“The Path to the Kingdom, Part 1: Childlike Greatness” by the Rev. Dr. Don Wahlig, September 6^th, 2026, Year A / Proper 18  –  Psalm 119:33-40  ¨  Matthew 18:1-5, 10-14

THEME:  Humility is the source of true greatness in God’s eyes.

One of the great blessings of living here in Central Pennsylvania is the access we have to the great outdoors. Whether you are a hiker, a biker, a kayaker, or just a casual walker, a few minutes from your doorstep, you can be outside enjoying God’s beautiful creation. This is one of the reasons why I took up golf again after I first arrived here 10 years ago. In the last few years, I’ve gotten more serious about it. I took lessons. I got a new set of clubs. I started playing with our Tuesday golf group here at SSPC. I even persuaded my wife to play. I have discovered that golf is the surest, quickest way to develop humility.  I am convinced this is why our Scottish Presbyterian ancestors invented this humbling game.

First of all, Golf is an individual sport. It comes down to one player, swinging one club, trying to hit one little white ball into one devilishly small hole. Unlike other sports, there is no referee to blame for a bad call. You cannot point a finger at the opposing team’s tactics. You can’t blame a teammate for a bad performance. It is all you.  And because only one player hits at a time, everyone else’s focus is on you. There is nowhere to hide. Beyond that, golf is a notoriously difficult game. Even the best professionals hit bad shots on a surprisingly regular basis. They make errors of judgment. They choose the wrong club or the wrong distance or the wrong kind of shot. Those are just the things you can control. There are any number of things you can’t. You cannot control the wind, or the angle of the sun. You can’t control the slope of the fairway, or the firmness of the putting green. 

Finally, there is the mental challenge of golf. Just when you have finally hit a good shot, and you are tempted to think that you can actually play this game, there is another hole to play. Inevitably, it is a chastening experience. All of this is why Mark Twain famously said, “Golf is a good walk spoiled.” But, if you are looking to develop humility, there is no surer way than playing golf.

The necessity of learning humility is what Jesus is teaching his disciples. As they walk through Galilee, Jesus tells them for the second time that he must suffer and die before being resurrected.  As before, they are deeply disturbed by this. Then they reach Capernaum.  There at the synagogue, a tax collector demands that they pay the temple tax imposed by Rome.  The ensuing discussion becomes a lesson in true greatness. To the disciples and every other 1^st Century Palestinian Jew, the temple tax was a reminder of Rome’s power. It’s easy to see why. The Emperor himself dictated the purpose of the tax. Roman officials oversaw the processing of the tax. Roman soldiers enforced the collection of the tax.

Everywhere they go, the disciples are surrounded by evidence of Rome’s power. Prestige, wealth, and military might.  In the eyes of the 1^st Century Mediterranean world, these are what makes Rome great.  The disciples assume that God’s Kingdom works the same way. Like the Empire, Heaven must be a hierarchy of the most powerful. So, they ask Jesus.

But Jesus’ answer is not at all what they expect. Yes, there is a hierarchy in God’s Kingdom, but it is the exact opposite of the Roman Empire. In God’s Kingdom, it’s not the powerful who are greatest.  It’s the little ones are. And to make his point, he pulls over a child to teach his disciples a lesson about the importance of humility.

We tend to think of children as innocent, miniature human beings.  They are to be cherished. In Jesus’ culture, children were nothing. They had no power and no rights.  Their only value was to serve others. In the social pecking order, they were at the bottom. Absolutely no one aspired to be childlike. Then Jesus ups the ante. He tells his disciples that becoming childlike is the entrance requirement for Heaven. “Unless you change and become like children,” he says, “you will never enter the kingdom of Heaven.” 

In God’s Kingdom, true greatness requires humility. Jesus says, “Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.” God values all his children. Like a good shepherd searching for a single lost sheep, he will not rest until all his little ones are restored to him. That is why, when God came among us in the flesh, he did not come as a prince in a palace. He chose to become a poor peasant, one of life’s little ones. He gathers his children to him not by accumulating riches and military might, but by suffering and dying at the hands of those who had that power. Through his resurrection, he demonstrated the greatest power of all: the power over death.  That is how all God’s little ones can be restored to new life in his never-ending presence. 

This is why Jesus says his disciples have to become little ones, too. They have to learn to value humility in others and to develop humility in themselves. Friends, you and I must do the same. The question is what does humility look like for us, and how do we develop it?

Jesus is, of course, our best example.  But wouldn’t it be helpful if there were someone from our own time who could give us a contemporary example of what Christ-like humility looks like in practice, in our world? Well, there is.  How many of you grew up watching Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood? You probably know that Fred Rogers was an ordained Presbyterian Pastor in Pittsburgh.  In the 1960s, he developed the concept for a new children’s TV show called “Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood.”  The last episode aired 25 years ago this past week. You can still see reruns on YouTube and other streaming channels.

It was a revolutionary show. In contrast to the fast-paced commercial children’s TV programming of the time, Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood was a calm, welcoming and reassuring place. Mr. Rogers spoke directly to children.  He treated them with respect and dignity. He reassured them of their uniqueness and their worth as human beings. He addressed their problems directly, and never shied away from hard topics. Mr. Rogers was simply another human being, walking alongside others, learning to treat one another with love, compassion and kindness, no matter who they were.

His underlying message was the same one Christ teaches his disciples. God loves all his children, even and especially those whom the world rejects. In order to love these little ones, we have to humble ourselves and become like them.  Both on-air and in-person, Fred Rogers echoed Jesus’ message about the necessity of becoming humble like children. 

What we want to know is how did he get to be like that? His humility was authentic because, first and foremost, it was rooted in his relationship with God. He understood his dependence on God’s guidance, grace and provision, and he was grateful. He began each day in communion with God through silence, reflection, and prayer. He not only listened closely to God, he listened closely to others. Fred Rogers was a master of active listening. In conversation with children and adults, he asked them to talk.  He asked them about themselves and their lives. He genuinely cared what they thought and how they felt.  

He also understood the importance of resisting the lure of fame and money. He had both.  No one would have been shocked if his ego became inflated. But his faith would not allow that. In his 2003 book, “The World According to Mister Rogers,” he wrote that true greatness is usually quiet and simple. Life’s most important moments happen out of the spotlight – like someone forgiving another person for a deep hurt. He said, "The really important 'great' things are never center stage of life's drama. They are always 'in the wings.'  That is why it is so essential for us to be mindful of the humble and the deep, rather than the flashy and the superficial.” Fred Rogers understood what Jesus taught his disciples about humility. He understood what it takes to develop it.

Friends, you and I can do the same.  It looks a lot like Christ’s Great Commandment. We begin by focusing on God. Recognizing our dependence on God. Being grateful for his blessings. Resisting the lure of power and money. Second, we focus on our neighbor. Actively listening to others, especially the little ones. Genuinely caring what they think and how they feel.  That is how we develop humility.

So, this week, let’s all do a little self-reflection. Examine yourself from the inside out. If you see more pride than humility, it may be time for some ego-shock therapy. A round of golf might do the trick.  But even better, let’s watch some of those Mr. Rogers reruns. 

There are few better reminders of Jesus’ message. In God’s eyes, true greatness is to become like the little ones. 

May it be so.