- If people today were asked about who the greatest people in our world are, how do you think they would answer?
- Read 18:1–4. How is Jesus' assessment of greatness different from the world's?
- Children were not valued in the ancient world in the way children are in the 21st–century world. They were certainly "the least of these"—i.e., people often viewed as insignificant in the world's value systems. Who would fall into the category of "least of these" in our society? How should following Jesus change the way we see and treat them?
- How does Jesus' parable in 18:10–14 speak to the question "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"
- What should be different about our individual lives and our church's life if we grow to value what Jesus says God values in people?
- What do you hope to apply to your own life in the light of Jesus' words in Matthew 18?
According to Jesus, 2011 Study Series • Copyright © 2011, Lake Avenue Church