Thinking about preparation for the Kingdom leads me to these two verses: Matthew 19:13-15. Although this very short passage about “The Little Children and Jesus” We do not know whether or not the disciples were trying to protect him, but we do know that Jesus wanted to bless & pray with the children. At this point, He knew he was on his way to Jerusalem but wanted to take time to be with the children. Jesus was able to do two things at once: bless & pray with the children and reinforce the statement that was made in verse 14, that was also made in the previous chapter:
“For the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” I believe this statement has been misunderstood by many over the years. Matthew 18:4 states, “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” He is not stating that heaven is populated by children only. So what did he mean? People who chose the kingdom are like children but in what sense? I would like to share with you 5 things, that I believe characterize a child or like a child that we as adults need to get back into our lives. Things that children automatically have that we as adults grow out of. He is not saying act like a child but be like a child.
A child has not lost a sense of awe and wonder Kids are just fascinated by the simplest things. Here is an example: I have a nephew & granddaughter about the same age who have a great time when they are together Talk about the giant box they played with Riding it Coloring on it Taking pictures Entertained for hours with a box What is it about getting older that makes life dull and gray? What is it about getting older that we lose the sense of wonder? Our sense of awe? Psalm 33:8 NKJV “Let all the earth fear the Lord, Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him” We can’t afford to lose our awe of God. So how do we get it back? David gives us the secret in Psalm 8:3 NIV which reads “When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars….” I goes on & on, but I don’t need to go on since I need to go back to the 1st three word, “When I consider” We don’t consider anymore or stop to think about the wonders of God. We are so busy, distracted and this & that, the list just goes on & on. A child’s life is marked by dependence We all know that. When a child is very small, their lives are in our hands or those caring for them. That mark of dependance is what makes being like a child a good thing in the kingdom of God. Here is a passage from Colossians 1:17 I would like to read to you “He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.” We all forget about this when we get stressed out and can’t hold it together. When it comes to life, we have somewhat of a white-knuckle grip, but we need to begin to let go. We need to bring it to God & say we are utterly dependent on you. I guess we are all control freaks in different areas of life but eventually we have to come to the place of understanding, right? I know, easier said than done but the path we need to be on. My 3rd point: We have got to get back the amazing ability a child has to forgive We forget how forgiveness keeps our heart open to the things of God. We all have definitely experienced this before, am I right? Children naturally have forgiving hearts and as we get older, we become slower & slower in our willingness to extend forgiveness to others. (Give the example of asking forgiveness to a co-worker) 4th point: A child readily admits their inabilities We as adults of course, can’t do that. We have to be Superman or Superwoman to others. Admitting anything less would make us feel weak and less of an adult, but not in a good way. Paul the apostle had to learn that lesson which we read in 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 “But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” Because Christ’s power is perfected in my weakness. A lesson for all of us to comprehend. And finally my 5th and final point: A child’s life is based on believing Have you ever noticed how quickly children will just believe? Which is why you can take advantage on them and which some adults do. Here is the thing, they believe, they trust. Both of these go hand in hand. It’s called childlike faith. I would define childlike faith as the ability to see the promises of Gods word and to believe them without question. I find the older I get, I struggle with the temptation to exalt my reason over and above the simple revelation of God’s word. That is a dangers path to be on. That’s how people fall or stere off the path. All the while, God says to you and I in Proverbs 3:5 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding” Kids don’t lean on their own understanding because they really don’t have any or it’s just incomplete. That is why kids do reckless or irresponsible things, we call them reckless but real it’s ignorance. They don’t have the understanding to guide their decision-making process like you and me. So they will just take steps of faith. We need to get back to a heart that does not give into temptation to exalt human reason above the trust of our heavenly Father. The more I consider myself wise and understanding the more I find myself left out from the things God is revealing. Are you feeling the same way? Something we need to ask ourselves. Some food for thought… Matthew 19:16-30:
