Mark 9:33 Then they came to Capernaum; and when [Jesus] was in the house he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the way?” 34 But they were silent, for on the way they had argued with one another who was the greatest. 35 He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, “Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.” 36 Then he took a little child and put it among them; and taking it in his arms, he said to them, 37 “Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.”
Mark 10:13 People were bringing little children to him in order that he might touch them; and the disciples spoke sternly to them. 14 But when Jesus saw this, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. 15 Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.” 16 And he took them up in his arms, laid his hands on them, and blessed them.
At Sunday School, they were teaching how God created everything, including human beings. Jackson seemed especially intent when they told him how Eve was created out of one of Adam’s ribs. Later in the week his mother noticed him lying down as though he were ill, and said, “Jackson, what is the matter?” Jackson responded, “I have pain in my side. I think I’m going to have a wife.” Children often have a fresh way of looking at the world and themselves. Maybe that’s why Jesus loved being with children, maybe too much. In fact, for Jesus, something about children is so important, He says we can’t make it into the Kingdom of God as an adult.
In Jesus’ time, little children were not signs of care-free wonder, they were associated with death and heart-ache because 1 in 3 children died in their first year, and nearly half by the age of five. People hesitated to invest too much love in their children as infants because they didn’t want their hearts broken. In Jesus’ day as in our own, parents loved their children, but children were often considered a nuisance, better seen than heard, or else valued mostly for their usefulness—how hard they could work, how they would take care of their parents in old age. You had as many children as you needed to work the farm or run the business. Someday children would grow up and then they would be worth spending time with. Jesus, however, saw children as people who were important now, not just for the future.
So what does this mean for us? How could our lives be different because of Jesus’ bad habit? First, nothing says “I love you” like spending time with someone. The great theologian, Paul Tillich once said, “The first duty of love is to listen.” Children always know when we are really truly listening to them or just kind of listening to them. Often it’s about hearing what they aren’t saying. A sweet little boy surprised his grandmother one morning and brought her a cup of coffee. He made it himself and was so proud. He anxiously waited to hear the verdict on the quality of the coffee. The grandmother had never in her life had such a bad cup of coffee, and as she forced down the last sip she noticed three of those little green army guys in the bottom of the cup. She asked, “Honey, why would three little green army guys be in the bottom of my cup?” Her grandson replied, “You know grandma, it’s like coffee ad on TV...The best part of waking up is soldiers in your cup.” What this grandma quite rightly heard when she listened to her grandson, was his desire to do something good and kind, and his pride in being able to be helpful. She truly listened to him and so instead of disgust, she responded with curiosity. In return, this child knew his grandma had really listened to him. Can the people we care about tell we love them by how much we listen to them?
Second, we need to cultivate the childlike quality of trusting honesty. A mother was preparing pancakes for her sons, Kevin, 5, Ryan, 3. The boys began to argue over who would get the first pancake. Their mother saw an opportunity: “If Jesus were sitting here, He would say, ‘Let my brother have the first pancake. I can wait.’ “Kevin turned to his younger brother and said, “Ryan, you be Jesus!” The mom in this story is quite right: it’s a great to teach about what Jesus would do, and Kevin’s honesty will make him more teachable. One thing I think Jesus loved about children is that they didn’t try to be anything but themselves—greedy, curious, cruel, and filled with wonder. When caught in the wrong, most children are willing to learn a different way. I think this childlike authenticity is one of the things that made David, the shepherd boy who became a king, “a man after God’s own heart.” If you read the Psalms David wrote, you find him sometimes moving from deep love for God to wanting bloodthirsty vengeance on the people who are out to get him, from profound wisdom to utter despair. We also know that when David was caught in the wrong, he admitted his mistakes, prayed for forgiveness and tried to make things right. He trusted that God’s love would always be there—even when he stumbled in his life—and so he could be completely open with God. Like a child, because we know we are loved, we learn to trust that we will be given all we need. Because we are loved, we can pour our whole selves into all we do.
Third, we need the childlike sense of possibility. A man was driving home from work one day, when he stopped to watch a local Little League baseball game that was being played in a park near his home. As he sat down behind the bench on the first-base line, he asked one of the boys what the score was. “We’re behind 14 to nothing,” he answered with a smile. “Really,” I said. “I have to say you don’t look very discouraged.” “Discouraged?” the boy asked with a puzzled look on his face. “Why should we be discouraged? We haven’t even been up to bat yet.” God’s Kingdom is all about possibility that through faith turns to hope. Taken a tough blow in your life lately? Had some bad news? This childlike sense of possibility doesn’t worry or fret, but instead looks for what will happen when God steps up to the plate with us. Discouraged? We haven’t even been up to bat yet!
Today we are reminded how much we have to unlearn. We have learned about economic forecasts, getting things done, and political games at the office. We have learned that hyper-partisanship gets us re-elected, that the poor make us uncomfortable, and children don’t really know very much. We have so very much to unlearn. Jesus’ bad habit suggests we take ourselves too seriously, get anxious too quickly, and need to re-learn how to be child-like again. Somehow children get some things about life—living for the moment, trying hard, loving well, being completely ourselves, and approaching life with an attitude of play and wonder. In fact, learning how to be kids in all the right ways, is the only way to find our way into the Kingdom of God. One mom told this story, “One day I spoke gruffly to my little daughter. ‘If you don’t watch it, young lady, I’m going to pick you up and whirl you around and hug you and kiss you.’ Her eyes narrowed. Gravely she said, “I’m not watching it, Mom.” I solemnly filled my arms with my daughter, spun her round and round, and then kissed my bundle till we both were giggling. I know this was a good thing, one of the many, quick, marvelous moments between parent and child. It might have been fleeting, but she wanted to do it again and again, then call her dad to tell him. I repeat it just often enough with my daughter to keep the chuckle fresh. I like it especially when she comes and finds me, peeling carrots or sitting at the [computer], and holding back a smile says, “I’m not watching it, Mom.” Already my daughter is 38 pounds. I won’t always be able to scoop her up and whirl her around. But when I make wishes, one of mine is that “being whirled: will be one of her favorite childhood memories.” What memories are you making with your children and grand-children? What will they learn about God from us? In the end, we are all children of God, and perhaps we all need to be child-like before our Heavenly Father. Perhaps we should learn how to say to God, “I’m not watching it, Dad.”