Mirror, mirror on the wall

Who's the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?

Did you notice in the sermon on the mount - that Jesus said something we interpret positively about who's the greatest? Yet on the road to Jerusalem when the disciples are arguing about who's the greatest, the interpretation is meant to be taken negatively.

Well what does this mean? Can we vacillate and pretend we are reading one bit rather than the other, and still go for greatness? I don't think so. Maybe that part of the sermon was meant to be heard with a bit of irony. Those who were not teaching the law's jots and tittles were considered least - but they were in the kingdom of Heaven - not exactly a bad thing, you know. How to follow the Torah of God... I bet we could find wonderful things in God's Law if we were not trying to prove a point for our own legal opinions on who is in and who is out.

Too bad the Church is so hung up on laws. Now here's a wonderful thing in a JTS commentary. Remember you wild branches how God is able to graft in the natural branches.