Childlikeness and Godliness

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Matthew 18:1-5, 10, 12-14

 The Greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven

18 At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”

² He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. ³ And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. ⁴ Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. ⁵ And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.

Matthew 18:10-14

The Parable of the Wandering Sheep

¹⁰ “See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven. 

¹² “What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? ¹³ And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. ¹⁴ In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.

Jesus points out how much God loves the "little ones", the childlike, whose innocence wins a great position in heaven. Jesus even states that we must take on the characteristics of a child: simplicity, trust, eagerness, joy and love, or we will never enter the Kingdom of God. We often think the more we know, the more sophisticated we become, the more we will earn heaven.  It seems that the more we become like an innocent child, the better our chances of making it to heaven.  How childlike am I? How can I become so?

Bro. Rene

Dear God, the the gift is childlike simplicity is a treasure worth discarding pride and self-sufficiency. Help me to develop an true sense of being your child. Amen.