The Kingdom of God Belongs to Children

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Mark:

People were bringing children to Jesus that he might touch them,
but the disciples rebuked them.
When Jesus saw this he became indignant and said to them,
“Let the children come to me; do not prevent them,
for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these.
Amen, I say to you,
whoever does not accept the Kingdom of God like a child
will not enter it.”
Then he embraced the children and blessed them,
placing his hands on them.

People were bringing children to Jesus, and they still do.

The disciples rebuked them, as the disciples of Jesus still do. Children are messy and a nuisance. But Jesus became indignant, and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not prevent them, for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Amen, I say to you, whoever does not accept the Kingdom of God like a child will not enter it.” 

If you do not accept the Kingdom of God like a child, you will not enter it. But how does a child receive?

Can you remember what it’s like to receive things, as a child?

Can you go back to when you were little before it all went wrong?

No, further. To before the time you were first ashamed to be a child. Or, at least, to a time when you were a child who wasn’t thinking about your shame.

Remember when someone handed you a gift carefully done up in nice paper with a big colorful bow, and all you could think about was tearing off the paper to get to the gift. Maybe somebody scolded you to be careful of that paper so it could be reused, but you didn’t listen. You ripped off the paper in your eagerness to discover that gift. You knew that glitzy trappings weren’t important; the important thing was the gift.  That’s how you are to receive the Kingdom.

Remember when you were fascinated by something, really taken in by something that was exciting to know? Maybe it was dinosaurs, or ancient Egypt, or knights in shining armor. Remember when the grown-ups at first encouraged you and then got cross with you because you took it too far. You read every book in the library to find out everything there was to know about your topic of interest, and then you followed the grownups around, prattling about it, which irritated them. You asked them questions about it and were shocked when they didn’t know the answer, which embarrassed them. You colored pictures of it to decorate your room and made a mess. You asked for toys pertaining to your special interest for Christmas, which was annoying. And maybe the grownups said “I’m afraid you’re getting obsessed” and didn’t let you have your special interest anymore. That’s how you are to delve into the Kingdom– but you won’t have it taken away from you.

Remember when you heard about a terrible injustice or had a terrible injustice done to you. And anger at that awful, hideous injustice overwhelmed you, and you screamed “It’s not fair!” You balled your fists and insisted that it wasn’t fair, and you were right. Your indignation was righteous and a gift from God. But the grownups didn’t see it that way, because they were grown up. Being grown up, they thought, meant accepting that life is full of injustice and there’s nothing we can do. Maybe they humiliated you. Maybe you got paddled or sent to your room. Maybe they deliberately did the unjust thing again, with impunity this time, just to show you that they could.

That is not the kind of Father that God is. God will not hurt you. God will not act unjustly. God is as angry at the injustice as you are. You were right, and the grownups were wrong.

You were right all along, and the grownups were not. Gifts really are that exciting. Learning really is that wonderful and the world really is that fascinating. The things you like are interesting things. Injustice really is that bad.

It is a grave injustice that you had that joy, and that eagerness, and that sense of justice beaten out of you.

Was there a time when you approached Jesus, and a grownup rebuked you?

Were you belting out the hymns too loudly and got shushed? Were you fidgeting in church and got slapped? Were you overwhelmed with love and fervor for this person called Jesus whom you were told to love– but then someone told you your devotion was silly and wrong? Did you used to trust Jesus, but your trust died a death of a thousand cuts as people told you that Jesus was angry with you and going to punish you for your sins? Did worse things happen? Did somebody hurt you in ways it stings just to remember, and then say Jesus authorized them to do it?

When that happened, Jesus was overwhelmed with anger and said “It’s not fair!”

That’s why you can’t get into the Kingdom of Heaven unless you accept it as a little child. Because Jesus is, Himself, a Child, and forever on the side of children. Because the Father wants to return to you all the beautiful things that were stolen from you– your innocence, your trust, your fervor, your fascination with fascinating things, your blessed sense of justice. Because a grownup would look at the things they’ve put aside that the Father wants to return to them, and rebuke the Father and storm away. “Stop muddling the Kingdom of Heaven with childish things. I got rid of them for a reason. I’m a grownup now.”

But the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to children.

The Kingdom of Heaven is where Jesus embraces and blesses the children.

And we can be children again if we wish.