what occurred after our Lord questioned them, and they were silent for shame. The disciples on reflecting that our Lord evidently knew their debate, ingenuously come and lay the question before him. Our Lord then procures the child, and furnishes an answer in full, in regard to the discussion for the pre-eminence. Matthew 18:1.
From this example the unpracticed reader may easily see how the evangelists supplement each other; and how what at first seems to be irreconcilable difficulty becomes, on farther examination, perfectly consistent proof that fact is the basis of all.
The greatest in the kingdom of heaven The giving of the keys to Peter had not produced the idea in the apostle’s mind that he was thereby nominated head of their body, or prime minister, vizier, or general in the divine kingdom. Among the disciples it was still an unsettled question which should be primate; it might be one of our Lord’s blood relations; it might be the beloved John, or the senior Peter. Our Lord’s discourse decides that it will be neither.
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