Why You Must Be Like Children Before You Can Enter the Kingdom

Jesus welcomed little children into His arms and unless we be like children, we cannot enter the kingdom of God.

Tattered and Shattered

Jesus welcomed little children into His arms and unless we be like children, we cannot enter the kingdom of God (Matt 18:3). That’s what Jesus said, but we’ll cover what that means later. Let me tell you first of all, many years ago, when I worked for a foster care agency, being a bi-vocational pastor (still am), I came into the office and saw a young girl lying on the office couch on her overstuffed lion-pillow, clutching an old and very ragged doll with one eye missing and a tattered dress. At her feet was a large hole-covered trash sack that had all of her earthly belongings in them, like her clothing, socks, and jeans. The trash sack had several holes in it and some of her clothing was hanging out.

No Real Home

After speaking with her case manager, she wiped the sleep out of her eyes just in time to be going to another home…another foster home…after leaving her old home behind…again! Her father had abandoned her and her mother before she was ever born, and now the mother confessed that she could not even take care of herself, not to mention her own child. This is just another story that happens just about every day at foster care agencies around the nation. Some of the most heartbreaking experiences I have ever seen in my life have to do with children who have been in and out of foster care. Here are a few examples of what I have seen in my encounters with these little ones that are so precious to our Lord.

The Least of These

A seven year old girl once asked me if I could be her daddy since her father was gone. She also asked me if she could tell me “I love you.” It made me weep. As a father and grandfather, I understand that Jesus loves these little ones and rebuked His disciples once for trying to prevent them from coming to Him. In Matthew 19:14 He told the disciples, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” One thing about children is that they have such tender hearts. They are very trusting and this why they are often taken advantage of. The importance of being able to witness to these children is so important. They have not yet hardened their hearts, they have not had time to become cynical to the ways of the world, they remain open and pliable to the teachings of the Bible, and they are so trusting. They have such strong faith that it makes me ashamed of my own disbelief at times. This may be why Jesus said; “Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it” (Mark 10:15).

Suffer the Children

These foster children have often been through more pain and suffering than adults will experience in a lifetime. One child was in five different foster homes in one year. One child had said his father had committed suicide. Another little boy who I took to visit his father found out that he was a no-show. One girl I took to visit her mom found out that she was now in jail. Other children came from physically and sometimes sexually abusive homes, others came from alcoholic homes and homes where drug abuse had occurred (or all of the above). One little child witnessed his mother being beaten time and again. Sadly, these children often blame themselves even though they are not responsible. It is a dangerous thing to abuse or hurt a child in any way. Jesus warned in Luke 17:2 that “It would be better for them to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around their neck than to cause one of these little ones to stumble.” The sea is a picture or image of eternal death to the Jews and to have a millstone tied around a person’s neck means there’s no reprieve from this judgment.

God’s Gift

We know that children are a gift of God and a blessing from the Lord. We see that from Scripture as the Psalmist writes, “Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate” (Psalm 127:3-5). At one point, “the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matt 18:1-3). Humility, not size or height, is the measure by which God goes by (Matt 18:4).

Broken Hearts

The young girl I wrote about in the beginning of this story is just who Jesus was speaking about. As I picked up her trash bag full of clothing, I noticed that her clothes were soiled and were too big for her size, and many were full of holes. She clung tightly to that little doll she had, sometimes speaking to it, reassuring the doll that “We’re going to a new home today. It’ll be okay.” I’m not sure if she was trying to reassure the doll or herself, but can you see why this gets to me? These precious little ones…so young and innocent. It is so hard to see them suffer. I cannot solve these children’s problems. I can only offer them the hope of a brighter future, “for such is the kingdom of heaven.”

Conclusion

I pray you have put your trust in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. If that has not happened yet, my friend, you are in real danger of hell fire. And I mean, in immediate danger. You’re one breath, one heartbeat…one accident away from eternity when it will be too late to repent. Today is the best day to believe (2 Cor 6:2) since tomorrow is no guarantee. If Jesus Christ came today, here is your fate (Matt 7:21-23). This is why I plead with you as you read this, repent today…and I mean right now. Put your trust in Jesus Christ. If you do not, you will face God’s judgment after death guaranteed (Heb 9:27) or at Jesus Christ’s appearance (Rev 20:12-15), which could happen at any moment.

Here is some related reading for you: How to Teach Your Children About God

Resource – Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version^® (ESV^®), Crossway Bibles. (2007). ESV: Study Bible: English standard version. Wheaton, Ill: Crossway Bibles. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Tagged as: Child, Child-Like, Children, Humility