In Matthew, Mark and Luke’s accounts of Jesus’ life and ministry they each tell the story of little children being brought to Jesus for Him to bless or for Him to use as a part of a life lesson that He was teaching. In each of these accounts, Jesus tells the audience that ‘unless they become like little children they will not enter the Kingdom of God.’ When teachers come to these passages, they often refer to how children are innocent, naive and trusting. These characteristics might be true. (As a parent I have experienced the exact opposite from my children at times!)
These accounts are actually part of a bigger discussion that is occurring about ‘who will be the greatest?’ Matthew records it this way: About that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?" (Matthew 18:1 NLT) One of the characteristics of the human heart is the battle to be King of the Mountain. Everyone wants to be the ‘Big Dog’ in some area of life, so we shove and elbow and throw our weight around so that at least in some arena we can be at the top of the ‘food chain’ and not the bottom.
The interesting characteristic of children in Jesus day is that they were totally powerless. Children had no status, no rights, they could not impose their will on someone else or demand something from others and they did not receive preferential treatment. Children were to be seen and not heard. Children were not seen as the ‘future’ because there was no guarantee that any child would make it beyond infancy. In Jesus’ day, a woman of childbearing age had to give birth to five children - that lived - just to keep a stable population. Women of childbearing age had to give birth to more than five if the world’s population was going to increase.
I think that the characteristics of children that Jesus was referring to when He said: ‘unless you turn from your sins and become like little children’ is not trust, innocence and naiveté. I think the characteristic Jesus was talking about is powerlessness, zero status, no rights, no ability to impose their will on others or receive preferential treatment. Jesus was telling His followers that unless you quit trying to be the King of the Mountain and become like a powerless child, who has no status to stand on, no rights, and no ability to impose your will on others and not expect or demand some sort of preferential treatment, then you can’t enter the Kingdom of God.
That idea won’t fly in the American culture! I’m the Big Dog. I’m the King of the Mountain. If I don’t have power, if I don’t demand my rights and get preferential treatment life is not worth living!
Which will it be – Kingdom of God or King of the Mountain? You choose.
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