Become Like Children

Day 27: Matthew 18:1-20

“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.” - Matthew‬ ‭18:3-4‬ ‭ESV‬‬

What is it about children that Jesus is envisioning here? As we consider what He may mean, we may note that little kids are naturally…

• Trusting

• Imaginative

• Unpretentious

• Inquisitive

• Sensitive

• Full of wonder

The list may go on from here. Jesus especially points out the humility that children possess.

While the disciples were jockeying for the top Jesus-follower spot, He was trying to show them that Christianity would never be a hierarchy system of value. All of us carry an incredible amount of importance when it comes to Jesus’ Church.

May we stop trying to get to the top or get more of the spotlight. Instead, let’s seek to serve and find ways to live a humble lifestyle.

God is going to give us all the honor we can handle someday in heaven. Our genuine, lasting reward won’t be found here anyway. The following quote makes us think long and hard about how we should model Jesus: "True disciples are 'little ones' (10:42; 18:10, 14) 'who believe in Jesus' (18:6), out to make Christ alone great. In contrast to false religious leaders (7:22), children who come 'in his name' truly represent him (cf. 18:20; 19:29), and other disciples must 'receive' such little ones (10:40). That is, Jesus is modeled best among the most powerless, not among the powerful." - Keener, C. S. (2009). The Gospel of Matthew: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary (pp. 448–449)