And they were bringing children to him, that he might touch them; and the disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus saw it he was indignant, and said to them, "Let the children come to me, do not hinder them; for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it." And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands upon them.- St. Mark 10:13-16
What is there about children that our Lord tells us we should be like them in order to enter the kingdom of God?
[1] There is a natural humility about children. Unless an adult has tried to form them differently, ordinarily a child is embarrassed by excessive public attention. I still remember the embarrassment I would feel when my parents would try to get me to play the piano for guests!
[2] There is a natural obedience within children. That’s not to say children don’t disobey, but usually that comes from bad peer pressure or from other sources. Ordinarily a child will respect authority and will try to obey a person in authority.
[3] Children have a natural tendency to trust. Unless a child has been influenced by others, we see in children a trust in their parents, in teachers, in clergy, in figures of authority. Children don’t expect people to be bad. In fact, we have to warn our children not to talk to strangers, because their natural instinct is to trust others.
[4] Children also have short memories. They don’t naturally bear grudges. They can have a knock-down, drag-out fight with a friend one moment, and then immediately turn around and be playing with that same friend the next moment.
When our Lord says that we should be like children, He is saying that these natural instincts and characteristics belong to those who would find a place in God’s kingdom.
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Illustration by Margaret Tarrant (1888-1959)