“On the way they had argued about who was the greatest.”

We do not know who were at the core of this argument, but Peter seemed to have been involved. According to the Book of Matthew, after Jesus helped Peter pay the temple tax (Matthew 17: 24-27), the disciples asked Jesus: “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” Perhaps Jesus’ favour towards Peter triggered envy from the other disciples.

Jesus did not blame the disciples directly for their faults; rather, He showed them through a little child that true greatness stems from the ability to serve the little ones among us. From a human point of view, we may feel that God can be unfair. However, God’s love for us is never manifested in the same way. If all the flowers growing in a garden were just roses, how can there be beauty of a hundred blossoms!

Jesus once said to Peter, “If I want John to wait until I come, what is that to you? Your business is to follow Me.”. When we each individually carry out God’s plan for us, surely we shall become the greatest in heaven.