Who Is the Greatest?At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying,
Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?
And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said,
Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 18:1-4 ESV
Let the Children Come to Me Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked the people, but Jesus said,
Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.
And he laid his hands on them and went away.
Matthew 19:13-15 ESV
Childlike faith has been a concept I’ve reflected a lot on in life. In recent times, children have been quite present in my life, whether it be taking care of a baby, watching some toddlers, hearing kids laugh as they play at the playground, or simply talking to them. I love being around them, both because they are so adorable and fun to play with, but also because observing them has revealed more to me of this childlike faith.
When I observe them, I try to learn more and more about what it means to have childlike faith. There is
childish faith but that is quite different from
childlike faith. To be childish means to be selfish, acting rashly or emotionally to fulfill your own desires. When those things don’t come to fruition, we complain, we pout, and we throw a tantrum (whatever that looks like as an adult). When I think of being childlike, I see children and their honesty. They are trusting, dependent on their parents. Trusting that their parents know best and that their words are being spoken to protect them. They are honest. Children wear their emotions on their sleeves. They think they can hide it, but let’s be honest, when a kid is sad, angry, happy, or in pain, it is quite obvious. Finally, children are observant and curious. They are constantly learning, constantly questioning and wondering why. They take in the information from their senses about their surroundings and they absorb it, like sponges.
Looking at Matthew 18, we can see instances of Jesus sharing on how we must be like children to enter the kingdom. In Matthew 19 we see Jesus welcoming and blessing the children despite how they may have been acting. For the disciples to rebuke it, the children must have been distracting haha. But Jesus saw the heart of these children. That childlike heart. I wonder what Jesus saw in these children. Jesus was probably the ultimate child. In the eyes of the Lord, He was the ultimate child that belonged in heaven. The embodiment of what it meant to have a
childlike faith
in the presence of The Father.
Jesus saw that children see and understand more than adults seem to give credit for. Recently, a friend talked to me about his recent switch to serving in youth at his home church. One scary thing he learned is that kids are way smarter and way more observant than adults think. There would be other youth servants who would teach and serve them on Sundays, but then live worldly lives indulging in sin all the other days. Many times it’s easy to think that we can hide this lifestyle, but he shared how the kids already knew this about those teachers. As role models and teachers to the younger generation, we need to be more cautious in how we live. We are being watched more often than we think. This doesn’t mean putting on a facade. That will never work, and it will only tire you out. Rather, be transformed in Christ. Live out the same very words that we tell our children daily. Don’t they say,
actions speak louder than words?
So live out in action because these children—the next generation—they are always observing and learning from our actions.
So back to childlike faith. As we grow older, the world wears us down. Those same wonders we once felt as children begin to fade, and, in the same ways, sometimes our awe for the Lord begins to wane as well. Children are open about their emotions, they are creative, joyful, playful, trusting, easily forgiving (with some 3rd-party convincing sometimes), energetic, always see the best in people, and are always willing to grow and challenge themselves. As an adult, how often have I refused to forgive? Become jaded at the world? Lost my awe and wonder at the beauty of His creation? Held a grudge against someone?
Being childlike never meant we lose our wisdom or understanding. I think to me, being childlike means that we
- trust God unwaveringly, knowing that, just like a parent, He knows what’s best for us and wants what’s best for us.
- are honest with Him, wear our emotions on our sleeve in His presence, for there is nothing to hide from Him.
- have awe in life, the sunset, the gentle breeze. Embrace it all, never forget the awe and wonder of His creation and sacrifice.
- let our joy be contagious. Who doesn’t smile when a baby is laughing or smiling? Let that same childlike joy be even more contagious than a baby’s smile or laugh
- watch and observe how Jesus lived in The Word. Learn from it, soak it like a sponge and let it shape the ways we live
- love. Love those around us just as He loves us. We are His children and everyone else is too!
- live just as Jesus, the embodiment of
childlike faith,
lived
