We find the invitation of Christ to embrace a childlike attitude for inheriting God's Kingdom in the three Synoptics (Mt.19:13-15, Mark 10:13-16 and Luke 18:15-17). The evangelists start with the mention of bringing children to Jesus. For Luke and Mark, they were brought so that Jesus might touch them. For Matthew, there were brought to Jesus so that he might lay his hand on pray for them. The invitation of Jesus to be childlike gives power to the message of his teachings. He stresses the importance of young people in the Church. In fact, Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, where he would be killed. Despite his ministry to the people, He was still finding time for children.
According to a comment on Mark's gospel by Diviadmin, it was cultural that the fathers had to take their children to a Rabbi to be blessed and dedicated to God. The word bring was not used in its usual use but as bringing of sacrifice, a way of dedicating oneself to a life of discipleship. The fact that Jesus got indignant at the act of rebuking the parents and their children shows, according to Diviadmin, that they were the heartbeat of Jesus' ministry and the Church's mission. The kingdom of God belongs to those who receive it like a child[1]. How does a child receive the Kingdom of God? How can the one brought to learn from a Rabbi be the one to teach?
An African proverb states that it takes a village to raise a child. It emphasizes both the work the education takes and the necessity of the Child's education. This proverb contrasts the new perspective or the understanding of God's Kingdom. The one who does not learn from a child will not enter the Malkut (Kingdom). Diviadimin put it well: "The one who does not open himself up to the children and young people and deeply listen to them about their experience of God and faith and give them space to teach us truths that we would otherwise never be able to grasp will not enter the Kingdom."[2] What, then, is the Childlike faith?
We usually think that it is about humility and simple faith but it is not always the case. The Diviadmin’s comment shows also us that we have come to meet children who are far from being humble. In general, Children are not humble; they are very demanding. They think the world revolves around them. They interrupt conversations and want to be given attention every time. Moreover, it is not a simple Faith because, through children's innocence and naivety, they may be led to false teachings. Jesus invites us to build our faith on the rock. In that case, the Children are not to be taken as models. What then?
A child knows that he/she cannot do anything on his/her own. A child is helpless and always needs the hand of another person for him to live and grow. When he is claiming attention and interfering in conversations, it is because he wants to learn. In our Christian faith, we grow when we come to understand and recognize our helplessness before God - helplessness, which leads us to know that we cannot do anything on our own strength. Thus, we cry to God just as a baby cries when he/she wants to express his/her need. "I tell you, even though he will not get up to provide for him because of his friendship, yet because of the man's persistence, he will get up and give him as much as he needs." Luke11:8. For we are in need, we cry to God with a heart of dependency. We must be dependent on God in order for us to enter the Kingdom of God. No one can enter it through his /her own strength or merits. "Who then will be saved?" have asked the apostles – "For people this is impossible but for God everything is possible." Mt 9:25-26. We must be Childlike, not childish, to inherit the Malkut Adonai, acknowledging our helplessness and dependency in front of God. Diviadmin put it well, saying that when we have that mindset of being only children of God, inheritors of God's Kingdom, then we will be free from social pressures to succeed and we will have nothing to prove to anyone nor we won't have the spirit of concurrence just as a Child doesn’t have. The kingdom of God will be a total psychological freedom where we know our identity as the Sons and who depend only on God.[3]
Overall, this helplessness and dependency put children in an attitude of dociblitas. They recognize the other and enjoy learning, knowing, and understanding things from him/her, but they enjoy more putting into practice what they have learned. It is an attitude of openness that gives children and young people the optimism to face life with hope. As we are willing to teach children and young people, let us be willing to learn from them as well. In God's Kingdom, the fact that children are the teachers and adults are learners is not a peculiarity, for we are all children of one Father.
[1] Diviadmin, A childlike faith, https://www.standrewsenfield.com/2021/05/25/mark-1013-16-a-childlike-faith/#
[2] Ibid.
[3] Ibid.
