He was doing a good work such as
Christ gave His apostles power to do. They prided themselves in it, and
felt as if they only had a right to it. So John, speaking for the rest,
as if he had authority, forbade this man to use the power any more. On
their reaching the house of Peter, Jesus asked, "What was it that ye
disputed among yourselves by the way?" Perceiving that He knew their
thoughts, they were silent with shame, until one of them, yet
unconquered by His question of reproof, asked Him "Who is the greatest?"
He did not answer the question immediately. As if in preparation for
something special, "He sat down and called the twelve" about Him; He
uttered one reported sentence, "If any man would be first, he shall be
last of all, and minister of all." And then "He called a little child to
Him and set him in the midst of them." It was His object lesson. Through
it He rebuked and taught them. He made childhood a test of character.
With solemnity and earnestness He declared, "Verily I say unto you,
Except ye turn and become as little children, ye shall in no wise enter
into the kingdom of heaven."

That child-spirit included simplicity, meekness, harmlessness,
obedience, dutifulness, trustfulness and, especially at this time,
humility.

The Lord's declaration must have startled the disciples. They thought of
themselves as His chosen ones, superior to others, having special
powers, and destined to special honors which none other might claim. In
a spirit contrary to His declaration, they were contending who should be
the greatest in His kingdom. He revealed to them, then and there, the
nature of that kingdom which they had so greatly misunderstood.

Upon one at least, Christ's lesson was not altogether lost. That was
John. He recalled his proud and unjust treatment of the humble man whom
he had forbidden to do good work in the name of Christ. He saw that his
own spirit had been contrary to that of which Christ had just spoken. He
finally confessed his fault. But the lesson of his Master was not
perfectly learned, or if learned, was not, as we shall see, perfectly
obeyed. Though the beloved, he was still an imperfect, disciple, as is
shown in another incident.

At the time when Jesus lived, and in the country where He journeyed,
travelers were generally welcomed as guests in any home. Though
strangers, they were treated as friends. This was a necessary kindness
because there were no hotels such as we have in our day an