Anchor My Faith

The Humility of a Child

Scripture: Matthew 18:3-4; Mark 9:36; Luke 9:48

In our previous lesson, Jesus was trying to help the disciples understand the importance of humility in leadership. To be first, one must be last of all and servant of all. To help the disciples understand that, Jesus uses a child as an object lesson.

^{Mk 9:36} [Jesus takes] a child and put him in the midst of them, ^{Mt 18:3} and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. ⁴ Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”

I know many children that do not impress me as being very humble but grow in pride as they age. I know as a child I sure did. What Jesus had in mind was childlike trust, vulnerability, and the inability to advance his or her own cause apart from the help, direction, and resources of a parent. Think of this in terms of us being children of the Father. We must have these childlike characteristics to enter the kingdom of heaven and whoever humbles himself in this way is the greatest in that kingdom. In this context, if we are walking in the Spirit our lives should display the fruits of kindness, goodness and gentleness.

^{Mk 9:36} “And taking [the child] in his arms, he said to them, ^{Lk 9:48} “Whoever receives this child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me. For he who is least among you all is the one who is great.”’

Jesus first spoke of the importance of being humble as a child, now speaks of serving those who are lowly like a child or someone who is rejected. As an illustration, Jesus takes a child in his arms as an expression of love and care for those who are lowly and even rejected in some cases. I think of girls in China or other nations were boys are viewed as more important than girls. During my time in China I listened to students tell of their parents destroying a new born girl in hopes that the next birth will be a boy. I have spent time with such rejected girls who were then in their teens and learned of their pain of rejection. Jesus would reach out to these young rejected girls or boys who appeared physically, mentally or emotionally inferior in some way and welcome them. Think of all who are rejected through abortion. Jesus would welcome them. Before our salvation while yet in our sin, we were very unattractive and rebellious, yet God loved us and reached out to us and drew us into his family.

Jesus holding a young child in his arms is showing them, especially his disciples, that they should willingly take on lowly, often unnoticed task and care for those who have little status in the world. Whoever does this, Jesus says, “receives me” and in so doing also receives the Father “who sent me.” God does not seek the proud for his kingdom but seeks the humble; those willing to serve the lowly. Those who serve in this way in humility are seen by the proud as the least of people, but before God they are the greatest. The world feeds on pride, but with God greatness is found in the lowly as in the example of a young child.

Conclusion

Seeing the lowly as important and serving them as greatness is looked down upon by the proud of the world with discuss. To receive Jesus, we must have the characteristics needed to receive the lowly. We must be willing to surrender one’s self, with humble submission to him.