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Luke 9:48
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Who Is the Greatest?

46 aThen a dispute arose among them as to which of them would be greatest.  
47 And Jesus, aperceiving the thought of their heart, took a blittle child and set him by Him,  
48 and said to them, a“Whoever receives this little child in My name receives Me; and bwhoever receives Me creceives Him who sent Me. dFor he who is least among you all will be great.”  

Jesus Forbids Sectarianism

49 aNow John answered and said, “Master, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow with us.”  
50 But Jesus said to him, “Do not forbid him, for ahe who is not against us is on2 our side.”  
Commentaries:
Robertson's Word Pictures (NT)
<< Luke 9:47   Luke 9:49 >>


Luke 9:48

This little child (touto to paidion). As Jesus spoke he probably had his hand upon the head of the child. Matthew 18:5 has "one such little child." The honoured disciple, Jesus holds, is the one who welcomes little children "in my name" (epi tw onomati mou), upon the basis of my name and my authority. It was a home-thrust against the selfish ambition of the Twelve. Ministry to children is a mark of greatness. Have preachers ever yet learned how to win children to Christ? They are allowed to slip away from home, from Sunday school, from church, from Christ.

For he that is least among you all (o gar mikroterov en pasin umin uparxwn). Note the use of uparxw as in Luke 8:41; Luke 23:50. The comparative mikroterov is in accord with the Koin‚ idiom where the superlative is vanishing (nearly gone in modern Greek). But

great (megav) is positive and very strong. This saying peculiar to Luke here.




Other Robertson's Word Pictures (NT) entries containing Luke 9:48:

Matthew 18:5
Mark 9:37
Luke 9:49
John 12:44

 

<< Luke 9:47   Luke 9:49 >>

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