Luke 9:48

PLUS
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 twi 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 mikrotero en pasin umin uparcwn). Note the use of uparcw as in Matthew 8:41 ; Matthew 23:50 . The comparative mikrotero is in accord with the Koin idiom where the superlative is vanishing (nearly gone in modern Greek). But great (mega) is positive and very strong. This saying peculiar to Luke here.