Big Idea - In the Kingdoms and systems of the world, no one is really equal in status or rank. We find ways to measure ourselves against others to know who is better, who ranks higher, and who is more important. How do rank and status work in the Kingdom of God? Jesus makes it very clear that this kind of thinking and practice has absolutely no place in the Kingdom of Heaven. The rank of every person in the Kingdom is the rank of a child - the rank of the weakest, smallest, and least important in the social order. We are to see ourselves at the rank of children and we are to see others at the same level. We are all brought low by our need for God's grace, our need for the cross. We relate to each other only on the basis of our position in Christ as His children. No one is exempt from the temptation to sin. No one is so strong that they are beyond the fight against sin in their own life. Just as children are in need of being cared for, so are we in a place of dependence on God, and on each other. Those who do wander off, are not lower than the rest of us. Instead, they are those whom God searches for and rejoices over with great joy when they are restored to the flock. Therefore, we need to show the same care for each other, and highly value every child of God, doing all we can to protect each other, and go after those who wander away.
