Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 18:3 NABRE
His disciples ask Jesus, who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Jesus responds in an unusual way. Jesus wants the disciples to understand that power and greatness in God’s kingdom is not the same as the world knows power and greatness. Jesus calls over a child and places the child in the middle. In Jesus’ time children have a very low social status, they are subject to authority of all their elders and are not people to emulate. But Jesus challenges His disciples to radically reorient themselves in how they view the kingdom. He says they must turn; turn away from a worldly view of greatness and humbly become like children, insignificant by the world’s standard. To achieve greatness in heaven we must be people who humble ourselves like the child Jesus is honoring in His example. If we do not humble ourselves like children we will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Christians who seek worldly status and power will be disinherited from the kingdom of heaven. If we do not seek humility and littleness like the child, we will not be great in heaven, we won’t even be allowed to enter heaven.
God who is merciful and loves all of us wants us to understand He does not decide who enters heaven but our own choices make the decision. Imitate Jesus, live humbly and turn away from worldly accolades and achievements for our own sake and the kingdom of heaven is guaranteed. Living humbly allows us to experience God’s kingdom now, turning toward God we walk toward glory, being in glory as we journey to glory.
Are you impressed by little children who trust and have faith in everything? Do you need to turn from the path you are on to the path of child-like humility?
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