Yes, my child

“Stop acting like a child”, “he is very childish”, “when are you going to grow up?”, are things one hears when one acts immature. The struggle to grow up, to act big, to take on responsibility, are things we strive for from a young age. So much that many grow up too soon.

But Jesus differs in St. Matthew 18:3 when he says, “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” Children have many qualities which they lose upon becoming adults. Children are loving, sincere, trusting, risk taking and accepting. Adults who lose these qualities regain some of them on turning old.

Is Jesus taunting his disciples because they wanted to know who is greatest in the kingdom of heaven? Was he questioning their so called experience, calling and seniority? Or was he being blunt in saying that all of us and not just the disciples must become like children if we harbour any hopes of entering the kingdom of heaven?

This follows Jesus’ pattern of questioning the usual and questioning the pattern of conforming to certain societal norms. There is no seniority, experience and accomplishment in all of this world which can take us to heaven. Rather it is to keep away all that we have and hope that we gain entry. There is a shift from common sense to nonsense. Children don’t have a pattern in hugging each other, playing with each other and just being themselves unless they are trained in a certain way by adults.

Lent is difficult because it asks us to keep away all that we have accomplished and start from scratch. Children rely on someone for their daily needs, their purchases and food. But they trust their parents or family to provide. We are also asked to do the same. Trust that God will provide. Amen.