LITTLE CHILDREN

At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, ‘Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’ And He called a child to Himself and set him before them, and said, ‘Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me; but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it is better for him that a heavy millstone be hung around his neck, and that he be drowned in the depth of the sea... See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you, that their angels in heaven continually behold the face of my Father who is in heaven.’  Matthew 18:1-6, 10

That’s pretty harsh. When Jesus starts talking about millstones and drowning, you might safely assume that he is serious. I read this and I am left thinking, Whoever receives one such child in His name receives Him. Jesus spoke these words to his disciples, straight to their face – and yet one chapter later, they are sending children away from him. Sick children, babes in arms, brought to Jesus for healing and blessing – the disciples are chasing them away. Jesus doesn’t want you around. Jesus is tired. Jesus has a headache. Can’t you make that kid stop screaming? You almost have to wonder, did they not think that Jesus meant what he said? Were they not taking him literally? Did they think that he was only speaking to them in metaphor? I’m not shocked to read that Jesus was indignant.

Jesus seemed to speak often to his disciples about humility – somebody was always jockeying for position, trying to impress, trying to get it right, or trying to anticipate what Jesus was going to want them to say or do. You can almost hear it sometimes – We’re with him. We know him. I can tell you already, Jesus isn’t going to like this.

It always puzzles me that Jesus said humble yourself as this child. If you said to a child, be humble, they wouldn’t know at all what you meant – you would really have to work to explain it to them. Children, before the insecurity sets in, are shameless braggers. Look what I did! Watch me! See what I can do! You’re not watching – really watch me! They assume that if you love them, you are interested in everything that they do. They assume that everything they do for you is amazing. They are in a constant state of wonder at their own abilities. Look how I can bend my leg. Listen to this song I wrote. Watch this play that I worked really hard on. I am doing things, I am learning things, isn’t it all so amazing!

If you were going to compile a list of the most godly people you know of, those most closely representing the Divine image, the ones on the same page as Jesus, the ones closest to the kingdom of heaven, your thoughts might not immediately turn to a Daycare. Your first thoughts might not be of children, who innocently go straight for the front of the line and have to be taught to wait their turn; children, who don’t know what an important person looks like unless you tell them; children, who rub the earth between their toes and fingers, and love it, and who have to be taught to wash their hands; children, who poke your breast and your belly and have to be taught boundaries; children, who are always and forever asking Why? and then Why?, and then Why? again; children, who say things like, But how do you know God is real? Are you sure? What if God is an elephant?; children, who feel untruth in their gut, who say out loud, That doesn’t even make sense.  

You might not think immediately of a child, who wouldn’t even think to ask, Who will be on your right or your left in the kingdom? – but who just comes to you boldly and says, Can I sit on your lap?

And yet Jesus said, Be like that.