When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them,
“Let the little children come to me,
for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.
I often have themes emerge as I write. While writing my first book, The Me Disease, the “Me2We” popped out of the text almost immediately. It reminds me that it is not about me but about us, about community. We are better together.
As I wrote last week’s blog, A brand new day. a new theme emerged showing me the importance of embracing life. I talked about seeing these big fluffy mushrooms that blossomed overnight in my back yard and how they made me smile. My husband, with a smirk on his face, questioned me, “Really? You smiled at the mushroom?” I did. Those mushrooms made me happy. I don’t even know why. My husband thought it was child like, not in a complimentary way. I reminded him that creativity flows from child like ways. He agreed.
Later in the week, as I sat in the funeral service of a dear friend, I was reminded again of the importance of being child like. Her life was full of courage and strength as she suffered through the loss of a child and battled cancer valiantly. But the characteristic I remember her by was her easy, fun-loving self. She had a child like way about her and I mean this with the utmost respect. I am actually envious of it. She knew how to embrace life and to live each day to the fullest.
It is often in death that we find life. I wonder if she didn’t somehow find life after the death of her son. As if she understood the fragility of life and the importance of making the most of every moment. Reflecting on my time with her, I smile. Her life makes me smile. There are not many grandmothers that would joyfully go zip-lining with their grand kids or brave the rapids. But she did. She could turn an ordinary dinner into a fun-filled adventure. I loved that about her.
When I look at Mark 10:14-15, I see Jesus rebuking his disciples because he knows that they have a lot to learn from the children. So do we. If you look at verse 15, where it says, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belong to such as these.” These precious little children. That makes me want to be like them. That makes me want to be child like.
When I looked at my study note for this verse, it said, “The kingdom of God belongs to those who, like children, are prepared to receive the kingdom as a gift of God. The point of comparison is the usual openness and receptivity of children. The kingdom of God must be received as a gift; it cannot be achieved by human efforts.”
Children have an natural ability to embrace life with fun and wonderment. As an adult, we should look for ways to embrace life and have more fun. We should strive to be more child like. Because, those are the ones who are ready to receive the kingdom of God as the gift that it is. Let us pray;
Dear Lord, thank for the child like faith you have placed within each one of us. Thank you for the gift of your Son, the gift of our life and the gift of your kingdom. Thank you that your love for us never wavers. Help us to be filled with joy and wonderment each and every day. In Jesus Name, Amen. -M
