Childlike

             He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me. (Matthew 18:2-5)

 

This is Jesus’ answer to a question from the disciples about who would be the greatest in heaven. Much has been said about the characteristics of a child such as innocence and lack of pretense. And those are undoubtedly true, but picture the scene in your mind. Why did the disciples ask about it? Were they seeing Jesus, perhaps, as a means to an end? Were they thinking about themselves? Were they looking at Jesus, while their minds wandered through images of themselves blessing people as they walked or rode by?

In answer to the question, Jesus calls a child. Clearly, the child goes to Him, because otherwise the illustration would lack impact. Little Levi trots over and looks up at Jesus, waiting for Jesus to say something more to him. Perhaps Jesus turns him to face their audience and puts a hand on his shoulder. Maybe Levi feels a little shy at all the eyes looking at him.

Who is this child? When the account took place, children (supposedly) weren’t highly valued, at least not as a social entity. A family might treasure their tots, but their social status was about on par with a slave, and possibly lower because slaves can contribute to the management of the household, while children consume resources. So this child was basically a nobody, and really wouldn’t likely aspire to be a somebody for some time. They might think in terms of “when I grow up” but jockeying for position the way the disciples were isn’t likely to be a major thought on the child’s mind.

Jesus called him, and likely smiled as Little Levi hurried up. He’d called the child, and the child had come. That’s obedience. He’s likely to have hoped for some blessing, even if he hadn’t thought in those words. That’s hope. That’s faith. Sometimes, we’re tempted to call these things “childlike,” meaning that we think the child doesn’t old enough to know better. It’s also possible, though, that the child hasn’t gotten all twisted up yet and may be better aware of reality than adults are. I’m not saying we should throw our brains in the trash – but we should be aware that we tend to complicate the simple, and over-simplify the complex.