REFLECTION

In Mark 10, we encounter one of the rare moments in the New Testament where Christ interacts directly with children. Verse 13 tells us that people were bringing their children to Jesus so that he might touch them, but the disciples rebuked them.

This was not the first time the disciples tried to restrict access to Christ. They had a pattern of dismissing those they believed did not align with their vision of who should be near him. Just as they rebuked the children and their parents, just as they would the woman with the alabaster box who touched Jesus’s feet, or the woman who reached for the hem of his garment. They tested and questioned the tax collector who climbed a tree and the blind man who cried out for healing. The disciples seemed to believe that proximity to Jesus should be reserved for those who could offer strategic advantage or social clout. Their ideal was proximity for power. They possibly wanted to leverage their closeness to Jesus for political or social gain, not simply for the blessing of being with him.

But Jesus saw what they were doing and He responded, “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” Then in verse 15, he makes a striking declaration: “Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”

What a proclamation. Not only does it elevate children, but it also presents a challenge for all of us. What does it mean to receive the kingdom like a child? What attribute is Christ highlighting as worthy of imitation?

One common trait found in children, especially those raised in healthy households, is trust. Children trust their guardians without needing all the answers. They are not concerned with the end from the beginning. Knowing their parent is enough. Their love is unfiltered and secure. Even in danger or uncertainty, their confidence rests in the presence of the one they love. A child does not love their parents for what they can offer, but simply for who they are.

Psalm 131 offers a beautiful image of this expression of trust:

My heart is not proud, Lord,

my eyes are not haughty;

I do not concern myself with great matters

or things too wonderful for me.

But I have calmed and quieted myself,

I am like a weaned child with its mother;

like a weaned child I am content.

Israel, put your hope in the Lord

both now and forevermore.

David compares himself to a weaned child with its mother, a child who no longer cries out in desperation at every need, but who has developed quiet trust. The unweaned child sees every unmet desire as a crisis. But the weaned child rests in the presence of their parents, believing that provision will come. This posture of unwavering trust is likely one of the attributes Christ was describing when He spoke of receiving the kingdom like a child. That is the kind of faith Christ invites us into: steady, quiet, and deeply rooted in love.

Children are also naturally curious. Their world is still expanding. They approach life without the rigid certainty that often comes with adulthood, especially in religious spaces. They are malleable, fascinated, and eager to learn. Their minds are not yet made up. They ask questions. They remain open.

In verse 1 of Psalm 131, David says, “I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me.” Here, he is not speaking about a lack of curiosity, but about rejecting fabricated certainty. He chooses not to take matters into his own hands, that are too great. Instead, he submits them to God.

Contrived certainty often stands in opposition to genuine curiosity. When we insist on knowing how and when things will work out, we stop ourselves from encountering God in new ways. We limit our spiritual growth and may even hinder God from doing something new in our lives because we cling too rigidity to our own ideas. To not concern ourselves with great matters is to move with the flow of God rather than demanding a defined path.

A child does not bring hidden agendas or social calculations. They are not swayed by status or performance. They love in the present moment because it is in their nature.

David also touches on this in the first verse of Psalm 131 when he says, “My heart is not proud, Lord, my eyes are not haughty.” This posture stands in contrast to a world driven by ambition, competition, and status. To walk in humility and live in the authenticity of the calling and worth that God has planted within us is both freeing and reflective of childlike faith.

Finally, to receive the kingdom of God like a child means recognizing God as our Father. First John 3:1 declares, “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are.”

The instruction to receive the kingdom like a child is not just about the trust we give. It is also about the promise of the care we will receive. Just as Christ defended the children from the systems and people in power who tried to silence them, that same protective love is available to us. The call to be childlike is not a call to helplessness. It is a call to safety. It is not a demand that we trust without reason. It is a promise that God will prove himself trustworthy.

We are already loved. There is no earning, no posturing, and no bargaining required. A child is loved simply because they are. And that, Jesus tells us, is the posture with which we must receive the gospel.