Welcoming the Little Children

Matthew 18:1-6

At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”

He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

“And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me. But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.”

You may recall the context in which Matthew relates this account of Jesus’ concern for children. The incident is recorded in each of the Synoptic Gospels. Mark’s account [Mark 9:33-37] and Luke’s account [Luke 9:46-48] flesh out Matthew’s account. Jesus had been on the Mount of Transfiguration. Peter, James and John had witnessed His metamorphosis and were made aware of the Divine intent for His exodus to be shortly accomplished. Subsequent events would reveal that though they heard the words they failed to understand the Divine mandate for the Son of God.

Coming down from His Transfiguration, Jesus had healed a demonised boy. The other disciples had attempted to deliver the child, but had failed miserably. Mark adds the insightful comment that fasting may be required in combination with prayer for some instances of deliverance [cf. Mark 9:29 – Majority Text].

Leaving there, the disciple band began to journey to Capernaum. On the way the disciples began to argue among themselves. The source of their disagreement centred about the question of who was to be the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. In fact, we might imagine that they were arguing about which of them was the greatest. Who among them would qualify as the most important individual to the cause of the Master? Regardless of the particulars of their argument, they did not involve the Master. We need to be cautious in drawing any hasty conclusions about their argument. I’ll address this point further in a brief moment, but first I must make two observations at this point.

First, this was not the only time the disciples argued about the ethics of the Kingdom of God and more particularly about their relative importance to the work of the Kingdom. This seems to have been an ongoing argument right up to the night Jesus was seized and dragged before the Sanhedrin. In this, the disciples were not so very different from the professed people of God in our day. Too often, instead of thinking of the glory of God we seek our own advancement in the Kingdom.

A second observation of perhaps even greater importance is that Jesus said nary a word during their discussion. They did not ask Him to settle the dispute, no doubt because of their discomfort with the issue. Upon arrival in Capernaum, however, Jesus asked them about their conversation during the trek. At last one of the disciple band screwed up enough courage to confess the discomforting question to the Master. It is apparent that all alike were eager to know the answer to their query. The entire band gathered around the Master, thinking to settle the issue and to thus forever set the pecking order. At Jesus’ word the issue would be settled once and forever.

As the disciples posed their question, our translation omits one word. Perhaps it isn’t necessary to understand the teaching of the Master, but it does provide insight into the mind of the disciples. Consequently, it will assist us in clarifying our own vision. If you read one of the more literal translations, such as the New American Standard Version, you will notice that the question is advanced by the query Who then. That little word then is easily overlooked, but think what it means.

In this instance then has no time value, but it indicates that the disciples were thinking in terms of the teaching they had only recently witnessed. Jesus was teaching them so many new things concerning the Kingdom of Heaven and the disciples, as is true of us, thought in terms of the kingdoms of this dying world. Greatness permits action; and greatness is measured by power over others. Jesus had begun to insistently teach that He would go to Jerusalem where He would be crucified. The King was making preparation to die! The King was planning to remove Himself through regicide! Yet, the Kingdom was to be established despite His absence. Who then would be greatest?

If the One they expected to be greatest was removed, who was left? If He was going to die, the One in whom all hopes of greatness were placed were dashed. Now they stood in the midst of the wreckage of their aspirations, their hopes, their cherished anticipation. He would not break the power of roman tyranny. He would not re-establish David’s throne at this time. He would not assert Himself. You see they may not have been seeking personal power or appointment to office within God’s Kingdom, but they were desperately trying to understand the implications of the Kingdom and they had no model by which to compare it.

When the disciples asked, Who then is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven? what they really asked was What is the condition for greatness in Your Kingdom? In effect they said Greatness in our kingdom is exhibited by authority and power. If You rob us of our ideals, what then is Your ideal of greatness? These poor men were baffled and perplexed, and we also are bewildered and confused by these identical issues.

The Model for Greatness in Christ’s Kingdom — Notice that Jesus addressed the issue of greatness by inviting a little child to come stand by Him. There is perhaps more in this picture than meets the eye. Too often we look and fail to see. It is not merely that He stood a little child in the midst of the disciples, but I wonder why a child was present? Jesus was apparently in the house to which he often retired when in Capernaum. Capernaum served as His unofficial centre of ministry whenever He was in Galilee. If, as it seems reasonable to assume, He was in that particular home which served to provide Him a measure of rest and retirement from the world, we might well ask what a little child was doing present? This was a paidivon, a toddler. The child was likely no more than three years of age and perhaps as young as one year old. Whether the child could speak well of not is left unstated. All we know is that this was a toddler, a little child. What was such a young child doing nearby these big men?

