What Part Did You Not Understand?

Let me share a story with you:

One day, while Jesus was sitting around with crowd of people and their families, everyone was laughing, joking and playing – just having a great time. Jesus was smiling as he watched the children play. They were running all over the place, playing all kinds of games and enjoying themselves. As Jesus was talking with some of the adults, the conversation started to get rather deep, one of his friends asked Jesus a question, “Jesus, I was wondering, who gets the highest honor in the Divine’s Kingdom? I’m asking for a friend.”

Jesus smiled; he stood up and started to walk to a clearing and sat down. As he was sitting he started clapping his hands and called all the children to come and sit around him. As the children came to sit with Jesus, many started to climb all over him. Jesus started to laugh, and he looked at the friend who asked the question and said, “Look at this, this is unconditional love.” Jesus was laughing so hard he could hardly say a word. After a few minutes, he looked at the friend who asked the question and said, “Let’s put it this way. See these little ones? See these amazing little children? See how they just love life? See how they have no worries? See how they just enjoy each other and play games with each other? See how pure their hearts are? See how they love others naturally? See how they don’t care who is, and is not, important? See how they see others with the love of the Divine? See how they look to adults with trust in their eyes? See how they look to us for safety? If you’re unable to see that, if you can’t think like them, you’ll never have any place in the Divine’s Kingdom, you’ll never get in. If you can’t think like them, or live like them, you truly have no idea what I have been telling you, because children get it.”

Jesus thought for a moment and added, “Let me add something else, so you understand how important what I just shared with you is: If you give any child a hard time, bully them, harm them, mistreat them in any way – you’re doing the same thing to me, and you will never see the face of the Divine.” He added, “Think of it this way, you screw with them and I can guarantee you it would be better for you to make yourself a neck-tie out of heavy chains and throw yourself into the deepest part of the ocean in hopes of never being found. I can guarantee you that if you harm them in any way you will be standing in the line that will not lead you into the Divine’s Kingdom. You need to understand, life for many children can be harsh and unforgiving and if you add more pain to their lives, shit will hit the fan in a big way. It’s our place, it’s your place, to insure they are loved, safe and lifted from the harsh unforgiving world. If you harm a child in any way, shape or form, you will never find your place in the Divine’s Kingdom”

His friend asked, “So, putting them in cages, separating them from their parents would not be a good thing?” Jesus replied, “What? What part of what I said did you have a hard time grasping?”

[Based on Matthew 18:6-7]