special, “He sat down and called the twelve” about Him; He uttered one reported sentence, “If any man would be first, he shall be last of all, and minister of all.”  And then “He called a little child to Him and set him in the midst of them.”  It was His object lesson.  Through it He rebuked and taught them.  He made childhood a test of character.  With solemnity and earnestness He declared, “Verily I say unto you, Except ye turn and become as little children, ye shall in no wise enter into the kingdom of heaven.”

That child-spirit included simplicity, meekness, harmlessness, obedience, dutifulness, trustfulness and, especially at this time, humility.

The Lord’s declaration must have startled the disciples.  They thought of themselves as His chosen ones, superior to others, having special powers, and destined to special honors which none other might claim.  In a spirit contrary to His declaration, they were contending who should be the greatest in His kingdom.  He revealed to them, then and there, the nature of that kingdom which they had so greatly misunderstood.

Upon one at least, Christ’s lesson was not altogether lost.  That was John.  He recalled his proud and unjust treatment of the humble man whom he had forbidden to do good work in the name of Christ.  He saw that his own spirit had been contrary to that of which Christ had just spoken.  He finally confessed his fault.  But the lesson of his Master was not perfectly learned, or if learned, was not, as we shall see, perfectly obeyed.  Though the beloved, he was still an imperfect, disciple, as is shown in another incident.

At the time when Jesus lived, and in the country where He journeyed, travelers were generally welcomed as guests in any home.  Though strangers, they were treated as friends.  This was a necessary kindness because there were no hotels such as we have in our day and country.

But to this hospitality there was a noted exception.  We have noticed the hatred of the Samaritans to the Jews.  This was especially shown to pilgrims going up to Jerusalem to attend the feasts.

Jesus was on His last journey thither.  As ever, He was teaching and healing on the way.  His own heart was burdened with the thought of what He was to endure, but He was steadfast in His purpose to reach the Holy City, willing there to suffer and to die.  Nearing the first Samaritan village, He sent messengers before Him to prepare for Himself and His company.  Even the common hospitality was refused, and that in a most unfriendly manner.  The Master was treated as a teacher of falsehood.  Even the kind healer was not permitted to enter the village.  He was a Jew on His way to Jerusalem.  In the minds of the villagers, this was more than enough to balance all the good in Him.