Of course we could theorise that the child was a member of the family which owned the home. Perhaps that is correct, but why was the child standing nearby, apparently absorbed in listening to this exchange? It is just as likely that the child was a neighbourhood child who simply wandered in. What is important for us is that the child was not an invited participant in the discussions which were taking place. Curiosity and childlike innocence led the child to stand nearby watching these adults.

Children are a delight to those of us who are older. They are naïve, innocent, unsullied by the dicta of polite society which demands that we pretend to ignore what is going on around us. Such little ones assume the best about people and wait for recognition from adults – recognition which usually fails to be extended by busy adults.

We have only returned from visiting out grandchildren. While in Vancouver, our Caiti observed her third birthday. Her brother Joel is a big boy of five going on twenty-six. Our Joel, being somewhat older and also being accomplished with Nintendo (especially games built around the antics of Sonic the Hedgehog ®) he can occupy himself for hours on end. Caiti, on the other hand, alternates between trying to get her older brother to play with her and playing around the adults seated in the living room. From time-to-time she comes to either of her parents or to one of her grandparents, bringing a book or a toy and asking to be seated on a convenient lap so she can be part of the activity. How very like a child! They assume others will be interested in what they are interested in and in sheer innocence insinuate themselves into our hearts.

The little child Jesus called out to was likely hanging around the edges of the group hoping to gain recognition or obtain an opening which would permit play. The toddler likely peeked from face-to-face occasionally in hopes of obtaining a brief smile of approval for simply being a child. When Jesus called the little one there was immediate response. The child seems to have moved quickly to His side, the disciples surrounding both Jesus and the little one. How trusting and obedient to the Master’s call.

Listen to the Lord’s words. They are solemn words. Whenever Jesus wished to emphasise the importance of what He was saying, He would begin with a variant of the phrase ajmh;n levgw uJmi'n – I tell you the truth, or more literally Amen, I say to you. It was a linguistic mechanism to alert His disciples to pay attention. What was to follow was of utmost importance to their eternal well being. What Jesus had to say concerning the Kingdom of Heaven revolved around His model of a little child. The imagery of a little child was a recurring theme in His message concerning the Kingdom. Later, in an incident when the disciples attempted to turn away little children, Jesus used the opportunity to instruct them in the truths of the Kingdom.

People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them [Mark 10:13-16]. The children being brought in this instance were infants [brevfh – Luke 18:15]. There is something in the character of a little child which is worthy of emulating. The smallest child among us merits our consideration if we will discover how to please God.

Children are trusting toward adults. They are dependent upon adults to care for their needs. Gradually, as they grow in strength and gain understanding of the way in which the world works, they become less dependent upon adults. Just as little ones are trusting toward adults, have you ever noticed how little ones are trusting toward the Lord? You have never seen a toddler who rejects the Kingdom of God. There is no such creature as a six-year-old atheist … unless some adult has contaminated the mind of that child. I do not say that children may not become disillusioned in time, but if children are taught in the truths of the Kingdom and instructed in the things of God, they will turn to Him at an early age. They gravitate toward the love of Christ.

As an aside of no small consequence, such observation places awesome responsibility upon us as a people of God. Children impose responsibility … on parents, on a particular community of Faith, on the Body of Christ. Certainly we are responsible for those children God places within our congregation. Parents are responsible to provide sound training, but as a congregation we are responsible to receive them, to provide for sound instruction in the Faith, and to provide an environment in which they may grow to maturity without fear of deceit. This is the reason we must have outreach ministries such as Sunday School and nursery and Kids’ Club.

Beyond that, we are responsible to prepare to reach out to the children of our community, to instruct them in the Faith and to provide hope in that which is far better than what the world gives. We must be committed to reaching families, and that means we must change our attitude toward the ministry Christ has assigned us. If we fail to prepare for the children about us, we fail Christ and we disobey the spirit of His Word.

The Measure of Greatness in Christ’s Kingdom — The disciples were puzzled, perhaps even bewildered, by the measure of greatness in the Kingdom of God. They had only a model of this dying world … a model which esteems power over others. The great in our estimate are those who are adulated and adored because of their notoriety and because of their possessions and because of their authority which permits them control over others. The Kingdom of Heaven values humility, esteems weakness, honours poverty.

Throughout the Gospels, two images prevail of the one who would please God. The image before us is that of a little child, and the other image presented is that of a slave. The two concepts have more in common than we might imagine, even in relation to the name given each of them. Slaves were property and as such were frequently referred to in demeaning terms. I had never given much thought to the ignominy of the term boy until I witnessed an incident as a pipe fitter on the Houston Ship Channel.

Walking past a ditch with a young black man I heard the labour foreman yell out from the ditch, Hey, boy, toss me that shovel! That young black man and I were members of the fitting crew and not labourers. It didn’t matter much to me; I gave it scant thought. Before I could react to the command shouted out from below that young black man was in the ditch and in the face of that foreman. Towering over that foreman he said in measured tones, If you see a boy, slap him. There was some furious back peddling and protestations that nothing was meant by what had been said. I knew that a boundary had been breached, however, and there was no further room for tolerance of casual language.

