The Least and the Great
“Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” – Matthew 5:19
According to Jesus, the way we treat God’s Word matters not just now, but forever. He tells us plainly that one day, God will evaluate our lives based on two things: how we obeyed His commands and how we influenced others to do the same. That’s the measuring stick. It won’t be about your social following, your charisma, or even your earthly accomplishments. It’ll be about your faithfulness to the truth.
Jesus isn’t talking about salvation in this moment. He’s talking about reward. He says there will be those in Heaven who are considered “great” and others who are considered “least.” The difference won’t be based on personality or position; it will come down to how seriously you took His Word. Did you believe it? Did you live by it? Did you share it? Or did you compromise it and teach others to do the same?
In a world that celebrates compromise and encourages people to rewrite truth to fit their lifestyle, this is a sharp warning. Too often, we downplay the importance of obedience, treating some of God’s commands like optional suggestions. But Jesus says even the least of the commands matters. Even the smallest step of disobedience can lead others astray, especially if we model that behavior.
No one gets it right all the time. But if your life is aimed toward honoring God’s Word, and if you're helping others do the same, that matters deeply to God. What you do with Scripture now will echo in eternity. So today, the challenge is simple: Live it. Teach it. Share it. Make it clear that His Word is your standard, not just your suggestion. That’s how you walk the path from the least to the great in the Kingdom of Heaven.
According to Jesus, the way we treat God’s Word matters not just now, but forever. He tells us plainly that one day, God will evaluate our lives based on two things: how we obeyed His commands and how we influenced others to do the same. That’s the measuring stick. It won’t be about your social following, your charisma, or even your earthly accomplishments. It’ll be about your faithfulness to the truth.
Jesus isn’t talking about salvation in this moment. He’s talking about reward. He says there will be those in Heaven who are considered “great” and others who are considered “least.” The difference won’t be based on personality or position; it will come down to how seriously you took His Word. Did you believe it? Did you live by it? Did you share it? Or did you compromise it and teach others to do the same?
In a world that celebrates compromise and encourages people to rewrite truth to fit their lifestyle, this is a sharp warning. Too often, we downplay the importance of obedience, treating some of God’s commands like optional suggestions. But Jesus says even the least of the commands matters. Even the smallest step of disobedience can lead others astray, especially if we model that behavior.
No one gets it right all the time. But if your life is aimed toward honoring God’s Word, and if you're helping others do the same, that matters deeply to God. What you do with Scripture now will echo in eternity. So today, the challenge is simple: Live it. Teach it. Share it. Make it clear that His Word is your standard, not just your suggestion. That’s how you walk the path from the least to the great in the Kingdom of Heaven.
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