CHILDLIKENESS, NOT CHILDISHNESS

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Matthew 18:3 Truly I tell you,” he said, “unless you turn and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Jesus spoke metaphorically in today’s interaction with his disciples ‘unless you have to turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Activists will call that discriminatory seeing as only those fitting a particular category were eligible for entry into the Kingdom. Regardless, our deliberation centres on ‘why do we have to be like children to enter the Kingdom when maturity is always celebrated?’

There is a clarification to be made though: what Jesus advocates is ‘childlikeness’ not childishness because being childish is not the same as being childlike! Childishness is associated with immaturity, silliness, and irresponsibility; these are traits we need to grow out of. Childlikeness is different: it relates to openness, a sense of wonder and the ability to live in the present.

Children are believing, forgiving, ever trusting and always expectant. They are never ashamed to ask for what has been promised them and like blank canvases, children present a surface on which one can paint whatever imagery or inscription they desire.

To enter the Kingdom of heaven is to enter a different domain, a domain that requires a rethink and rewriting of many of the thinking and doing patterns you hold on to. Thus, to receive the most of this kingdom, nothing more than childlikeness will cut it.

#sly