“Then He said, ‘I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.’” (Matthew 18:3-4 NLT)
The world in which we live can be a very scary and harmful place in which to raise a child, yet, thankfully, when a child has parents who love Jesus and seek to model His behavior in their treatment of their child(ren), there is still hope. Obviously I can’t speak for every child, but I was blessed with children who, when they were small, were obedient, polite, and submissive to their parents’ directives.
Realizing there are strong-willed children and those with behavioral issues who give their parents problems from early on, I ask you to please understand that what I’m sharing is for the purpose of making a point, not describing every child. Also, to Jesus’ point, I believe we need to think of young children in the best sense of being a child.
Think of children who trust their parents, who instinctively run to their parents when they’re hurt or afraid; they’re not demanding of their own way, they obey, are cooperative, and fun to be with. They love their parents, believe their parents can do anything, and they love to play.
It was always interesting when our kids were small, we’d search the world over to find the perfect toy or game, just knowing they were going to love it, only to have them play with the box it came in more than the toy itself. Our kids win our heart before they’re ever born and there’s not much that gets us growling faster than someone messing with our son or daughter.
Jesus’ words seek to move us closer to Hm by encouraging us to be more child-like, not chid-ish. Our default mode is “me first,” but gratefully, with the Holy Spirit’s help and under His guidance, by God’s grace we can repent – change our mind – and turn from our sins, to begin a whole new way of life as God’s child.
It’s ironic in some ways that in my relationship with the Lord Jesus, as I age it’s becoming easier to become childlike. Maybe it’s because I’m losing my mind and I need everything to be very simple these days😊, but I think it’s more than that. If we let them, I believe over time, as we seek to walk more closely with the Lord, our heart mellows and it’s easier to trust Him, to humble ourselves before Him, and to be more mindful of just how much He loves us.
For a child, I don’t think they make a conscious decision to be humble, I believe it’s more the way we’re wired when we’re young. At least when I was young, I listened to my teachers and other adults when they gave me instructions. I realize how scary that sounds in this day and age, but when Jesus was speaking of children in His time, they were fun-loving, playful, and innocent.
If a Pastor or teacher invited a young child today to come and sit on their lap, I’m sure some parents, unless they knew the person well, might have second thoughts about letting them go. And I’m with you, but let’s not lose sight of the point of the illustration. Jesus was not only a Rabbi, He was the only begotten of His Father.
His heart was to listen to His Father and to obey joyfully and without hesitation. Today, as I think of being “childlike,” I think of Jesus in His relationship with His Father. So, perhaps a better way to think of it is, “How do we as followers of Jesus learn to humble ourselves?” We just need to think and act like Jesus.
Food for thought.
Blessings, Ed 😊
Walking With Jesus 