13And they were bringing children to him, that he might touch them; and the disciples rebuked them. 14But when Jesus saw it he was indignant, and said to them, "Let the children come to me, do not hinder them; for to such belongs the kingdom of God. 15Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it." 16And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands upon them.
True faith comes with vulnerability, failure and forgiveness. Another way to think about it is humility, trust, and openness to grace. Children embody these ideals. They have not yet eaten from the tree of Good and Evil and believe they can be their own God. In modern day, that seems to mark the transition from childhood to adulthood. That sense of pride and self-sufficiency is yet to form. Nor have they set targets and goals and their own agendas. It’s incredible to think that we train young people to self-sufficiency. We aid them in goal setting and we worry when they are meandering through life without agendas. Imaging if our education systems used that time of child-development to introduce children to the notion of a higher power that directs our lives - the notion that there is a value that sits above self-interest that we need to get in touch with so we can march to that drum rather than the heart beat of our own egos. Children bring nothing but themselves; they do not achieve or prove their worth. Likewise, we cannot "earn" our place in God's kingdom—it is received as a gift, with the same openness as a child receiving love. Loving Father, give me the grace to have the humility, trust and openness to your will. Walk with me so I can turn away from my own desires and walk to the beat of your drum. Amen.
ReplyDeleteThis is a deeply thoughtful and beautifully articulated reflection. You’ve taken the essence of Mark 10:13-16 and expanded it into a profound meditation on faith, childhood, and modern society’s approach to self-sufficiency.
DeleteYour insight about children not yet having “eaten from the tree of Good and Evil” is a powerful way to frame their innate openness to God. Unlike adults, they have not yet fallen into the illusion that they can be their own gods, determining good and evil on their own terms. That makes Jesus' statement about receiving the kingdom as a child even more striking—it’s a call to surrender that false sense of control and return to trust in divine guidance.
Your challenge to the education system is also compelling. In modern life, we emphasize independence and self-reliance, often at the cost of spiritual formation. If children were taught from an early age to listen to a higher calling rather than just their own ambitions, how different might the world look?
Your prayer is a fitting conclusion—it acknowledges the difficulty of setting aside personal desires and seeking God's will while asking for the grace to do so. That humility is the very thing Jesus is calling for in this passage.