Like Little Children
By
Susan Klein
And
He said: “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little
children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”
Matthew 18:3
Matthew 18:3
Have you ever had
the opportunity to study small children? If you have, you know that they are
amazing little wonders, in constant awe of the people and things that surround
them. They soak in everything they can wrap their little minds around and they
always want to imitate what they see and hear. They don’t seem to fear the big
things in life like death, taxes or destitution; they fear the dark, bugs and
doctors. When they do encounter a scary situation, they tend to reach for the
person whom they trust. And when they are reassured that you will be by their
side walking through those scary things with them, they trust you implicitly.
When Jesus said the
above words to His disciples, it was in answer to their question of who is
considered to be “the greatest” in the kingdom of heaven. They were scared of
possibly losing their current earthly rank as privileged members of Jesus’
inner circle when He was gone. Jesus could see the motive behind the question.
I love that He chose to use children to illustrate His response, personally
calling a little child over to emphasize His point.
Jesus does not want
us to be childish in our thinking,
rather to be child-like by
uncluttering our minds with thoughts that bring us unnecessary concern so that
we can focus on the people and wonders that He has placed around us. Children
would much rather spend time “in awe” than “in worry.” And when He tells us,
“Have no fear, I’ll walk that scary path with you,” He wants us to have that
childlike faith of taking His hand, and instantly believing that He will not
leave us to go it alone. Make no mistake: children do have fears. And so do
adults. Jesus is not telling us to never fear anything, but to be like little
children reaching out to Him, then trusting Him to help.
I imagine when Jesus
called that little child over to His side, she (he) felt very special just to
be beckoned. I imagine she ran joyfully to His loving open arms, abandoning all
inhibitions, and soaking in the love He offered. I imagine she trusted Him like
no other as He proudly displayed her for all to see.
“Therefore,
whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of
heaven.” (Matthew 18:4)
GOING DEEPER:
1. What are the things that inhibit you from having child-like faith?
1. What are the things that inhibit you from having child-like faith?
2. How might you
imitate a child in showing your love and trust for your King?
Susan is a We Women Bible Study Coordinator and one of
its teachers. She and her husband Mark enjoy tutoring and working with
inner-city youth.