Later during lunch, that young black man and I talked about the incident. He had been called boy all his life, the term being a remnant of the slave economy. It was a demeaning way to subtly keep the blacks in their place. He would have nothing to do with that. Nor can I blame him. Imagine my surprise when preparing for this message that I discovered that the term paidivon was applied to slaves in the days of Christ. A slave was a child … a boy or a girl until they either died or received manumission.

Both slaves and children are dependent upon those in authority. Whether they wish to or not, slaves must humble themselves and become like little children in that respect. Neither slaves nor children are people of power. They have no authority. Though they may speak the truth and even possess insight, they receive no credit for their thoughts. Each alike is dependent upon others for food and clothing and shelter. How strange that Jesus would exalt the humble, the weak, the poor for our emulation!

Throughout the Gospels, Jesus employs the image of a slave to instruct His disciples in the Kingdom of God at least twelve times. He used the imagery of children at least five times in the Gospels. Apparently, the character of slaves and children is important to our Master. In fact, Mark, in the parallel passage, equates servants and children in the estimate of Heaven. Jesus called the Twelve and said, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all.”

He took a little child and had him stand among them. Taking him in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me” [Mark 9:35,36].

Underscore in your minds, then, the qualities valued in God’s Kingdom. Humility, weakness and poverty are esteemed by God. Did you ever consider the Model Prayer as a divine means of instructing us in these qualities?

Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name,

your kingdom come,

your will be done

on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

Forgive us our debts,

as we also have forgiven our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from the evil one.

[Matthew 6:9-13]

The Model Prayer acknowledges our childlike dependence upon our heavenly Father. We confess our lack of power in asking that His Kingdom come and in asking that His will be done. We seek His reign and long for His power instead of relying on our ability to accomplish the task of fulfilling the role of those who will be citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven. We confess our poverty when we ask for daily bread. Though He gives us strength, we dare not trust in our own abilities, knowing our weakness and utter dependence upon His strength. We confess our weakness when we ask for deliverance from the evil one. We cannot stand against the slanderer of our brothers. Though we resist him, it is Christ’s strength and Christ’s victory which permits us to do so. The qualities honoured within the Kingdom of Heaven are revealed even in the Model Prayer.

One of the humbling passages of Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians reveals his understanding of this truth. Listen again to 1 Corinthians 1:26-31. Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.” Humbling, is it not?

Among the Corinthians, and among us, there are not many esteemed in this world as wise. Few of us qualify as influential in the halls of power within this dying world. Among us are none who can lay claim to titles of nobility either by birth or through other means. When we are brutally honest we are compelled to confess that we qualify as the foolish things of the world, the weak things of the world, the lowly things of the world. Neither can we boast before Him. If we have fulfilled His every command, yet at last we can only confess that We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty [Luke 17:10].

I wonder whether there yet exists in this fallen world a congregation where the men and women are small enough in their own eyes to be great in the eyes of the Lord? Within every congregation I have pastored there is resident or shortly becomes apparent a power clique which sees service as a means of power over others. In one former congregation was a young man whom I had mentored during his studies at one of the largest evangelical seminaries in the world. He was a blessing to many people, until he received his full inheritance. He told me that he did not wish to serve on any boards; he wished only to work behind the scenes to make things happen. I cautioned him against working in the shadows since men loved darkness because their deeds were evil [John 3:19]. Unfortunately, this young man was rather the rule than the exception among church leaders. I caution you to seek the Saviour’s heart, and you will discover the heart of a servant, for even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve [Make 10:45]. Tragically, pastors are not immune to this deadly virus which causes each of us to lust for power.

Few among the leaders of the churches of this world are servants, though there seem to be an abundance who wish to be powerbrokers. Instead of rejoicing in the opportunity to serve, most of the saints resent the call of servitude. Instead of rejoicing in our spiritual poverty because we know it compels us to resort to Christ’s wealth, we put on masks to hide our paucity of spirit. Instead of rejoicing in our powerless condition because we know that we may draw on His strength, we determine that we will never submit to another. Brothers and sisters, this ought not to be!

I wonder if we are incapable of measuring greatness because we are ignorant of our own children. We grow up too fast. Little children are coached to dress seductively, to paint their faces and appear older than they are. They have little time to be little girls as the demands of dance lessons, ballet class, soccer time, gymnastics, and a thousand other classes which their parents desire crowd out the importance of being a little girl. Bad as matters appear for little girls, I suspect the pressure on little boys is greater still. Music lessons and sporting events make incredible demands on little boys. We expect them to demonstrate all the sophistication of mature adults in their interactions with girls and we are willing to enforce the issue if they fail to live up to our standards. Our little boys speak with the foul mouth of unrestrained men and we marvel at their audacity.

