I heard something the other day. It takes us a year or two to learn to talk and another sixty years to learn how to shut up! That might be a little harsh. We have also heard that children should be seen and not heard. Rubbish in my opinion. We would miss out on so many delightful things that only children without filters can come up with. If only I had written down some of the adorable things my children have said.
Jesus was also a fan of children. One of my favorite images of Jesus is when he is sitting with a crowd of children all around him. They are hanging on to every word he says. We need to be more like that. Even Jesus thinks so.
“Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” That was Jesus’ answer to the disciples question about who is greatest. I’m sure it wasn’t the answer they were expecting. Like a child, really?
But children can be unruly and totally self- centered (of course, so can adults). Yes, but they are also teachable and totally dependent on their parents. I think that is where Jesus was going in his reasoning. Some are innocent, but that is debatable in some cases. Certainly humility plays in there a bit, too. Children do not hold much authority and thus have not yet been corrupted by the world.
Jesus seems very interested in protecting the child just as he wants to protect us from the evil running rampant in the world. He cautions us on how easy it is to stumble and take others down with us. We need to be mindful of the situations that cause us to stumble and stay away from them. Instead, we need to follow Jesus with our whole heart. We need to depend on him to keep us strong in our temptations.
The image Jesus uses of a sheep herder losing one sheep is a poignant representation of what God feels for us. When we stumble and lose our way, God is on a mission to find us and bring us back. He will rejoice over our return even more than if we had stayed in the flock the whole time. He doesn’t love us any more or less, he just hates having us far from him.
We all know people who have wandered off away from their faith. When their relationship with God is at stake, God will do whatever he needs to in order to bring them back. If only they had remained “as a child” and were totally dependent on God!
Take some time today to think about your relationship with God. Are you being child-like in your dependence?
Let’s pray, Father forgive me for forging ahead at times trying to do it all myself. I know how much better everything works when you are in control. Go ahead of me today and bless each encounter. You are leading my life and I look forward to watching you at work. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
