Mediation for 24 March 2010
From The Rev. Peter A. Munson
Mark 10:13-16
13 People were bringing little children to him in order that he might touch them; and the disciples spoke sternly to them. 14But when Jesus saw this, he was indignant and said to them, ‘Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. 15Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.’ 16And he took them up in his arms, laid his hands on them, and blessed them.
Receiving the Kingdom as a Child
“Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.” (Mark 10:15)
The first thing I notice when I listen to these words of Jesus is that the kingdom of God must be received. You cannot pay for the kingdom, or earn it, or make some kind of power move to get it. You can only receive it. God graciously and generously and lovingly wants to give us the kingdom, because God thinks that highly of us and all of creation. This gets my attention right away, for I notice that I am not always very good at receiving. I live in a culture that always is pushing me to go after what I want, and how does that fit with receiving? The short answer is that the idea of receiving the kingdom doesn’t fit very well with the culture. As is often the case, Jesus’ words are quite counter-cultural.
The second significant thing I notice is that Jesus says that I must receive the kingdom of God as a little child. Not even as a teenager or as a pre-teen might receive it, but as a little child.
What are the character traits of little children that you think fit the best with receiving the kingdom of God? Here are some that come to mind for me:
Trust – Little children trust that the adults around them will be responsible, loving, and faithful in providing for their needs
Dependent – Little children are dependent on others and are happy to receive support from other people
Loving – Little children have the power to express and demonstrate love
Curiosity and Wonder - Little children don’t have to have a scientific explanation for everything. They can listen to a story, however illogical it may sound to an adult, and have a sense of the truth of the story. They are also curious and have the capacity for wonder and awe and and the appreciation of mystery.
Playfulness – We all have seen children get lost in play, and probably you can remember and appreciate the times when you have gotten lost in play, whether as an adult or as a child.
Creativity and Having an Active Imagination – Little children are very creative, and – as we all have seen – have active imaginations! These traits often overlap with being playful.
We all have to “grow up” and make our way in the world as responsible (that is, people who have the ability to respond) adults. But I also hear Jesus, in this passage, telling us to balance our responsible side with our “little child” side. He is saying, in effect, “Hold onto these traits of children, if you want to receive the kingdom of God.”
Perhaps you can and will think of other traits of little children that you want to hold on to, that will help you in receiving the kingdom. (I’d love to hear your feedback on what some of those other traits might be.) In the meantime, may we never lose our abilities to trust, to be dependent in a good way, to be loving, to be curious, to wonder, to play, to be creative, and to have an active imagination. For it is to those like these that the kingdom of God belongs.