Children are not fools, but we are if we fail to encourage them to be children. Some years back I described Generation X as survivors. Many among that group of children were survivors. Their siblings were slaughtered in the womb, and those who comprised that generation knew that they were selected. After a study of Holocaust survivors, I predicted that the generation would manifest many of the symptoms of those suffering peoples who had lived through the Nazi Holocaust. They would devalue life. They would have scant regard for social strictures, preferring to make up their own conventions. They would be hard working, knowing that they couldn’t depend upon others to provide for them. Consider the generation which follows!

Today, we tell children they are not valued. First, we refuse to have children. Families are smaller on the average with each passage decade. Even among the saints of the Most High God, couples opt to avoid having children since their presence will restrict the interests of the couple. Our language betrays our view of children. We speak of them in a demeaning manner. Children are a nuisance, restricting our pleasure. We tolerate them instead of welcoming them. Instead of seeking opportunity to instruct children in the Faith, Sunday School is seen as an opportunity to get the children out of the service so we can worship. What do you suppose will happen to these children when they are sixteen? I tell you they will have nothing to do with the Faith since they have never been integrated into the Faith. Because so few children are seen among the churches of our Lord in this day, we who are called by the Name of Him who welcomed little children to come to Him are ignorant of the qualities which the Saviour found so attractive in them.

The Means to Greatness in Christ’s Kingdom — Unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven. There must be a transformation if we will please God. Perhaps you labour under the illusion that the transformation is one of actions. According to the text the transformation which is sought and which is required is a transformation of character. It is a change in one’s worldview. This can only come about through renewal of the spirit, through being born again.

Jesus obviously speaks of the new birth at this point. You will no doubt recall Jesus’ exchange with Nicodemus. It will be beneficial for us to review that conversation. Jesus declared, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.”

“How can a man be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb to be born!”

Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

“How can this be?” Nicodemus asked.

“You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things? I tell you the truth, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man. Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son [John 3:3-18].

Jesus here insists upon a change so dramatic that He compares it to a second birth. It is tantamount to becoming childlike in spiritual matters. There must be a transformation in one’s worldview, in one’s very character. It is an acknowledgement that what now exists is corrupt, even dead, needing a regeneration of the spirit.

This new birth is accomplished by faith in the Living Son of God. That is the essential message of John 3:16 and 18. Having been born into the Kingdom of God, the new-born saint must be prepared to renounce the past and bravely face the future with no intention of ever returning to that which once was. No Christian can truly dwell in the past … not if he wishes to please the Father. Neither can the Christian continue to embrace the ethics of this dying world nor manifest the worldview of this fallen age. The child of God must demonstrate true humility toward God and toward those whom God has redeemed. The child of God must realise the reality of his or her poverty of soul and count life as worth nothing if only he or she may know Christ and the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings. The child of God must recognise that power which is true power gives life and transforms those willing to receive it.

You will no doubt recall the familiar words which the Apostle penned and which are found in Romans 12:1,2? I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. It is nothing less than iteration for us to continue in the path we have begun; and we shall so continue if we are truly born from above.

Here is a wonderful and fascinating truth. Those who are born from above will continue in the Faith since they are being conformed to the likeness of God’s Son. Those who are mere adherents will drop away in due time, being unable to continue the charade. The call to refuse to continue being squeezed into the world’s mould resonates with the heart of the child of God, whereas that same call offends the darkened heart of the lost since they know they cannot fulfil the injunction. Of course they can’t cease being conformed to the pattern of this dying world! They haven’t yet been transformed by the power of God’s Spirit.

Will you be great in the Kingdom of Heaven? Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord. There remains this word which the Saviour gave. Whoever welcomes a little child like this in My Name welcomes Me. By the same token the warning of Jesus states, if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. This tells me that the humility which is sought will be seen in the inclusion of children in the life of the Body.

The church which has understood the message of life will reach out to children. The church which has failed to comprehend this message of life will fail to provide for the wee bairns. Do we require a reason to provide training for the children of our community, beginning with these little ones … these toddlers and infants? Here is a strong reason from the lips of our Master. When we welcome the little ones, when we make the worship of Christ an experience of joy for them, we welcome Christ Himself.

Permit me to be practical for a moment. This means that we will provide sound instruction for all peoples, beginning with the youngest ages. This means that we welcome families, providing for the comfort of their infants as well as seeing to the welfare of their older children. This means that even the conduct of our worship will be attentive to that which is of interest to younger worshippers. The music will reflect their interests and not the interest of adults only. There are ample thoughts here for any of us to ponder for days to come. May the Lord give us light and grace as we weigh our response to His Word. Amen.