Jesus is Recognized and Adored by Children
I really love children - have all my life. I love their innocence, and how straight-forward they are. They haven't learned to posture, put on masks, or beat around the bush - their emotions come through unfiltered, they express what they think without an awareness that others may have an opinion about them or their thoughts, and they get right to the point, especially when asking for something that they want or think they need. They are genuine.
They are also fairly good at judging a person's nature. Children don't come running to just anyone. They keep their distance from those who radiate disapproval. Ultra-serious types don't draw children either. No, children enjoy adults who are fun, who smile and laugh naturally, who allow time to get to know each other, and who actually listen to them and respond to them intelligently.
So it comes as no surprise that children LOVED Jesus! Unlike in our day, children in Jesus' day were not considered important. Most adults did not acknowledge children, let alone converse with them. But Jesus is not like other people. In Matt 14:13-15, Jesus is in the midst of a crowded city. Parents are bringing their children to Him that He might lay His hands on them and pray, but the disciples will have none of it! They are rebuking the parents; I imagine they were incredulous that these people would bother someone as important as Jesus with children! But Jesus rebukes them, and tells them to "let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them, for of such is the kingdom of Heaven."
Picture the joy on those children's faces to be welcomed by Jesus! And picture the joy on His face at their simple trust in Him! I love that these children were able to have such an amazing encounter in their lifetime. But I really love the challenges that this story presents to me: first, that I need to be really careful deciding that something that is a bother to me must certainly also be a bother to God! Not only were the disciples wrong, but they were actually thinking the opposite of Jesus' thoughts. Help me, Lord, to be a student of You first - to be willing to question my suppositions, rather than assuming that You share my thoughts, values and standards.
Second, since Jesus says "Of such is the kingdom of Heaven," then I want to learn to be childlike in the ways that matter - I want to be genuine, authentic, without pretense, trusting, simple in my thinking, living in the moment for its own value. I want my heart to be so open that I recognize Jesus, and run to Him without hesitation. I want to swap smiles and laughter with Him, instead of always being SO serious!!!
In Matthew 21:15-16, Jesus is turning over the tables of the moneychangers in the temple, and healing people, and the children are crying out "Hosanna to the Son of David!" The chief priests and scribes are indignant, and expect Jesus to tell them to stop saying that. Jesus responds by quoting from Psalm 8:2 to these men who've spent their lives studying the scripture: "Have you never read, 'Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have perfected praise'?" There is such a risk of studying the word and missing the Lord - we should NEVER think that was only true of the Jewish leaders in Jesus' day. Any one of us can become deceived, and even the studying of the word can become an end in itself, or a point of pride, rather than a seeking of the revelations of God of Himself and of our true selves. The children saw Him for who He was - they were old enough to have heard that the Messiah would be from the line of David - what they were seeing, hearing and experiencing of Jesus told them that He was the One.
Jesus, thank You that You tell us to come as little children to You - a child is aware that he has no power, that he is dependent upon those he trusts to love and care for him. Help me to love and trust You with the simple faith of a child.
(The link for the kids' post is: http://elizabethtreger1.blogspot.com/2014/12/christmas-countdown-dec-8.html )
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