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Least
A word study
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Does it matter if you are at the bottom of the pile? Life is competitive. In football, teams struggle to win the cup, come top of the league. Athletes do not like to come last in a race. In politics there is a fight not to lose the election. In society, families compete to have their children at the best schools, and to live in the best district. Husbands and wives have been known to separate after a power struggle within their marriage. In churches there may be competition for the leading roles, to be archbishop or pope! In all this very human aspiration for the prestigious top position, for success, does it matter if you fail, come at the bottom not the top, are the 'least'? 'Least' is a Bible word which can be the translation of different Greek words. One is elachistos, the 'most little'. Another is elachistoteros, 'more little than the most little'. Then there is mikros, meaning just 'little', and mikroteros meaning 'more little'. These are translated 'least' in the AV., and are among the references considered in this article, along with eschatos meaning 'last' or 'lowest'. Our opening question can not of course be answered simply by a word study, but we shall draw out some threads of thought in the New Testament linked with these words. There are passages where even the least are included, where the phrase is 'from the least to the greatest' or 'small and great'. These refer to people's position or status in society. The greatest might be royalty, celebrities, government ministers, generals. The least might be the poorest, those who are ill, people belonging to the lowest caste in society such as, in India's caste system, the untouchables. Wherever there is a 'pecking order', whether because of brute strength or ingrained privilege, both the first and the lowest are all included in these expressions. There are no exceptions. It is one and all, everybody. The phrase 'small and great' is used in various connections, employing the Greek word mikros. All the dead are included in Revelation 20, and they are all judged. The scene in the vision is that heaven and earth have vanished, and there is only a great white throne with the dead 'small and great' standing before it. The record books are opened, and the book of life with its verdict (if the Revelation had been given today, would it have been a computer print‑out?). It is a universal judgment of all those who have ever lived. * Revelation 19.18 paints a gruesome picture. The carrion birds feast on the carcases of every last one of those who formed the Beast's army - great and small. Whatever that army may depict or represent, it is completely destroyed. In Revelation 13.16, the Beast had forced all the people, small and great, to have a mark on their right hand or forehead, permitting them to take part in life and engage in trade. Some form of universal economic dictatorship. * On a less fearful note, the gospel was preached by Paul to both small and great. He assured King Agrippa and the Procurator Festus that his gospel was that the Messiah should suffer, and be the first to rise from the dead, and would show light to Jews and non‑Jews alike. He had spoken this to both small and great, not just the dignitaries who were hearing his defence at that moment (Acts 26.22). * Consequently, those who believe and are Christ's servants, small and great, can rejoice when the kingdom of this world becomes the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign for ever and ever. The time for the dead to be judged and to reward his servants - the prophets, the saints, all who fear his name both small and great (Rev.11.18) In Revelation 19.5 all his servants, small and great, are called upon to praise God - it is the time of the 'marriage supper of the Lamb'. It is to be noted that among God's servants there do exist those who are small and those who are great: but all are included in the rejoicing. The words 'from the least to the greatest' occur twice in the NT. There is an occasion in Acts (8.10) where Simon Magus by his magic was making for himself a position of authority in Samaria. Everybody there, from the least to the greatest, did what he said. This was a local situation, which changed when Philip came preaching the gospel. Then Peter came on the scene, and showed that the gifts of the Spirit were not a superior type of magic (which Simon thought he could buy into), but were part of a message which required repentance even of those who wanted to be great. The second place is in Hebrews 8.10‑12, a quotation from Jeremiah. 'This is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall not teach every one his fellow or every one his brother, saying, 'Know the Lord,' for all shall know me, from the least of them to the greatest. For I will be merciful to their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.' This is the new relationship between God and Israel, in Christ, set out in the first century AD. We wonder when it will be the case that all Israelites know the Lord - one and all? From all these instances we take the point that in the situation to which each refers, no one is left out. Whether for good or ill, condemned or rejoicing, along with the great ones, 'the least' are included. The least may have power. We should not suppose that what is least, or whoever is least, should be ignored. A case in point is the 'little town of Bethlehem'. One of a thousand villages when the prophet Micah was writing (5.2) it was not a fortified city like Jerusalem. Though small, it had associations with King David. Centuries later it was the birthplace of the Messiah, and so 'not least' among the cities of Judah. Quite different is the reference by James to a ship's rudder (3.4). "Look at the ships... though they are so great and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder [elastichos]." In the same way, man's tongue has immense influence - James might have said the same thing about not a tongue but a pen, or a mobile phone! The smallest word can have great effect. For example, when Paul was explaining his life story and his message to the crowd in the temple at Jerusalem they listened to him patiently. He spoke the one world 'gentiles' and there was a riot