Like a Child
The New Testament disciples of Jesus were human just like you and I, and although they had the incredible opportunity to witness the ministry of the Son of God, they still had to overcome their human thoughts to see things in a spiritual way. At one point they asked Jesus, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven”.
Jesus, knowing their prideful thoughts, called a child to come forward and turned the tables on the disciples saying, “Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.”
In other words, let’s not worry about who the greatest is…let’s focus on getting there!
This little bear cub made me think of Christ’s call to become as a little child, completely dependent and trusting in him. If the bear cub would be separated from his mother he would not survive. He would struggle to find nourishment and be susceptible to predators and within a short time he’d be destroyed. He needs the protection and guidance of his mother. Are we any different?
The Lord wants us to be forgiving, loving, and humble like a little child. He wants us to place our complete faith and trust in him just as a child knows that its needs will be provided for by its parents.
We sing a song called Following God in my church that details the process of slowly teaching a child to be dependent on Him.
A little child learns how to walk, you see,
Like my Heavenly Father’s been teaching me:
When He sees the child can finally stand,
Then it’s time to let go of the small child’s hand.
He places Himself on a spot that’s flat,
Then He places the child just a few steps back;
And He holds His hands for the child to see,
Then the Father says, “Child, now walk to Me.”
The days go by, and the little one grows,
When it’s time to go further, the Father knows;
Where many before this child have trod,
The faltering feet that follow God.
The time soon comes when the road grow steep,
While the Father is watching the small child’s feet;
Then He smiles and says, “Child rest and sup,
And tomorrow we’ll try a little higher up.
Still following God down the road we go,
While the years pass by and I start to grow;
But the longer it’s been since I first could stand,
The closer I stay to my Father’s hand.
As we place our faith in the Lord he teaches and steps back so that we can learn and apply faith in our lives, but he’s never far away. The song illustrates that as we grow older, our faith matures and brings us even closer to Him. We learn through experience that we can’t do things on our own.
That moment with His disciples makes one thing clear: The kingdom of heaven doesn’t require earthly greatness, rather it requires the humility and trust of a child.
