children

Luke 18:16-17
But Jesus called the children to him and said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it."

Anyone who thinks little children are precious and completely pure has never raised or met a two year old who finally discovers he/she is not the center of the universe. As one pastor said in a sermon I heard recently, “They would kill you in a minute if you weren’t so big.”

Precious? Of course. Pure? At times. Yet, Jesus isn’t talking about the exemplary behavior of children; he is talking about their confident trust. If you say something, children expect it to be true. If they are in trouble, you will save them. If they are sad, you will comfort them. It is this trust Jesus is lifting up as a model for us all.

Pray for the children in your life.