Childlike Faith
In Matthew’s gospel, we know that everything Jesus said and did after Matthew 16:21 was focused on going to Jerusalem and to the cross. Matthew writes that in his narrative for us so we don’t have to guess about the focus of the last several chapters of his gospel.
Now, if we know that Matthew is focused on his future readers understanding the last weeks of Jesus’ ministry, then we can assume that what is contained in these later chapters is critically important for us. In chapters 18 and 19, Jesus talks about children in several verses.
In 18:1-6, Jesus told the disciples that the greatest in his kingdom were those who would turn and become like children. He had a child with him so that the disciples had a visual image of what that meant. I am confident that the child Jesus called to him wasn’t having a temper tantrum at that moment. And I am pretty sure the child wasn’t trying to run away to do whatever he wanted but was probably curious about Jesus and welcomed his kind attention.
Jesus continued in this teaching, telling all of us that anyone who causes a child to sin would face severe consequences. You have probably figured out that it is hard to make anyone do anything. So how is it that we might cause a child to sin? And is this a principle related to the age of a child or does it include the seeds we plant in children that might cause them to sin later as adults?
I have nine grandchildren and, as wonderful as they are, sometimes they do not want to do whatever I suggest for them to do, even when what I want them to do is for their own good. Now, if my grandchildren or anyone else’s children see or hear me belittling another person, might that cause them to think that is appropriate behavior? What if they see me acting stingy and not sharing? Or maybe hear me talking to a friend and gossiping about someone? What if they see what I do or say on social media? They might not when they are young, but they surely will as they get older. The disciples might not have imagined these scenarios, but I suspect they are relevant for us.
Apparently the disciples didn’t realize Jesus was serious about the children. In chapter 19, parents and grandparents were bringing children to Jesus so that Jesus might lay hands on them and pray. The disciples didn’t form a queue to make it easier to get to Jesus; they decided to just rebuke those who were bringing the children to Jesus by telling them to go away. Jesus corrected the disciples and encouraged the children to come to him so that he might bless them.
In the next chapter, the mother of two of the disciples came to Jesus with her grown children and asked Jesus for the two best seats in the new kingdom Jesus was establishing. It seems that the two disciples would have told mom what Jesus had been emphasizing about what “greatest” looks like in the kingdom of God. They had been with Jesus when he used a child to indicate the importance of childlike faith. And they had seen Jesus repeatedly model the servant life, yet they hid behind their mother, hoping for a shot at greatness and forgetting that they didn’t need their mother to do anything for them. All they needed to do was to submit to Jesus and serve others.
So today, we thank you, Father, for the gift of your word and for your call to childlike faith. We thank you that we do not have to try to impress you or others. Fill us with your Spirit, that we might walk humbly before you today and serve those you place in our paths. Be glorified through our service to the least of these today. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Your Time with God’s Word
Matthew 16:21, 18:1-6, 10, 14, 19:13-15, 20:20-34 ESV
To receive daily posts delivered directly to your inbox, complete the form at the bottom of our home page.
