A Childlike Nature

(based on Mark 10:13-16)

People were bringing children to him in order that he might touch them,
and the disciples spoke sternly to them.
But when Jesus saw this, he was indignant and said to them,
“Let the children come to me; do not stop them,
for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs.
Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God
as a little child will never enter it.”
And he took them up in his arms, laid his hands on them,
and blessed them.

When we look at church art, we will notice that the children around Jesus generally look clean, well behaved, well fed. It has left us with a limited idea about this passage. Most children I know are cheeky or shy, withdrawn or mischievous, impervious to adult standards.

If we think about our own childhoods, most of us will remember some less than stellar moments. Clearly the children in this story are typical children. They have escaped from their parents and are roaring around Jesus, giggling and poking each other, and being, well, kids. The disciples decide to take control of the situation, but Jesus explains that unless each of us can respond to the kingdom of God like these children, we won’t see it. I think that means we have to acknowledge our own limitations, our own less than worthy behaviours that may not be as cute as the mischief of children. With humility, we need to understand that Jesus catches us up not because we are good, but because we have either come to him or been brought to him.  And he will not let the guardians of order come between us and him.

It also requires us to recognize that it is not up to us to say who will be received by Jesus.  We have jobs of discernment in the “grown up” world but in the world of spirit, everyone has a place that does not have particular models for our judgment.

And finally, God needs us to be open to the prompting of the Spirit’s call for us to guard the vulnerable of the world. That means that our hearts and minds, our homes and lives, our tables and meeting places, must be the enfolding arms of Jesus.

All the children and all the children who live within us, need the circle of Jesus’ arms to protect and defend.

We are the children, but we are also the open, compassionate, humble, generous servants of the one who loves into life forever.