The greatest are those who obey and accurately teach what God says
The commandments of God are a reflection of the nature of God. For example, when God commands us to love our enemies it is because He Himself does that.
Lk 6:32-35 32 "If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 33 If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. 34 If you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners in order to receive back the same amount. 35 But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men."
Do you see how in the last sentence the great reward and the identity as sons of the Most High go hand in hand? That is because the reward is for those who are most like God.
In the kingdom of God, the nature of God is the most valuable thing. Those who have the most of God’s nature are of the greatest value. That is why Jesus said the following words in Mt 5:19.
Mt 5:19 "Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven."
It is like saying that those who those are most unlike God and teach others to be unlike God are of the least value; but those who are most like God and who teach others to be more like God are of the greatest value – which makes perfect sense when the currency is the nature of God.
We can therefore say that those who aspire to greatness in the kingdom of God should make it their lifelong ambition to become more like God in every area of character, and teach others to do the same.
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