Being Children

 

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MARK

BEING CHILDREN

Mark 9:36-37

36 He took a little child and had him stand among them. Taking him in his arms, he said to them, 37 "Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me." 

NIV

We are still in this conversation about who is the greatest in the kingdom of Heaven and of course, Jesus has already answered in one way by saying whoever is last is first, or in other words, we all should be humble and have a servant's heart. However, Jesus continues with taking a child in his arms and makes this statement about welcoming one of these children in his name is welcoming him as well as he who sent him, which is the Father, of course. That in and of itself seems a little strange that we should welcome children. Perhaps many church denominations have made a whole children’s ministry using this as the basis for welcoming the children. However, we would also have to include that which Matthew recorded in order to get this fuller meaning. In Matthew 18 Jesus makes this comparison of becoming like this little child. Jesus tells them unless they change and become like little children, they will never enter the kingdom of heaven. This is very clear, yet in words that are not so clear, so that he who has an ear can hear. Of course, we who are adults cannot go backward and become a child again, although some of us go through what we call our second childhood. The point Jesus was making is the spirit of a child. They have a humble teachable character. They have not yet learned to be haughty, to be prideful and boastful and they are destitute of ambition. This is what Jesus is speaking about here in relationship to being last, being a servant to all. Being converted from those attitudes of adulthood to those of this child. It also would tell us the belief that children have. They have complete faith in their parents to supply their needs.  In many cases, or maybe even most children, they do not even have to ask, the parents simply give them their needs out of love. The faith we had as a child to believe in the Easter bunny, the tooth fairy, and Santa Claus, all fictitious characters because we were told they were real, and our parents are the ones who proved their reality to us as little children. So it is with our faith in Jesus. Our parent, the Father has proven the reality of his Son Jesus to us. But we must have faith like a little child, simply believing because we have been told He is real. Yet, we also have been converted, changed, because of the seal we have, the Holy Spirit, who has come to confirm all the truth to us. This is about having faith, believing like a little child, and having that kind of spirit, humble and teachable. So we welcome that faith child within us, and we welcome Jesus and the Father. True, we also have been told to put away childish things, the way a child reasons. Paul makes that case in his letter to the Corinthians. Yet Jesus wants us to be like this child. We have been changed from the attitudes of adulthood, those attitudes of pride, envy, jealousy, ambition, or greed,  to those we once had as a child, for we are God’s children. Therefore we need to live, being children.