To Such as These
People were also bringing babies to Jesus for him to place his hands on them. When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them. But Jesus called the children to him and said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”
- Luke 18:5-17
There is something easy, or perhaps obvious, about welcoming children. The classic PR move for a leader is to hold babies for the cameras. After all, who could be opposed to such cute, little faces?
There is little to gain, however, from truly including babies and children in your mission—from spending time investing in them and allowing them to have equal access to you. After all, babies won’t say thank you. They won’t campaign for you. They have no clout. They won’t come to your defense or advocate for you in the public realm. They are loud and distracting. They don’t stay on point. They disrupt plans.
But Jesus did not treat kids as a PR move. He did not view them as tangential to his mission. They were not a distraction. In fact, quite the opposite. When the synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) recount this scene, there is one sentence that is reported in exactly the same way each time—other details vary, but this does not: “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.”
The kingdom of God belongs to such as these. To kids, even babies. So let them come. What power is there in such a strategy? Very little it would seem. And that would be the point. Because only those who receive the kingdom of God like a little child will enter it. While babies might not make for great partners in brainstorming or advancing a movement, they are good at receiving. They receive fully and honestly. They bring nothing to the table, but unashamedly receive.
It seems that the older we get, the more we try to bring something of value to God in order to prove our worth. But babies don’t even try. They are not embarrassed to be needy—after all, it’s just reality. We could learn something from them. There is no sense in being embarrassed before God of our need for him—it’s just reality. God's kingdom is not at all about our power, but about his power. So, God’s kingdom belongs to those who know their limitations. To those who have come to grips with their lack of clout, power, abilities, and importance. The kingdom of God belongs to such as these.
~ Pastor Tim