Like a child

You have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants (Luke 10:21)

Jesus welcomed children. I can visualize the little ones playing at the edge of the crowd, not engaged in Jesus’ sermons, yet responding to his love. Jesus talked to them, pulled them up on his lap, welcomed them.

Jesus’ words in Luke 10:21 don’t mean that only infants will have the word of God revealed to them. It means that Jesus will reveal the Father to those who are like children.

Children are:

• Learners.
• Dependent.
• Reflections of their parents.
• Cherished.

What a fascinating list to compare my heart to. Am I willing to learn? I heard of a Sunday school teacher once who sniffed indignantly to her pastor, “I have 20 years of experience, you know!” And the pastor gently replied, “No, you have 1 year of experience 20 times.”

My heritage is that of pride and independence. It is runs against my nature to admit a mistake or ask for help. Fortunately, that’s my old nature. My new nature is learning to love God's plan.

A child reflects its parent. Isn’t that cool? Do I reflect the image of God? When someone looks at me, do they see a reflection of the King of kings?

And a parent’s future hope is in the children. The children carry on the family heritage.

We understand that a child is cherished. If we’re parents, we have experienced that heart-tugging commitment and love. And ours is a shadow of God’s love.

But Jesus, aware of their inner thoughts, took a little child and put it by his side, and said to them, "Whoever welcomes this child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me; for the least among all of you is the greatest."

(Luke 9:47-48)

Ready for a little childlike thinking?