‘And said, “Truly I say to you, Unless you have been turned (or ‘be turned'), and have become as (or ‘become as') little children, you will in no way have entered (or ‘will in no way enter') into the Kingly Rule of Heaven. Whoever therefore has humbled himself (or ‘humbles himself') as this little child, the same is the greatest in the Kingly Rule of Heaven.” '
Then He turned to His disciples and ‘strongly affirmed' to them that the only way by which they could have entered into the Kingly Rule of Heaven was by their ‘having been turned' (or ‘having been converted' - compare John 12:40) and having become as little children, by humbling themselves as this little child, and having the same attitude in this regard as he had. The verb is in the second aorist passive, (as are many of the verbs that follow), which can act like a perfect (have been and are) or as describing a past event in the future (in the future you will say I have been turned), depending on context. The second aorist is a tense often used to indicate timelessness in this way. Thus in this case it could be applied to all, some as having already been turned, and others as needing to be turned. It leaves the matter open. The translation ‘be turned' rather than ‘are turned' or have been turned' results from treating the passive as a middle. But as we are told elsewhere that men will not turn to God of their own volition (John 12:40) it is best to translate as a passive, ‘have been turned' or ‘are turned'.
Thus Jesus is stressing that the test of whether any are truly within the Kingly Rule of Heaven is that they ‘have been turned and have become as little children'. Let them consider the fact well for their present attitude must leave the question in doubt. It is the one who has been turned and humbled himself as this little child who is the greatest under the Kingly Rule of Heaven, as He has constantly stressed. Such a person is a ‘blessed one' (Matthew 5:3-9; Matthew 11:28-30).
This was a powerful challenge. He was telling them that they needed to look again at their foundations. The reason that they were looking at things in the wrong way was because their attitudes of heart were wrong. This idea that they should have become ‘as children' would, in fact, have come as a surprise to them. The normal Jewish conception was that you only gained importance when you became an adult. Now Jesus was telling than that they were wrong. It was only by their having been ‘converted' back into the ways of a little child, the way of humble obedience and acceptance, that they could even have entered under the Kingly Rule of Heaven. It was not that they had had to become ‘childish', It was that they had to have put aside all thoughts of grandeur and importance, and have come in humility and lowliness as little children to His Father, recognising His control and simply doing His will (Matthew 11:28-30; Matthew 7:23; Matthew 20:26-28) and desiring nothing more.
Jesus then pointed out that such a change could only have taken place through the activity of God. It could only have happened if they ‘had been turned' by God, if they had been ‘converted'. His point was that no one can approach God for forgiveness on the basis of his position and of his own worth. That was the mistake made by the Pharisee (Luke 18:11-12). Rather he must do it by acknowledging his non-worthiness (Luke 18:13). He does it in fact as a result of God acting on his life and bringing him on his face before God (Matthew 18:26). And he thus comes recognising that like a little child he has nothing to offer and nothing to give. And then like a little child he receives freely from God what God gives him, forgiveness and mercy and a new life (Matthew 18:27). Without that no man can enter within the Kingly Rule of Heaven. And that is how he must continue. For it is people like this who alone prove the truth of the beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-9). This is the true path of self-denial, the path of taking up the cross and following Jesus (Matthew 16:24). For the one who takes up his cross is also turning his back on all the acclamation of the world. He has left all that he was behind him. It is thus to enter into a new sphere of living, under the Kingly Rule of Heaven, where only the Father's will is important.
We should remember that at least one person present was not within the Kingly Rule of Heaven (Judas), and there were quite possibly others (John 6:64; John 6:66). So Jesus was here asking them each one to search their hearts and consider whether they had truly entered into the Kingly Rule of Heaven. For if they had not what He was about to say would have no meaning at all. (It was intended to give His disciples a jolt).
And then He points out that they must continue to remember the status on the basis of which they have come to God, and carry it through into daily living. That is what the servant in the parable He is about to tell failed to do (Matthew 18:27-28). They must recognise themselves for what they are. Their status is not that of great men vying for their deserts, but of humble debtors paying off a debt of forgiveness. They in fact deserve nothing. Rather than seeking for greatness they should therefore be blushing for shame. Thus like a little child they must learn to serve God ‘innocently' without any desire for position, or status, or recognition, or thoughts of self-importance, recognising, like a child, that whatever they do they are only doing what it is their duty to do, and should be grateful for the opportunity to do it. And they are to ask for nothing in return. (Then all things will be added to them - Matthew 6:33).
Even today in the days when we teach them to be precocious, little children are often like this for a while, before we turn them into ‘little adults' before their time, and take away their innocence from them. And that is the innocence that those who follow Jesus are to seek to restore in themselves, the same innocence that was theirs at the moment of their conversion (if they have been truly converted) when they put to one side all thoughts of deserving, and simply recognised their total lack of worth. That is the position that they must from now on continually maintain. That is the way to greatness under the Kingly Rule of Heaven (compare Matthew 20:26-28).