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Mark 9:33
And he came to Capernaum: and being in the house he asked them, What was it that ye disputed among yourselves by the way?

Who.

Matthew 20:20-28
Then came to him the mother of Zebedee's children with her sons, worshippinghim, and desiring a certain thing of him…

Matthew 23:11
But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.

Mark 9:34
But they held their peace: for by the way they had disputed among themselves, whoshould be the greatest.

in.

Matthew 3:2
And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Matthew 5:19,20
Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teachthem, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven…

Matthew 7:21
Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

the disciples came to Jesus
The disciples, a group of twelve men chosen by Jesus, often sought His guidance and teaching. Their approach to Jesus here shows their dependence on Him for understanding spiritual truths. This moment reflects their close relationship with Jesus and their role as learners. It also highlights the communal aspect of discipleship, as they come together with a shared question.

and asked,
The act of asking indicates a desire for knowledge and understanding. It shows the disciples' willingness to learn and their recognition of Jesus as a teacher with authority. This question also reveals their human concerns and misunderstandings about the nature of greatness in the kingdom of heaven.

“Who then is the greatest
The question of greatness was a common concern in the cultural context of the time, where social status and hierarchy were significant. The disciples' question reflects a misunderstanding of the values of the kingdom of heaven, which contrasts with worldly views of power and status. This inquiry sets the stage for Jesus to teach about humility and servanthood.

in the kingdom of heaven?”
The kingdom of heaven is a central theme in Jesus' teachings, representing God's reign and rule. It is both a present reality and a future hope. The disciples' question shows their interest in understanding their place within this kingdom. Jesus' response, which follows in the subsequent verses, redefines greatness in terms of childlike humility and dependence on God, challenging the disciples' preconceptions and inviting them to embrace a new way of living.

• The phrase signals a real moment in Jesus’ ongoing ministry, right after He foretold His death and paid the temple tax (Matthew 17:22-27).

• It ties the coming conversation to the flow of events, reminding us that Jesus’ words always meet people where they are in life’s timeline (cf.Mark 9:33;Luke 9:46).

• Scripture presents history as God’s unfolding plan, so every “time” matters (Ecclesiastes 3:1;Galatians 4:4).

• They approach the Lord personally, modeling the privilege believers have to draw near (Hebrews 4:16).

• Their coming shows they trust Him to settle debates and define truth (John 6:68).

• Yet Matthew places the scene in Capernaum (Matthew 17:24), hinting that private settings often reveal the heart more than public moments.

• Questioning is welcomed by Jesus; He never rebukes sincere inquiry (Jeremiah 33:3).

• But motives matter. Their question carries ambition, a hint of rivalry exposed elsewhere (Mark 10:35-37;James 4:3).

• The verse invites us to examine why we want answers: for obedience or for self-advancement?

• The disciples assume a ranking system, yet Jesus will flip that assumption by pointing to childlike humility in the next verses (Matthew 18:2-4).

• True greatness, He will show, is measured by lowliness and service (Matthew 20:26-27;Luke 22:24-27).

• Their focus on “greatest” contrasts with Jesus’ earlier Beatitude that the “poor in spirit” already possess the kingdom (Matthew 5:3).

• The question highlights our natural bent toward status, which the gospel continually redirects toward servanthood (Philippians 2:3-7).

Matthew 18:1 records an actual moment when the disciples, still influenced by worldly ideas of rank, come to Jesus and openly ask who will be top in His kingdom. The verse sets the stage for a lesson that greatness is found not in self-exaltation but in humble dependence on the King.

(1)Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?--St. Mark records more fully that they had disputed about this in the way, that our Lord, knowing their thoughts (Luke 9:47), asked them what had been the, subject of their debate, and that they were then silent. We may well believe that the promise made to Peter, and the special choice of the Three for closer converse, as in the recent Transfiguration, had given occasion for the rival claims which thus asserted themselves. Those who were less distinguished looked on this preference, it may be, with jealousy, while, within the narrower circle, the ambition of the two sons of Zebedee to sit on their Lord's right hand and on His left in His kingdom (Matthew 20:23), was ill-disposed to concede the primacy of Peter.