"Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" Jesus' response to this question by bringing a child into the centre of attention has opened a door for anyone to achieve greatness. No one is excluded from securing a place of greatness in the kingdom of heaven. However, this greatness is not what the disciples can quantify.

Jesus calls a little child to Him and sets the child in their midst. The child is a symbol of any person who is of no importance. This was how a child was regarded in the Jewish society of Jesus' time, unimportant, without wealth or prestige or power; the child is no rival to anyone. He receives food, protection and guidance from others. The Twelve have a possessive view of greatness compared to Jesus. For them, the kingdom is an empire of status, importance, power, control.

Jesus diverts the disciples' attention away from self to others. People are of value because God the Father loves them and He is drawing them into a relationship with Himself. If you accept this, you will be willing to welcome every unimportant person, and you will know that you are welcoming Jesus too. Hence, anyone has an open space to allow growth and fruitfulness in relating to God through encountering others. Do I provide a space that promotes a safe encounter of acceptance for others to believe that God loves them?