“Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” Psychologists say that a common symptom of depression is grandiosity. When we feel downcast, undervalued or diminished, we often develop an inflated persona, one which is proud, magnificent, garbed in flashy colors. And that is how the disciples approach Jesus today. Their question is so blatantly proud – “Lord, who among us is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” – that what lies underneath can only be the disciples huge lack of confidence, self-value and meaning in their lives. Because they felt so poor and empty, they built this self-image where they are worthy of the kingdom of heaven.
But Jesus’ answer is completely down-to-earth: “If you want to enter the kingdom of heaven, you must become like children”. In Jesus’ time, children were socially meaningless. They had no active or passive voice in anything. Infancy was far from being rosy; it was a marginal period in one’s life. And that is the model that Jesus offers to his disciples: if you want to be great in the kingdom of heaven, do not flee from yourself, but enter into your heart, embrace the roots of your meaninglessness and become your true self – not that gaudy one, which has nothing to do with you. Holiness often seems despicable. May we resist the temptation to despise the Lord’s ways for our salvation, by the intercession of our holy guardian angels.