Like Children

And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them. (Mark 10:13-16 ESV). Children can be both wonderfully positive and terribly challenging. The disciples must have felt more of the latter as the children were being brought to Jesus in our reading today. I have often seen both sides. It is true that children present both the best and worst of human nature. That may be one of the great frustrations of parenting and working with children. Jesus makes it clear that children are the standard we measure our faith. That’s how we are to receive the Kingdom of God. That’s an incredible declaration. To understand it we should do a little digging. Perhaps Jesus is referring to the sense of wonder children possess. Or maybe Jesus was thinking about how children are dependent. Children look to their parents to fulfill their needs. Of course we are to look to God to meet our needs as well. And, there is also the thought that Jesus was referring to the spontaneity children often exhibit. Most adults strangle their impulses with calculation and caution, but children are so wonderfully impulsive. Granted, there are times when we wish our children would look before they leap. But isn’t it true that if you always look before you leap, you’ll never leap? When Jesus saw Simon and Andrew on the seashore and said “Follow me,” the brothers dropped their nets and followed (cf. Matthew 4:18-22). What an impulsive, childlike thing to do. Can you imagine just walking off your career to follow a man who you have never met before? You’ve heard of this teacher, but you’ve never met him; and, now he asks you to drop everything and follow him. What a leap of faith that would be! And there is the key to understanding why the Kingdom of God belongs to such individuals. God doesn’t ask us to be qualified. He does not demand that we know the future. He doesn’t even require that we do anything other than trust to follow Him. That is incredibly freeing to a world that requires so much from us for so many things. Our world of bigger, better, faster is a terrible taskmaster. I know I often feel so inadequate for the path I am walking. It is during those times that remembering I am only asked to be a child in the care of my heavenly Father. Trusting him will get me where I need to be every time and on time. Like children we have success in our lives. How’s your trust today?