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How Great We Are

About that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?” ~Matthew 18:1

There are eternal implications in how we treat one another. The disciples should not have been arguing over who was the greatest. Not simply because it was the wrong question, but because it shows a great lack of concern for one another.

The other day, and honestly this could be any and every day, I came upon my 3 children having an argument.
Bogatyr
That sounds very pastoral, doesn’t it? It makes it sound like I was walking around quoting scripture and I happened upon my 3 little angels who happened to be having a disagreement which could only be solved by someone with great wisdom.

In reality, I was trying to finish supper when my 3 hobbits, who always scarf down their own meals, started fighting with one another. Interrupted and slightly annoyed, I asked who started what, whereupon I received 3 different stories, all, of course, blaming one another.

After doling out some consequences to cries of ‘unfair’, I started back to my meal. But before I went back, I said what I have said everyday ever since the second child was born. “Let’s all play nice. Let’s remember that our brother and sisters are more important to us than whatever it is we fight over.”

The fact is, in many ways, we are all like my children, and we need constant reminders about who we are and what we should be doing and why we should be doing it. So it is good for us to encourage one another. Perhaps we should argue how others are more important than us. That might be a step in the right direction.

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