Praise lyrics at the bottom of https://newhopefellowship.ca/live/uptown

Worship with us on Zoom is not available this week.
Join here → https://newhope.to/uptowndropin
-----
We'd love to connect with you!
Follow us on Instagram @nhfuptown or reach us at uptown@newhopefellowship.ca.
-----
Weekly bulletin: https://newhope.to/ut-bulletin

Summary
Jesus's right-side-up kingdom also affects the definition of greatness. To be truly great is to be truly humble. Jesus explains this through a short teaching on how receiving a child in his name is the same as receiving him, which also means that you receive God.

But what does it mean to receive a child during Jesus's time? For many of us, we misinterpret this, thinking of people who are "good with kids." In modern times, it's actually a virtue to interact with children. Children can be cute, fun, or funny. But during Jesus's time, this was not the case.

Other than your own children, children were perceived as annoying, foolish, and as outsiders. They were not considered to be fully human until they reach puberty. Investing in young children was unwise because many of them did not live past the age of 15. Children were marginalized as outsiders, similar to the way old men, women, and slaves were treated.

Jesus's emphasis on "receive" implies that you welcoming someone. Just like in today's era, we are always treating people differently based on their position, social status, the potential benefit that we might receive, etc. When we invite our superiors, there is much more pressure in ensuring that we can make a positive impression. Jesus is saying, have that same attitude toward those who are annoying, foolish, or outsiders—even toward children.

This passage, however, is not simply about how to interact or welcome others. As we've been explicit, all of these passages are windows into God's heart and the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is radical that God, who is sovereign over everything, actually cares about outsiders like children. Not only does he care about outsiders like children, but how one treats children is a measurement of how one treats God. This is because the way God reached out to us is similar to the way we reach out to children: we are also annoying, foolish, and outsiders. Despite all of these, he received and welcomed us into his family through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Therefore, one way for us to know if we are truly in Christ and responding appropriately to the gospel is to see how we are receiving and welcoming others—especially those who are annoying, foolish, and outsiders.