Become Like Children

At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" 2And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them 3and said, "Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 18: 1—4

Jesus’ acceptance of children has shaped His Church in profound and lasting ways. His love for children is on full display in the passage that serves as our Gospel Reading for today. His Church has, especially in our modern era, tried to model and mirror Jesus’ attitude toward children by providing opportunities for their growth. The Church’s desire to “receive the little ones” has given birth to Christian Day Schools, Christian Preschools; and yes, Christian Sunday Schools. On this Rally Day, hopefully what we’re rallying around is a teaching ministry aimed right at children. Who could argue against it? A Church that does not honor or serve its children is, point-blank, ignoring the spirit in which Jesus interacted with young people and even babies.
However, as important as instructing our children in the Word of God is, it’s not the main point of today’s Gospel Reading. Jesus doesn’t plop a child down in the middle of his disciples in order to say, “You guys really ought to start a Christian School.” In fact, Jesus does this to say, “This child could school you guys. You’ve got to learn what this child already knows, or you’ll never make it in the kingdom of heaven.” The point of this reading is less about teaching our children, and more about what they can teach us.
It seems the disciples had been bouncing around the question “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of God?” Usually when people ask such questions, you know what they’re getting at. It’s a pastime: who is the greatest pitcher of all time? What is the greatest movie of all time? From greatest player to greatest president; from greatest singer to greatest school—we concern ourselves with who is number one, which is almost always based on high performance. The disciples were doing this with the kingdom of God. So Jesus calls to a child, who comes and stands in the circle, as it were, and says: "Truly, I say to you, unless you(B) turn and(C) become like children, you(D) will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4(E) Whoever humbles himself like this child is the(F) greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”
Now understand that Jesus’ answer here is like answering the question “Who is the greatest pitcher of all time?” by saying, “Well, there’s this kid in Little League right now that’s got great stuff.” The reaction was likely a collective “Huh? What’s that supposed to mean?” What does it mean to “turn and become like children”? It’s pretty important that we know. Jesus said, if you don’t turn and become like [a child], you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. What do children have that we need?
Let’s think for a minute. What would you say is the biggest difference between children and adults? Lots of ways to answer that question, of course. I would suggest that one of the biggest differences between children and adults is control. Control over their lives. Adults have it. Children don’t. Or put it this way—they shouldn’t. Here’s one example—the child that declares, “When I grow up, I’m going to stay up all night, play as many video games as I want, eat only Captain Crunch cereal…” you get the idea. Parents set the rules, and, best case scenario, they enforce them. The bottom line rests with the parent, not the child. By the way, in the culture of Jesus’ time, children had even less control over their lives than they do now. Roman citizens—fathers of the household, in particular—had the right to execute their children if the situation warranted it.
So what does it mean to “turn and become like children”? I believe that it means more than just ‘having a child-like faith’—though that’s part of it. I believe that when Jesus says “turn and become like children” He means “surrender control of your life to God.” Become the child and let God be the Parent. Let Him set the rules. Let Him set your agenda. Let Him guide your steps. And do so willingly, trusting that He has your best interests in mind. Turn and become dependent on God. Turn and give Him control of your priorities. Surrender control of your life to God.
Is that really what you want? Of course, there’s that sinful person inside of us who’s going to say “no.” There’s that sinful person inside of us who’s going to insist on being a free agent. There’s that sinful person inside of us who puffs out his chest and says, “I did it my way,” and if my way takes me to hell, oh well. To that person inside us—to that person who is us—Jesus says, “unless you(B) turn and(C) become like children, you(D) will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” Surrender control of your life to God.
Jesus isn’t asking anything of you that He hasn’t already done. He surrendered control of His life to His Father, and His Father asked Him to give up His life. This was by no means easy, and the Gospels reveal Jesus’ great distress in Gethsemane, with the whip and scourge and cross just hours away. But Jesus went through with it. He submitted to His Father’s will. He endured the whip and scourge and cross so that your sins could be pronounced forgiven today. He died on that cross so that His body and blood could be served to you today, forgiving your sins of pride and lust for power and the chronic need to be number one—they’re all wiped clean away. Having surrendered His life to His Father, His Father then returned Jesus’ life to Him on Easter morning. Whoever believes in Jesus’ death and resurrection will have life returned to them as well, better life; risen life; not only a future home in heaven but a new birth today.
The old sinner lives in fear of losing control; that surrendering control of my life to God will mean that I lose. The Holy Spirit reveals the truth: giving control of my life over to God means that I win. Yes, I lose some things that are worth losing, but what the believer in Jesus gains is far greater. To use the apostle Paul’s phrase, it is a “peace that surpasses understanding.” It is victory over death. It is communion and relationship with God. It is better than all our thinking, because it is rooted in and flows from Jesus our Lord.
Turn and become like children. Return to your Father God and let Him parent you. Accept His guiding hand and the decisions He makes for you. Happily receive the gifts He gives to you. Surrender control and let Jesus drive you. You are his baptized, adopted, beloved child. Amen.