"Do not Hinder Them"

^“ But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.'”(Matthew 9:14 ESV).

This verse shows how much Jesus values and welcomes even the smallest, inspiring believers to feel cherished by Him. Scripture tells us that Jesus told the apostles to let the children come to Him, as they were preventing them from reaching Jesus. Christ blessed the children and went on His way. In those days, the neglected and the abandoned were held in low standing; however, Jesus taught us that these are the people we must love and care for, as they cannot on their own.

As I read this scripture, it takes my mind to another verse spoken by Christ. “At that time 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. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 18:3). Let the children come to Him, but also, we who are grown must come to Him as a child to find salvation.

The arrogance of many prevents them from coming to Christ. We, as adults, and depending on our age, have a great sum of life experience. We each may have a niche of expertise, or we may know something about many things. My point is that, despite our knowledge, unless we know God, we are infants in His eyes. We cry and whine about the things we want, or we think we need. Often, we lack common sense, or, worse, think we know everything, which, more often than not, forces us to admit we do not. We certainly do not know more than God, and despite the grand plans for our lives, He has already planned them. Despite our wandering from His course, He corrects us, and we move on.

God wants the broken, not the proud. He desires those at the bottom, not the top. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus makes this point in His “blessed are those” discourse. As Jesus said, “unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”  How hard is this for the human mind? How hard is this when performance defines the person in this society? It is impossible. Truly, I mean impossible. There is no way for us to relinquish everything we believe about ourselves and the perception of others that gives us our status. So then, what are we to do?

Scripture tells us,  “ And behold, a man came up to him, saying, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” And he said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments.” He said to him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, “You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” The young man said to him, “All these I have kept. What do I still lack?”  Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”  When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. And Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly, I say to you, only with difficulty will a rich person enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?” But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”  (Matthew 19:16-27)

All things are possible for God; He is of unlimited power. Still, you cannot come to God with the belief that your knowledge, experience, and good works are enough for you to have eternal life. You must forget what you believe you know and come to God with a hunger to know Him above everything else. This childlike humility and trust are essential because they open your heart to His grace; they are the only way to seek and receive salvation truly. You must become a child in heart and mind to become an adopted child of God.

In my Christian walk, I find I am constantly walking away from things, places, and people because I no longer value what they represent, which, of course, is the world. I find my comfort and my hope within Christ and His church and the ministries God has placed me in or given me to care for in His stead. If you feel unworthy or unsure about approaching God, remember that He welcomes the humble and the broken. Christ is calling you-no matter your past or doubts-He longs to embrace you with open arms.

Throw off the things of the mind and the world and approach Him as a child-trusting, simple, and sincere. Ask Him to forgive your sins as you believe in your heart that He truly is the Son of God and His sacrifice, His propitiation, is the only thing that can save you from destruction. Come with no perceived ideas, no biases, and no expectations-like a child with open hands and a humble heart. Come as a child to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and by His grace, and your faith, He will grant you salvation and peace. Will you not seek Him now? He awaits you.

Grace and Peace.