Becoming Like Little Children

December 25, 2022

At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me. “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. (Matthew 18:1-6 NIV)

We normally attend Christmas Eve services at the church fellowship of which we are a part.  However, last night we went to be with some of our family at their church fellowship since one of our granddaughters was to play a Christmas carol on the piano.  After the service, people lingered about visiting with one another and several children were enjoying each other while their parents were visiting.  As I was watching people, I saw an amazing manifestation of the Incarnation of Jesus within a little child. 

In the scripture quoted above, Jesus states that the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven are the little children.  It also says that we shall not enter that kingdom unless we become like little children.  What does it mean to become like little children.  I think it can be summed up in believing that God is our Father, that we can humble ourselves and come to him in any circumstance, at any time and that we will receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. (Hebrews 4:16) In short, that he will give us Himself in our time of need that we may live by his very life and have fellowship with him even in the most difficult of circumstances. 

So what was it that I saw?  I had been watching a little girl about four or five years old with beautiful curly blonde hair coming and going amongst the adults.  Then I saw her come up to a group of women while she was leading a younger little girl by the hand.  The women were talking when she tugged on one of the women, called her by her name and said, “She doesn’t know where her mommy is, can you help her find her mommy?”  The woman immediately picked up the lost child and continued visiting with the other women while the child was perfectly content to be in her arms.  In a very short time, a man came up to the woman and said to the child, “Where have you been, I have looking everywhere for you?”  He took her from the woman, and they left.

Why do I say this was an example of the Incarnation of Jesus?   Jesus said that he came to seek and save the lost. (Luke 19:10)  Being lost implies that whatever is lost belongs to someone and that it has a home.  Jesus came to seek and bring home his brothers and sisters to his Father.  The older of the two girls had compassion upon her younger friend and took her to a woman she trusted to help her friend find her way home.  I would go so far as to say that Jesus, alive in the older girl, took the younger girl to the heart of God our Father that she herself at some point had experienced through the woman.  Is the very nature of woman, not from God our Father himself?

Witnessing this manifestation of the Incarnation of Jesus, on Christmas Eve at a gathering to celebrate that incarnation, was like a gift from my Father to persevere in every circumstance believing that he is good and that his love endures forever.  It also reminded me of a quote from one of my favorite authors.

“For when is the child the ideal child in our eyes and in our hearts?  Is it not when with gentle hand he takes his father by the beard, and turns that father’s face up to his brothers and sisters to kiss?  (Quote from The Child in the Midst in the Unspoken Sermons Series by George MacDonald.)

Blessings,

Kevin