Wednesday, September 23, 2026

Matthew 18:1-5 

The Greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven 

18 At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 

2 He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. 3 And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me. 

The single greatest tradition in all sports (I may be biased) is “The Wave” at the University of Iowa. 

At the conclusion of the first quarter of play, the entire stadium stops and turns towards the Stead Family Children’s Hospital and waves at the kids. 

I’m not crying, you are! 

I think that what makes it such a profound moment in time is that 80,000 people are recognizing people of true courage, character, and humility in these kids and families facing cancer. The money and the cameras spend the whole game focused on the athletes and coaches, but everyone at Kinnick stadium knows who the real heroes are: The families. 

Jesus understood that we are always looking for where the power is located. We either want to avoid getting squished by it, or we want to harness it for some purpose. The heart of the kingdom of God is subversive in the way that it locates real power in humility and sacrificial love-the kind you see in the families at the children’s hospital—and on the cross. 

Who are the people in your world that demonstrate this kind of power? What would it look like to give them a wave today? 

– Pr. Jason 

Jesus, thank you for showing me what true power looks like. Help me to embody this in my own story and in my relationships. Amen.