Luke 9:48

And He said to them, “Whoever welcomes this little child in My name welcomes Me, and whoever welcomes Me welcomes the One who sent Me. For whoever is the least among all of you, he is the greatest.”

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Jesus addresses His disciples immediately after observing their internal rivalry and placing a child beside Him (Luke 9:47). He speaks this response before John reports an external dispute about exorcism (Luke 9:49).

The words — ἐὰν δὲξηται (ean dexētai) translates literally as “if he receives” or “whoever welcomes.” ὃς (hos) functions as the indefinite relative pronoun “whoever” that opens the conditional clause.

The thread — The reversal of status appears in Mark 9:37 and Luke 14:11, while the call to humility under divine exaltation echoes 1 Peter 5:6. These passages collectively trace a consistent scriptural pattern of inverted worldly rankings.

Why it lands — The text states that receiving a marginalized person in Jesus’ name equals receiving Jesus and God the Father, and declares that the least is the greatest. It requires the reader to abandon status-seeking and actively receive the lowly as a direct service to God.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Greek words

King James Version

And said unto them, Whosoever shall receive this child in my name receiveth me: and whosoever shall receive me receiveth him that sent me: for he that is least among you all, the same shall be great.

Cross-references

1 Peter 5:6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, so that in due time He may exalt you.
Luke 14:11 For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Mark 9:37 “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in My name welcomes Me, and whoever welcomes Me welcomes not only Me, but the One who sent Me.”
Matthew 10:40 He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives the One who sent Me.
Luke 10:16 Whoever listens to you listens to Me; whoever rejects you rejects Me; and whoever rejects Me rejects the One who sent Me.”
Luke 22:26 But you shall not be like them. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who leads like the one who serves.
John 13:20 Truly, truly, I tell you, whoever receives the one I send receives Me, and whoever receives Me receives the One who sent Me.”
Matthew 23:11 The greatest among you shall be your servant.
Matthew 18:10 See that you do not look down on any of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of My Father in heaven.
Matthew 18:14 In the same way, your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.