Like a Little Child

“Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven. And whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me.” 

Matthew 18:3-5

If I was one of Jesus' followers, I would never have been able to predict what He would say or answer. One day the disciples asked Him, "Who is of greatest importance in the kingdom of God?" I don't think I would ever have guessed that "a little child" would be His answer. But He's consistent. "Whoever makes himself lowly, becoming like this child, is of greatest importance in that heavenly realm." The lowly, the humble, the docile, the peaceful, the submissive, the obedient- these are all words that describe the God who was so humble He was willing to enter humanity as a little, defenseless child in a poor, nondescript family. 

But Jesus did not remain a lamb for long. There was a lion in Him, just as there is a lion in all of us. God's heart is fierce, and full of adventure. You can see that part of Him in the raging storm and majestic mountains. I think one of the reasons Jesus tells us not to despise the little ones, and that includes the poor, the downtrodden, those who have no voice, is He sees their potential. He sees what they can become. Each child, each man or woman has dignity as God's child. Each one is as important to Him as a CEO in a Fortune 500 company, as a brain surgeon, as the King or President of a mighty nation. God puts a seed of greatness in each one of us. He breathed His mighty Spirit into each one of us! Anything is possible for one who believes! 

My sister and brother-in-law have two children living with them now, during this pandemic. They are the 6 year old son and 8 year old daughter of the caregiver of my brother-in-law’s mom. My sister and brother-in-law are teaching them their lessons from the modules their teachers send via email. Grant, the 6 year old boy wants to become a priest and/or a farmer. Both of the children are very talkative and ask a slew of questions if you don’t stop them. They are enthusiastic about catching snails, taking care of plants, flying paper airplanes and a host of other things. I like to think of what they can become one day.

Lord, may we be like little children. Excited for each new day, and all the opportunities in it to love, and to experience this awesome world we live in. Teach us to encourage others to see their worth and dignity as Your children. Help us to see them as You do!