Matthew 18:1 - Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

Who is the greatest?] RV 'Who then is greatest?' The 'then'is explained from St. Mark's statement that on the way to Capernaum the disciples had been disputing who was the greatest. The Transfiguration had revived the hopes of the three leading apostles that the Kingdom of Christ was about to be established, and the Twelve were divided into three parties advocating the rival claims of Peter, James, and John to the office of prime minister. Others were perhaps jealous of all three, and favoured other candidates. They, therefore, came to Christ. 'Who then,' said they ('since we cannot settle it ourselves), is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?' According to St. Mark and St. Luke, when they came into Christ's presence, they were ashamed to speak, but Jesus understood the question they desired to ask: cp. Matthew 20:20; Luke 22:24. The incident is well placed by St. Matthew after the incident of the half-shekel in which Jesus had shown His own humility by paying the tax. The kingdom of heaven] here the Kingdom of the Messiah wrongly conceived of as an earthly empire.