Wheat Ridge Evangelical Lutheran Church

Eighteenth Sunday after Pentacost

Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost September 20, 2026

Little children in the midst of the disciples. Stray sheep who have been found. Dismembered hands and feet. Gouged out eyes. Jesus in the midst of 2 or 3 gathered in His name. … There is a lot going on in this text and although it seems to be a bunch of disjointed ramblings with no central point, Jesus says differently. … Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? It isn’t who you think. It isn’t the high priest down at the temple or the Pharisees socially distancing himself from the unclean people. It isn’t Peter or any of the other disciples who see greatness from a worldly point of view. The greatest is the least, but least in the way of helplessness. Like a little nursing infant completely dependent on her mother; the one who needs the kingdom to be brought to him because he can’t come to it; the one can’t by his own reason or strength believe in Jesus. While the 99 sheep are all wondering what in the world is so great about the fool who got lost, the heavens rejoice as the shepherd carries the scattered one back and throws a party. … And so maybe, just maybe, being a helpless little child and a silly lost sheep is the greatest thing we could be.