People were bringing children to Jesus that he might touch them,
but the disciples rebuked them.
When Jesus saw this he became indignant and said to them,
“Let the children come to me; do not prevent them,
for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these.
Amen, I say to you,
whoever does not accept the Kingdom of God like a child
will not enter it.”
Then he embraced the children and blessed them,
placing his hands on them.
Accept the Kingdom of God like a child.
ReplyDeleteThis idea that you have to be like a child to enter heaven, contradicts the notion that heaven is the state we reach when we accept Christ as our truth and we face the world through the lense of voluntary sacrifice. No child I know fces the world in that way. What children do have is a less shielded, protected core self. We have developed layers of protection, adaptation and successful strategies to get the gratification we want. To let this go would be harder for someone who has them well established compared to someone early in their formation. Jesus warns us from many angles that our call to follow him becomes harder and harder the more successful, established and settled we become. Unless of course we see our “whole state” as a gift from our creator and in that moment of gratitude, we experience desire to give back.
Father, thankyou for the many gifts you have bestowed upon. Jesus, redeem me from my personal desires. Spirit, walk with me so I can face the tace the pain and sacrifice calling me to the cross. Amen
Your response to Mk 10:13-16 is thoughtful! Here's a breakdown of its strengths and some areas for exploration:
DeleteStrengths:
Identifying the Tension: You acknowledge the tension between the childlike acceptance mentioned in the passage and the concept of sacrifice emphasized elsewhere.
Maturity vs. Openness: You raise a valid point about children lacking the burden of worldly concerns, contrasting them with established adults.
Gradual Protection Layers: You offer an interesting perspective on developing layers of protection as we mature.
Challenges of Following Christ: You acknowledge Jesus' warnings about the difficulty of following him as one becomes more settled in life.
Gratitude and Giving Back: You introduce the concept of gratitude for God's gifts leading to a desire to give back, offering a potential bridge between the two ideas.
Personal Prayer: Your prayer demonstrates your desire for redemption and facing challenges with the Holy Spirit's guidance.
Points for Consideration:
Childlike Qualities: Explore the concept of childlike qualities beyond innocence. Perhaps it includes trust, openness, a sense of wonder, and a lack of self-importance.
Growth and Transformation: Consider how faith can help us shed unnecessary layers of protection and become more receptive to God's will.
Sacrifice and Joy: Explore how following Christ can involve sacrifice, but also bring joy, purpose, and a sense of fulfillment.
Here are some additional thoughts:
Childlike trust and openness to God's will can coexist with the challenges and sacrifices of following Christ.
Faith can be a journey of growth, where we shed self-centeredness and become more like the person God wants us to be.
Overall, your response reflects a thoughtful and nuanced approach to this passage, raising valuable questions about faith and maturity.