There is a well-known picture on many church walls. It’s the picture of Jesus sitting surrounded by group of children.  One sitting on his lap, all the children intently listening and Christ looking at them with kindness and love. This is an iconic picture. It demonstrates that Christ loved the little children, that he welcomed them. Contrary even to how his own disciples saw them, as bothers or as disrupted to their plans and agenda. Christ looked and saw something different indeed. The disciples would have sent the children away, but Jesus welcomed them and said suffer the little children to come to me. Or in modern terms let the children come to me, do not stop them, but let them come. 

Christ saw value in these that others saw as insignificant. Over and over, he sought out the least of these in scripture. He sought out the disabled, the sick, the outcast and yes, the children. What does this mean for us as believers as Christ followers? If Christ is our example what implications does this have for us and how we should live? 

First, what the world sees as insignificant is significant to God. How many times does it say in scripture that the wisdom of God is foolishness to man. It’s like God perspective and view is in complete contrast to how the world operates, how they view things. If you don’t believe me look at examples from scripture. Gideon, who God called the mighty man of valor was hiding when God called him. David was seen as so insignificant that he was not even called in from the fields to meet Samuel when Samuel was looking for the one who God wanted him to anoint as future king. Surely David was not the one that God would want. Rehab was a prostitute, yet she was instrumental in God’s plan to take Jericho and God spared her. Esther wasn’t seen as significant as a woman, but God spared her, using her to display his glory before kings and nations at the time. The nation was spared because of her.  Moses was put in a Wicker basket, abandoned and then re adopted, and murdered a guard. He made so many errors and he ran. When God called him from the burning bush, he told God I can’t even speak, I stutter, yet God provided Arron and still accomplished his work through Moses. Paul formerly Saul murdered Christians and called himself the chief of all sinners. He wrote most of the New Testement. On and on, over and over in the Bible, the ones who are called and are used, highlighted by God if you will are insignificant, faulty people. They were chosen by God to shine his light through. They were not people that anyone else would have chosen but God saw value in the insignificant, in the disabled, in the sick, in the outcast. 

Mary, Jesus’ mother, was just a girl, but God called her highly favored among women. Do you think Mary felt that way about herself. No, she was just a girl, willing to have God use her as he saw fit. So, it should be pretty clear that what man sees as insignificant and unimportant, useless even or perhaps just less than. Those things that are unworthy in the world eyes God sees as significant, important, useful, greater than and worthy. Perhaps it is something to do with the humble state of those souls, that place where they’re depending on God, and any glory gained goes to God. It’s obvious that it was God doing the work, it was all for God glory, God is highlighted in the stories. It says in proverbs that God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble, he esteems and raises up and promotes humility. Back to my original point, Christ welcomes the children. This is completely in line with who God is and how he promotes and views people. 

The second thing we can learn from Christ welcoming the children is we learn about God’s love.  You see children have such a great capacity to love.  It is uninhibited and given with abandoned. Just like God’s love.  You see this played out when Jesus goes on to say in Matthew 18 who is greatest in heaven? He answers here’s the truth you have to change and be like a child, this is the only way to enter heaven. What does that mean? Kind of like Nicodemus’s question “how can a man be born again? How can we become children again?” What it is not saying is that we are going to go back, we cannot become again what we once were as children.  We can not regain our innocence and vivacious energy that has long since gone for most of us at this point in our lives. For some people their youth was stolen from them.  For other time and experience caused it to fade. So is God requiring the impossible? I could not return to my childhood; I cannot gain back what time and life has taken from me. None of us can. That is not what he is asking. 

What Jesus is saying though is to become like a child. What does that mean? Well, it’s the second thing we learn about children. Children are born trusting that their caretakers have their best at heart. At least if it’s done right. I know, in our warped world many children learn a very different lesson. It breaks my heart truly that so many children have been abandoned and abused. There is no end to how suffering has affected so many children in our fallen society, people warped and broken perpetuate the abuse. It is a vicious and heart-breaking cycle. And I pray that God will return soon and end it. 

Yet children typically ask when they need, without shame. They trust and see their parents as able. They lean and depend on their parents. This is what I believe the scripture is referring to when it says to be like a child. It’s referring to that trust, but this time trusting in God. Trusting that God is who he says he is, depending on God to be all that we need, asking him as we have needs knowing that he will provide for us. That’s what it meant. Being willing to come to Christ with full trust and acceptance and anticipation.

So, we learned God’s idea of significance greatly differs from that of the world and that we should live like that. See through his eyes. Do you feel like your efforts for God only matter if they are to people the world values? Instead, give, love, live and serve the least of these. That is who God has called us to serve. Consider your own approach to God, lean in with no shame, seek him, ask of him, trust in him, as his children. At least we have the assurance that God is a good father, so when we come as a child to him, we will not be disappointed. What will the picture be like of heaven when one day we, his children, are finally with him. We’ll be surrounding him, learning from him still, so similar to the picture of Christ with the children surrounding him, but with God’s glory and eternity to share. What a blessing! How amazing. Just as I am, as your child, I come, I come.

For this Christ humbled himself and came as a child, he led the way by example. He was seen as insignificant. What does it say in Isaiah he had nothing in his appearance to attract him to us and instead served us. He became insignificant and served and loved the insignificant. Why? So, we could do the same, follow his example, love like he loved, come like he came, serve like he served his father. So, we could be children of God with him. God the father, God the son, and God the Holy Spirit joined together with us, his children forever. communion, unity, and a true complete family forever! That is the picture I dream of when I see the picture of Jesus with the children, it was a shadow of the full glory of what is to come. Can you see it too? Will you come as his child? Will you come vulnerable and humble? Don’t hesitate, he’s calling you.