People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them.
-Mark 10:13-16 (NIV)
Ever been told you were “acting like a child”? I have. The phrase implies that a person is not seeing or responding to the world through the viewpoint of a mature adult. Generally, it’s considered an insult.
In this story, we find the disciples trying to prevent kids from “bothering” Jesus. They apparently think he’s too busy, too important for people of such lower stature. This upsets Jesus, and he quickly turns the situation into a teaching opportunity. His point: anyone who wants to be part of God’s kingdom must be more childlike.
But why would Jesus tell his disciples that they need to act like a child? That’s a bad thing, right?
When it comes down to it, children are the epitome of humility. Why? Because it’s never been all about them. All they’ve ever known is a life of desperate dependency on someone greater than themselves for provision. It’s clear to them that they can’t do it all on their own. Someone else has to intervene on their behalf, and they’ve accepted that. They have no choice.
So when it comes to our relationship with our Father, Jesus says that we must approach him with the same attitude of trust, humility, and dependency that a little child would have for their parent.
Sometimes, we need to act like a child. It isn’t always a bad thing.
