The very least
by Reid Matthias
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I tell you, among those born of women there is no-one greater than John; yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he (Luke 7:28).
Read Luke 7:24–30
Is this hyperbole? Should we interpret Jesus’ words as a literal statement?
Because it feels as though these words are too over-the-top to believe. John the Baptist – the one who made straight the way in the desert, the one who baptised Jesus! – is not as great as the least in the kingdom.
Come on, really?
I guess I’d better see who’s on the list of ‘least of these’.
Jesus is pretty detailed about who these ‘greater-than-Johns’ are, and it comes from the Book of Matthew, chapter 25. This list includes the hungry, the naked, the sick and the imprisoned! The contemporary world is evidently quite content to treat Jesus’ words as hyperbole. There is no way that all the needy and the imprisoned can be greater than John the Baptist.
They haven’t done anything … They have no value … They clog up the system for those who produce …
These are the words of the Pharisees.
But Jesus literally says, ‘For I was hungry … I was thirsty … I was a stranger … I was naked, and I was imprisoned.’ And if we believe that Jesus is Lord of Lords and King of Kings, then Jesus is the one who is greater than John.
This means that when we seek to improve the lives of the hungry, the thirsty, the sick, the naked and the imprisoned, even if we do the very least, we are taking part in God’s work in his kingdom.
Much like the ancient Pharisees, modern-day humans expect Jesus to be on the side of the rich, the powerful and the important, but that’s not the case at all. Jesus (and John, for that matter) has never been what we expected. Thankfully, he ends up being more.
You may be hungry, thirsty, or sick while you read this. You may be exposed to the elements and suffering from the coldness of rejection. You may feel imprisoned by your thoughts and your past. Jesus is with you, child of God. Jesus draws you to himself, and instead of being the least, you are one of the most important people in the kingdom.
You are his beloved.
Thank you, Jesus, for your presence in my times of need. Help me see that in others also. Amen.
Reid Matthias is the school pastor at St Andrews Lutheran College in Tallebudgera, Queensland. Reid is married to Christine, and together with their three incredible daughters, Elsa, Josephine and Greta, they have created a Spotify channel (A 13) where they have recorded music. Reid has recently published his seventh novel, A Miserable Antagonist. You can find all of his novels and music links at www.reidmatthias.com
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