Little Children

Matthew 18:1-6

1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"
2 He called a little child and had him stand among them.
3 And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
4 Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
5 "And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me.
6 But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.

Reflection :

Jesus Christ says that the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven are those who humble themselves like a little child. There are many characteristics of a child that Jesus seems to approve of like trust, love, humility, purity. In a world dominated by material possessions and engulfed in every sin imaginable it is sometimes very hard to understand humility and purity, respectively. Also, it’s difficult to sometimes understand the humbleness of a child with so much terrible parenting going around.

Children are generally humble characters. Show a child a small trick and their eyes light up in amazement, even though they may have seen it a thousand times. Give a child a little toy and they are very well pleased even if the toy doesn’t necessarily suit them. Children are commonly more joyful than depressed also. In this passage Jesus tells us to be like this humble type of child. We should have a child-like faith in Jesus Christ, one of unfailing trust and love.

I’ve always believed that ‘we can learn an excessive amount from children’ and here Jesus confirms my belief. Not only does He establish that belief, but He requires it! In verse 4 Jesus unmistakably declares that we must CHANGE and become like little children or we will NEVER enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

Matthew 18:5 has been my favorite Bible verse for sometime now, but Matthew 18:6 takes a very different tone. In verse 6, Jesus warns those who may have intentions of harming these children in any way or causing them to sin that it would be better for the villain to be drowned in the depths of the sea! Many scholars infer that the same is true about those having intentions to cause any believer to sin, not just the young believers. “Jesus loves the little children, all the little children of the world.”

+ Jakab +