UNLESS YOU BECOME AS LITTLE CHILDREN
Many years ago one of our children said to me "dad don't ever grow up!" This was because they loved to play with dad. So to this day when I act a little silly I tell my lovely wife "Hey, I can't grow up I promised the kids." But I want to share with you what Jesus has been laying on my heart about the kingdom. Jesus said in Matthew 18:3-6 "Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven." Have you ever wondered what Jesus meant by this. The new Living Translation says unless you turn from your sins. The word converted used in the other translations in the Greek means to twist or turn around. So, Jesus is saying unless you turn around and become like little children.
We live in a world that no longer allows kids to be kids. Just take a look at the video games or television that is aimed at kids. Our boys are taught to be tougher to survive the world. They play video games that are aimed at seeing just how many humans they can annihilate. Our girls are taught to dress like inappropriately dressed 20 year olds. I guess I am old fashion, but when I see a 4 year old dressed in skin tight hip huggers and skimpy tops I do not think it is cute. I think it is a sad statement of how sick our world has become. Our children read books on how to cast spells and learn witchcraft not the old Hardy boy's or Nancy Drew mysteries. I have talked to 10 year olds that know more cuss words than I know at 52.
The old saying is "a picutre is worth a thousand words". So these two pictures, in this pastors eyes, sum up our country. When I was a kid I did not know what a homosexual, was let alone hate one. Just yesterday, I read a news article about a group of 6 to 8 year old boys who sexually molested a 2nd grade girl. I cannot speak for you my friends, but when I was 8 years old I did not even know about being sexual. My private parts were for going to the restroom. No, I am not on a rant and rave session I am just making a point. We in America have given away our peaceful innocent society, to become one of filth and sin. Mary got a cute e-mail a few days ago titled Life in Black and white. It talked about a more innocent time In America when television was black and white and the shows portrayed Godly values of America. When we look at our world today we must realizes we are getting further and further from the point Jesus meant in Matthew 18.
Jesus was telling you and I that we had to have several things to get into the kingdom of heaven. The first thing we need is that "child like" trust. Do you remember your youth? It may not have been your dad or your mom, but you had someone you trusted in. You would do anything they asked because you knew that they would never hurt you. You knew that they had your best interest in mind. You knew they loved you. That is the first thing we must do. Maybe I should say it is the first place we need to get to. We have to get to the place where we give our lives totally over to Jesus and let Him do the work He needs to do to place us where His will for us is. But our "SELF" always seems to get in the way. Until we get to the place of giving everything, opening every room in our heart, getting into the passenger seat of life, we are not like the little children Jesus was talking about. Most of you know we have two children that Mary and I have been sending prayers to heaven for years over. Both have their own wills and refuse to accept Jesus. Both have spent at least 13 years of their 27 years fighting life. They both have been in and out of Jail. They both have been on and off drugs. They both have lived very sinful lives. Currently as I write this one is being evicted from her home and cannot understand why. She didn't pay the rent. The other child is hooked on meth and to be truthful Mary and I only know she is alive. Just one small example why we all need Jesus.
The second thing we must do to get where Jesus wants us, to get back to that innocence. I cannot speak about your children, but until our five reached a certain age there was an innocence in them. They did not know what it meant to be in trouble. Oh yes, they got in trouble, but most of the time it was just a natural curiosity that got them there. Before the world gets them trained even the children of today are born with a sweet innocence. They take things at face value because they have not been trained not to. They see a puppy they love it. They don't consider how to feed it, care for it, and clean up after it. They just love it. This was what Jesus meant here. When Jesus said if you have the faith of a mustard seed you can say to that mountain arise and be cast into the sea. He meant it. He said Truly, truly about this saying. The Greek means a truth or fact. In other words Jesus said this is a truth a fact, twice about this little amount of faith. Now an innocent child can picture in their mind with no problem that old mountain just getting up and being thrown into the sea. But we adults with our EIB have to say Jesus was using figurative language. He did not really mean that we could have the faith to move a mountain. I cannot count how many theologians I have heard say that was only figurative. For those who don't know, EIB stands for Educated Idiot Box, or our overly educated minds. This phrase was coined by Harold Hill and I love it.
This pastor has a masters degree and I tell people that, it and $.50 gets me a cup of coffee. All my education has ever served to do was to come between myself and the Lord. Because I thought I was smart enough to understand things I did not. Or how about where, Jesus said to his disciples I go to the Father so that you may do greater things. I cannot count how many times I have heard "Oh Jesus meant as the church." Look we are sending missionaries around the world and that is what Jesus meant. If we had that innocence of a child we would think a minute and see a leg grow back before our eyes. Or, as a sweet innocent teenager on her first missionary trip to Africa saw (a true story), a blind woman's eyes grow back into her empty eye sockets because the teenager stepped out in faith and prayed for the old woman's healing. Why did she pray because, Jesus said to.
Finally little children have an unconditional love. I have seen this in abused children so many times. No matter what the abuser has done the little child thinks it must be their fault, because the one the child loves could never do such a thing without a reason. Jesus wants us to have an unconditional love for Him. No matter what is going on in our lives we must hold to Jesus, trusting and loving Him to the end. This is a hard teaching. When you are cut off in rush hour you must love that person and pray for that person. Remember Jesus said to love your enemies and pray for them. It is easy to love someone who loves us unconditionally. But much harder to love your favorite pain in your side. But that is what Jesus want of us who dare to wear His name, CHRISTian. So to become as little children again we must learn to 1) trust unconditionally; 2) become innocent and pure again; 3) love unconditionally.
I hope this has helped you in your spiritual growth. The Lord is always giving me hard teachings not for others, but for myself.
