“At that time the disciples came to Jesus and said, ‘Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’ And He called a child to Himself and set him before them, and said, ‘Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven’” (Matthew 18:1-4)

Since entry into God’s kingdom is predicated on it, the words of Jesus here should be considered very carefully.

The context is the disciples arguing about who is the greater, and our Lord, to quell their wrangling takes a little child and says, “Hey guys, look here. This little one, the person like him, he is the greatest.” So it is, we had better take a look-see, and determine to be as our Lord has said.

While children without discipline can be quite nasty, they are also innocent of what we grown ups are guilty of; namely, the lust for position and power. Yes, kids think mostly of themselves, and want to be first. But they do not possess worldly ambitions. They have not yet moved into the grosser sins of the love of money, a lust for sex, and a self-exaltation. They are, as it were, precious little sponges, ready to absorb the world around them, be it good or bad.

I cannot help but think of my grandson, Milan. How we love Milan! He is three years old, and Jesus is here saying, “Become like Milan.” Oh! I was thinking for him to become like me!

The Lord uses the word “humble” in describing the kid before him. Humility, while I don’t know as I have much, I understand. In a state of humility, you know your need. You know who is greater than you. You know you need help. You are always looking up and not down. You not only like to be coddled, but you need to be coddled. As much as you hate it, you know you need to be disciplined, and when you are you have this sense you are loved. You know you need to be loved. You know you need to be cared for. As with all these things, you are not inhibited nor weighted down with the cares of life. When afraid, you know who to run to. You are happy because you have not yet learned to be sad. You are free because you have not yet come to be bound by sin.

Honestly, I don’t know as to all that Jesus had in mind when He said what He said; the above is only what comes to mind. I do know this: it takes a man a measure of humility to come to Jesus and acknowledge he needs to be saved. I think of all the greats in the kingdom, great men and women of prominence and power, godly ones. And then here comes a poor sinner to the altar of God’s grace. “Have mercy on me, O God, a sinner!” Perhaps what the Lord is saying is that this person, he is greater than the others. Or, maybe it is a man like me, fairly well-versed in the Scripture, somewhat aged in the Lord, having a little wisdom and knowledge, on his knees more or less begging for mercy, unable to continue without the Lord’s help. I don’t know.

What I do know, is that if a person wants to enter God’s kingdom, he must become like a child. If a person wants to be great in God’s kingdom, he must become like a child. Childlikeness, then, is something every believer, young or old, ought aspire to.

I remember the Lord speaking to me once. At the time I was serving as an elder at Mt. Hope Church. He said, “You may be an elder in the church, but you are a child to Me.” This is worth not only remembering, but acting out. I am like a child before My Heavenly Father, and I shouldn’t be thinking otherwise.