These words of Jesus are familiar to many. "Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. " What these words mean is another issue. What is it about little children that make them especially suited to the kingdom of God?Some of the more popular answers are probably off the mark. Notions of children as sweet, cute, and innocent are relatively modern ideas, not shared by Jesus' original listeners. If modern, romantic notions of childhood are put aside, what is Jesus saying?
As hard as it may be for us to imagine in our child focused culture, children in Jesus' day had no status. They were virtual non-entities with no say or control over their lives. In essence, they were property that belonged to their fathers. And it's likely that Jesus is not using the image of a child in a positive sense. In fact, had Jesus first come to earth today, he would likely have used a different example, perhaps a homeless person.
None of this is all that appealing to me. I want power, at least over my own life. I want to be in control. Yet Jesus says the kingdom belongs to people without power or control. I don't know. I want God's help in my life, but I still want to be in charge.
I wonder what it would look like for me to become more "child like" in the sense Jesus is saying.
Click here to learn more about the Daily Lectionary.
No comments:
Post a Comment