“I tell you the
truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will
never enter it”
(Luke 18:17).
The blessing of children “event”, comes as a
surprise, disrupting the flow of the narrative. We find it sandwiched between
the parable (or story) of the persistent widow (Luke 18:1ff), the parable of
the two prayers (Luke 18:9ff) and the parable of the young ruler (Luke 18:18ff).
Given its place we understand the disciple’s attempt
to stop those mums and dads bringing their children to Jesus. Don’t get me
wrong, it was commendable of them to bring their children to Jesus, but
couldn’t they find a better time for it?
Jesus was in the middle of His presentation of some
kingdom values…and the disciples were just getting the gist of it all…and
there comes a bunch of people asking Jesus to bless their children…The
disciples rebuked them.
The persistent prayer brings into focus that God is
NOT like the godless judge. We have to keep this in mind: God doesn’t need to
reach a point of exasperation to grant a request.
The genuine prayer is an example of a realistic view
of self in the light of God’s holiness. “God, I am a sinner…a good amount of
Your mercy will be of tremendous help!”
This is a kind of prayer that God cannot
refuse…will not refuse.
Jesus used the interruption to teach that when it
comes to receiving God’s kingdom, children are the perfect example of the right
attitude.
The key word here is “receive” the kingdom of God. The
most suitable word pairing for “receive” is “give”. “Receive” and “Give” go together.
We can only receive that which is given to us.
Let us come to Jesus with a trusting heart and receive the free gift that He is offering!
Pastor Alois