Having been a Christian now for over 12 years, I’m still amazed at the little treasures found in God’s word as I read it daily. Today I was reading Mark 10:13-15…
Then they brought little children to Him, that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked those who brought them. But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God. Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it.”
As I considered these verses, I couldn’t help but think Jesus was making reference to the human condition (after the fall of man)…particularly with adults. We grownups tend to complicate everything. How many times have you caught yourself saying…or heard someone else saying…”that was too easy” (the implication being that because it was too easy, it is suspect)?
Little children, on the other hand, approach things simply…innocently…without much rationalizing. A thing either is or isn’t…is true or isn’t…they are either happy or sad…engaged or disengaged. Children are also naturally curious, always wanting to discover more. That’s part of what makes little children so endearing.
Jesus is not, in my opinion, speaking of having a type of blind faith. I believe He is simply telling us adults to discover God, but not to complicate God’s love for us…not to over think things as we are so prone to do. If you want to see a wonderful film that demonstrates this, watch the 1943 Oscar winning film, The Song of Bernadette, starring Jennifer Jones…about a girl who sees the Virgin Mary and who believes even though the entire village paints her as crazy through their own rationalizations. Faith is believing and trusting in something we can’t see or prove. At some point, we simply have to choose to believe.
Think about the many things throughout your day that you randomly put faith in…without thinking about them. When you take to the highways, you put your faith in other drivers…that they know what they are doing…that they have a license to drive and will consider the safety of other drivers as well as their own. But you can’t prove it. You just accept it as truth…as a little child would. Or when you go to a restaurant for lunch, you put faith in the cooks that they have done adequate prep…that they’ve washed their hands, checked the expiration dates on food, and that the food won’t make you sick. But do you go back to the kitchen and check each cook’s credentials…check the dates on food…watch them cook? No. You just accept that they have your best interests at heart.
So why do we question God and His love for us…so much that many refuse to have faith or suddenly doubt His love? Does a little child doubt that His mother and/or father loves him or her…will protect him or her…will feed and provide for him or her…will be there for him or her when he or she needs them? Most do not doubt any of those things. When a child hurts, they run to their mom or dad who sweeps them into their loving arms to comfort them while they weep. When they are scared, they run to their parents naturally for protection…without question. When they are hungry, they know where to go for food.
Why do we adults approach God differently? Is He not our loving Father? Are we not His little children?