Passage
At that hour came the disciples near to Jesus, saying, `Who, now, is greater in the reign of the heavens?'
At that hour came the disciples near to Jesus, saying, `Who, now, is greater in the reign of the heavens?'
Matthew 18:1 At that hour came the disciples near to Jesus, saying, `Who, now, is greater in the reign of the heavens?'
Matthew 18:2 And Jesus having called near a child, did set him in the midst of them,
Matthew 18:3 and said, `Verily I say to you, if ye may not be turned and become as the children, ye may not enter into the reign of the heavens;
The verse centers on "hour", "came", "disciples", "near", "jesus", "saying", "greater", and "reign". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "hour" and "came", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.
The next verse adds "And Jesus having called near a child...", so "hour" and "came" should be read forward into that movement. In Matthew context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.
A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "hour" and "came" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.