How Childish

Read Luke 17:1–19:27

15. One day some parents brought their little children to Jesus so he could touch and bless them. But when the disciples saw this, they scolded the parents for bothering him.
16. Then Jesus called for the children and said to the disciples, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children.
17. I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.” Luke 18:15-17

Think back to when you were a young child, perhaps five years old. Didn’t it mean the world to you when an adult would take the time to listen to you? How did you feel when an adult knelt down to your level and communicated that you were important?

In a brief but important scene in this reading, Jesus takes the time to do this with a group of children. He expresses his love for them and rebukes the grown-ups who try to prohibit them from coming to him. Through this incident he also teaches the disciples and all of his followers a key truth about the kingdom of God. As you read, learn with the disciples how much little children matter to God.

What does it mean to have the faith of a child? It means trusting in someone or something without giving it a second thought. A daughter, for example, will jump into her father’s arms, knowing that he won’t drop her. A son won’t ponder the risks involved in going to a strange place if he knows Mom and Dad will be there, too. He will simply go. If only we would be like that with God.

Some of what God asks his people to do has no explanation or obvious benefit, but if we have the faith of a child, that should not matter. We should know that Daddy is strong enough to catch us, and we can assume that he won’t take us to a bad place.

What has God asked you to do? Where has he told you to go? Take the risk of trusting God the way a child trusts his or her parents—completely and without hesitation.