Why did Jesus call to him a child when the apostles asked who the greatest in the kingdom of heaven is?
Putting a boy in the disciples’ midst, Jesus makes him a living parable, to direct the view of those who focus on their own honour to someone who is evidently lower than all the disciples.
Jesus provides a visual instruction to the apostles to expose their pride and foolishness, calling a small boy to himself—one who was nearby, perhaps in the house—to be the example of who the greatest truly is.
Jesus responds to the question of who the greatest is in the kingdom of heaven by calling a child to him and placing him right in the midst of the circle of his disciples. As such, he makes the boy the revealing and surprising central figure. The disciples must have wondered why all the focus has now turned to the child. Is he an answer to their question about who is the most important and the priorities of the kingdom? What Jesus is doing is directing the attention of those who are concerned with the highest honours to someone who is evidently lower than the adult disciples.1
Jesus aims to provide a visual instruction in such a way that the apostles, through it, can come to realize their own pride and foolishness. As such he calls a small boy to himself—one who was perhaps in the house, or at least nearby—to perform a very specific, deliberate act that draws everyone’s attention to the child, who served as the example of who the greatest truly is.2
2 And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them