26TH FEBRUARY 2022
CHILDREN’S ATTIDTUDE AND GOD’S KINGDOM
In the Gospel of today, we see Jesus rebuking his disciples who refused children to approach Jesus. They refused them because they thought that children are not priority in Jesus teaching. Jesus corrected them and taught them that children are so special in God’s eyes because of their character and attitude toward the Kingdom of God. Jesus loves children very much and He is very much concerned about Children. Jesus mentions that the kingdom of heaven belongs to children (Mt 18:4).
What is the lesson from Jesus’ attitude toward Children when He was teaching and talking about the Kingdom of God? Why children are so important for Jesus when He talks about good attitude toward God and His Love for us? Does Jesus urge us to have a childish attitude in our Christian life and faith?
There are some special attitude Jesus really wants us to learn and imitate from children to embrace the Kingdom of God. He his statement is very strong: “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (18:3-4).
Of course, Jesus did not urge us to have a childish attitude nor He wants to promote childlike faith. For sure no. He wants us to have a mature and grown up in faith, an adult faith but He wants us to learn from children’s attitude and change from some of our attitude towards God and His Kingdom.
First of all, about the security attitude. Children are not like adult who have a secured life: knowledge, physical strength, wealth and power or authority that made them secure. Therefore, they do not need much God’s security and care in their life. But children, since they do not have a high status, no security. Children have security in their father or mother. That is why when they are separated or a bit distant from them, they cry because they feel in a danger. The same should be true for us toward God.
Two children are so sincere in their life. They do not hide anything in themselves. They do not lie. We adult also need to learn from them. We need to be sincere towards God and others so that we may be able to humble ourselves to Him.
Three, children have their complete trust and confidence in their parents. For a child, he believes that his father or his mother is the only and the strongest person on earth. We need to learn from this toward God’s Power and Authority in our life.
Children own nothing in the family, but at the same time, they possess everything. They do concern about personal wealth. The same to us; Jesus wants us to be more concern about God than worldly riches so that we may be able to open our minds and hearts to God and His Kingdom.
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