‘Come Like a Child?

It is remarkable to me that Jesus made time for even babies and toddlers. The Son of God who came to remind us what God is like, who only had about three years of ministry to accomplish his purpose, made it a priority to place his hands on children!

These children would probably never remember meeting Jesus, so why would parents bring them to Jesus? It didn’t make sense to the disciples, either, because in their culture, children were the lowest in value. They had no rights, and were at the mercy of the adults in their lives who cared for them. Jesus was too important to be bothered by a bunch of parents and kids showing up, right?

Even more remarkable is the fact that Jesus took this time to teach his disciples and other adults who were there that day that children were the most likely to be eligible to enter his kingdom! In fact, the kingdom of God belonged to children!

What does a child have to offer God? Only trust. No riches, no power, no human accomplishments, no stature in society, no merit at all. But, as I sang when I was a child, “Jesus Loves the Little Children!”

It has been my observation that children have both a vulnerability as well as an innocent ability to believe in God. They may not be able to explain biblical truths like an adult, but their faith far surpasses that of any grownup. They have a spirituality of their own, an awareness of God that most people do not recognize. I think this is what Jesus meant when he said that “anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”

You cannot earn your way in, or persuade God that you are a good person. This is irrelevant, and counterintuitive to the way that most of us think, but it is just the way God’s kingdom works.

Jesus, thank you for loving children! Please remind me that I only need to come to you as a child, trusting you implicitly for salvation and a place in your kingdom. Amen.

For Today: Imagine entering the “pearly gates” and being asked by Jesus, “Why should I let you into my heaven?” What might an adult say? What would a child say?