In Mark 10 people were bringing children to Jesus to be blessed but the disciples were turning them away. Here is how Jesus responded;
14 But 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. 15 Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.”
Verse fifteen has been settling into my soul for about a month now, “Whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.”
How do we receive the kingdom of God like a child?
My five-year-old daughter Evangeline has been a helpful teacher as I have been considering and meditating on what it means to receive the kingdom of God like a child. She is at a stage where she is head over heels for her mom and dad. She adores us! She constantly wants to be in our presence and she persistently reminds us of how much she loves us.
Perhaps what Jesus was communicating to his disciples was a lot like what Joy and I are experiencing with Evangeline (Evy).
Presence: Evy wants to be in our presence. She has even started to cry when we leave or drop her off at school. Even though she knows it will be okay, and we will be with her again shortly, for a moment her heart feels the pain of leaving the presence of the two people she loves most in the world. To enter the kingdom of God like a child is to desire to be in the presence of our King! Our hearts should increasingly grow to find our greatest joy in the presence of Jesus. The psalmist David wrote, “One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple” (Psalm 27:4).
Delight: Evy’s delight is playing with mom and dad. The laughter, the giggles, the constant request, “Will you play with me?” Playing with Evy makes her smile and makes me smile in return. When Jesus invites us to enter his kingdom like a child, it is an invitation to play and delight in the good gifts he gives. Our experience of the kingdom shouldn’t be boring and dreary. It should be a garden of delight and enjoyment of our King’s many and abundant gifts. Psalm 37:4 says, “Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.”
Praise: Several times a day Evy will say, “Dad, I love you so much, you’re the best dad ever!” “Mommy, I just love you so much!” It’s like she can’t help it. It just spills out of her. We experience the kingdom when we speak the praises of our King. Jesus is good, he is beautiful, he is faithful, he is loving, he is our friend, he is our savior, he is our king! The Psalmist wrote, “Sing praises to God, sing praises! Sing praises to our King, sing praises! 7 For God is the King of all the earth; sing praises with a psalm!” (Psalm 47:6-7)
Faith: Evy is quite confident mom and dad can do anything and provide everything. Usually this comes out in very direct and sometimes demanding statements, “I want yogurt.” “Carry me upstairs.” “Can you buy me seven puppies?” We are working on our please and thank you’s, but there is also something innocent and reassuring about her confidence in mom and dad to provide for her. Evy daily displays unwavering faith in her parents. Entering the kingdom invites us to have unwavering faith in our limitless and generous King! Joy and I are limited, but King Jesus is not. I will fail my kids. Jesus never fails. Our journey in the kingdom is one of increasing faith, the simple and unwavering faith of a child in the only one who can provide all that our hearts desire. Psalm 37: 3 says, “Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and feed on faithfulness.”
As you make room for God this lenten season, make room with the heart of a child full of faith, delight, praise, and a greater desire for God’s presence. And as you do, receive Jesus’ invitation to experience the kingdom of God like a child.