The Greatest in the Kingdom, and their Reward.
I. Observe, first, the three classes of character which are dealt with "prophet," "righteous man," "these little ones." At first sight it looks as if we had here to do with a descending scale, as if we began at the top and went downwards. But we remember that Jesus Christ Himself declared that the least of the little ones was greater than the greatest who had gone before. The Christian type of character is distinctly higher than the Old Testament type, and the humblest believer is blessed above prophets and righteous men, because his eyes behold and his heart welcomes the Christ. Therefore I am inclined to think that we have here an ascending series; that we begin at the bottom and not at the top; that the prophet is less than the righteous man, and the righteous man less than the little one who believes in Christ. Here is the climax: gifts and endowments at the bottom, character and morality in the middle, and at the top faith in Jesus Christ.
II. Notice the variety of the reward according to the character. The prophet has his, the righteous man has his, the little one has his. That is to say, each level of spiritual or moral stature receives its own prize. All courses of obedient conduct have their own appropriate consequences and satisfaction. Every character is adapted to receive, and does receive, in the measure of its goodness, certain blessings and joys, here and now. "Surely the righteous shall be recompensed in the earth."
III. The best point that is here is the substantial identity of the reward to all that stand on the same level, however different may be the form of their lives. The active prophet, righteous man, or disciple, and the passive recognizer of each in that character, who receives each as a prophet, or righteous man, or disciple, stand practically and substantially on the same level; though the one of them may have his lips glowing with the Divine inspiration, and the other may never have opened his mouth for God. That is beautiful and deep. The power of sympathizing with any character is the partial possession of that character for ourselves. He that helps a prophet because he is a prophet has got the making of a prophet in himself.
A. Maclaren, A Year's Ministry,2nd series, p. 331.