which threatened his life (Acts 22.21). The least may not remain the least for ever. Take the mustard seed, 'a grain of mustard seed... the smallest [mikroteros] of all the seeds on earth.... it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade' (Mark 4.31-2). Jesus took this least seed as a picture of the kingdom of God. From the tiny beginnings in Palestine it has indeed grown worldwide, creating a home for all sorts of 'birds': but still we pray, 'Thy kingdom come'. How we behave in the least things of life Our behaviour in the least things is a clue to our future destiny. Jesus said, 'The one who is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much.' (Luke 16.10) He had been speaking about the dishonest steward who was clever in the way he covered his back after cheating his master, which led him on to speak about the way we act as stewards of the money and possessions which come our way. It is startling to find Him speaking of money and possessions as a little thing. Nevertheless, our financial probity is an indication of whether we shall be given the 'true riches' - eternal life. There is a similar thought in Luke 19.17, in the parable of the pounds. The master returns to see what his servants have been doing with the resources he put in their care. To one he says, 'Well done, good servant. Because you have been faithful in a very little you shall have authority over ten cities.' The 'very little' in the story was not exactly insignificant, the ten 'pounds' could be the equivalent of £30,000 today. But the lesson is clear. Whatever He gives us to use in this life, we must be faithful about it: being faithful is the key to our usefulness in coming ages. Jesus is quite drastic in his words in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5.19). Speaking of those who would use his teaching as an excuse to avoid obeying 'the law and the prophets', he said 'whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven.' He went on to widen the understanding of what the laws implied, with his own teaching about murder, adultery, false testimony, revenge, and love (love for one's enemies). Exact obedience in small matters is significant, even if a society is ruled by universal love. The apostle Paul uses the continuity between present and
future in the reverse direction, leading back from future expectations to
present problems. 1 Corinthians 6.2. 'Do you not know that the saints
will judge the world? and if the world is to be judged by you, are you
incompetent to try trivial cases [elastichon]?' If Christians
have disputes with one another, they should be sorted out and settled
within the Christian community. Sensitivity about status Within the company of the believers there must always have been concerns about power, authority, being important. Jesus may not have had this problem in mind when He said that the least important member of his kingdom [mikroteros] was greater than John the Baptist (Matthew 11.11) - but there is an implication for those who are concerned about their status. John the Baptist was famous, effective in his preaching, a great moral teacher and was the herald of the Messiah. To be greater than him? Jesus doubtless was using striking language to make his point, but the thought must have shocked healed lepers, rejuvenated widow women, reformed prostitutes, tax collectors. What did Jesus mean by being great? Not necessarily doing a great public work, but great by being valued, by having accepted the teaching and the love which He was giving, by being accepted to a place under His authority. The apostle Paul was one who was sensitive about his position. He called himself the 'least of the apostles' [elachistos] (1 Cor.15.9), it was only by God's grace that he was what he was. On another occasion he termed himself 'less than the least' of God's people [elachistotero] (Eph.3.8). It was God's undeserved kindness, the working of God's power which enabled him to preach to the nations 'the unsearchable riches of Christ' and to reveal God's eternal purpose. This being the case, that he was Christ's servant, the opinion of other people about him did not matter in the least (1 Cor.4.3). But in practice Jesus' disciples did care what other people thought, and Jesus had to deal with them when they vied for position. They wanted to be 'greatest', at the top of the pecking order. Perhaps they wanted authority to tell all the world what to do. 'And they came to Capernaum; and when he was in the house he asked them, "What were you discussing on the way?" But they were silent; for on the way they had discussed with one another who was the greatest. And he sat down and called the twelve; and he said to them, "If any one would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all." And he took a child, and put him in the midst of them; and taking him in his arms, he said to them, "Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me; and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me." (Mark 9.33-37 RSV) He who is least among you all is the one who is great. (Luke 9.48). Jesus returned to the theme that the way we treated the humblest of those around us was the way we treated Him. He was concerned about how we meet the needs of 'the least', starving perhaps, or parched with thirst, or unwelcome, without clothing, or sick, or held in prison. Such people were the least of His brothers, and in treating them well or badly we were so treating Him. (Matt.25.40) To be a servant Jesus taught us, not just to accept being the least, but actually to choose the lowest place (eschatos, 'lowest') An occasion which provoked this teaching was a dinner party, where the guests all went for the best places. The way he put his teaching, was that one always should choose the lowest place so that the host would invite you to come up to a better one, "Friend, go up higher!" This would look good to the other guests, and feel good to yourself. "Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted (Luke 14.11). However humorously Jesus put this advice, he meant it seriously. As he had said when he took the child in his arms, if anyone wants to be first (and it is not necessarily a bad thing to be ambitious) he must be last of all, servant of all. Frances Ridley Havergal's hymn is relevant. Master speak! Thy servant heareth, FRH GC |
