Small and Great

In Matthew 18, the disciples ask Jesus about who is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven. Jesus takes a child and says you must turn into children to enter the kingdom of heaven. He uses the word "child" several times a in succession, and then he switches to talking about "these little ones"; don't cause them to stumble, their angels behold God's face in heaven, and the Father's will is that none of them should perish. The word for "little ones" is the word commonly paired opposite the word for "great": small and great (like summer and winter, or day and night).

It may be a small thing; I don't want to make a great deal out of it; but I had not noticed before how Jesus' reply extends the theme of the disciples' question about being the greatest. Great ones take care of small ones.