Christian Art | Jesus And A Child | Image by Dall-E
Matthew 18: 1-5 | King James Audio Bible | KJV | King James Version
‘Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.’ Matthew 18:3 (KJV)
We are asked to become as a child to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.
Why Should We Become Like Children To Enter Heaven?
- Trust and Dependence: Children naturally trust their parents and depend on them for their needs. They have a simple faith and believe that their parents will take care of them. Similarly, in our relationship with God, we need to have childlike trust and dependence, fully relying on Him for our spiritual needs.
- Humility: Children are humble and have a sense of innocence. They don’t carry the burden of pride, ego, or self-righteousness. In the same way, we need to approach God with humility, recognizing our need for His guidance and forgiveness. We must be willing to admit our weaknesses and shortcomings, seeking His mercy and grace.
- Curiosity and Wonder: Children have a natural curiosity and a sense of wonder about the world around them. They ask questions and eagerly seek to understand. As followers of Christ, we should maintain a childlike curiosity and a desire to explore and deepen our understanding of God and His kingdom.
- Joy and Authenticity: Children often exhibit pure joy and authenticity in their expressions and interactions. They have a natural ability to embrace the present moment and find joy in simple things. Similarly, as we enter the Kingdom of heaven, we are invited to experience the joy of God’s love and live authentically, without pretence or masks.
- Teachability: Children are open to learning and have a teachable spirit. They are receptive to instruction and guidance. Likewise, we must approach God’s Word with a teachable heart, willing to learn, grow, and be transformed by His truth.
So Should We Pray
Dear Jesus,
I’m here again, wanting to make my faith stronger. Sometimes I have questions and things that make me unsure. But I want to feel close to you like before.
Please help me not be unsure anymore. Take away the things that confuse me. Give me bravery to ask the questions that make my faith wobble and help me find answers that make me believe in you again.
Please give me friends who love you, too. Friends who can be there for me, support me, and make me feel better. Let’s all love each other and help each other know you more.
When I read the Bible, help me understand it easily. Show me new things that will make me excited about you again. Help me find books and stories that teach me more about you and how much you love me.
When I talk to you and sit quietly, help me feel that you’re right there with me. Calm my mind and heart so I can feel peaceful. Speak to me in a gentle voice that makes me feel safe and reminds me that you always love me.
I’m sorry for thinking I’m not good enough. Help me remember that you are strong and can help me with anything. I trust you, and I know you’ll always be there for me.
As I try my best to be like you, help me be kind and helpful to others. Let me be a light and bring happiness to people around me. I want to show them how you’ve changed me.
I give you all my doubts and worries. Please make my faith stronger, give me hope again, and help me trust you more. Thank you for being with me on this journey.
Amen.
Why Might We Resist Becoming Like A Child?
- Pride: Pride can prevent us from embracing childlike qualities. We may struggle with the idea of surrendering our perceived wisdom, knowledge, and self-sufficiency. Our pride can blind us to the simplicity and humility required to approach God with childlike faith.
- Independence: As adults, we often value independence and self-reliance. We may resist becoming like a child because it can be perceived as regressing or giving up our autonomy. The idea of relying on someone else, especially God, can be challenging for those who prioritize self-sufficiency.
- Scepticism: With age and experience, scepticism can develop. We may become more analytical and sceptical of things that cannot be easily explained or understood. This scepticism can hinder our ability to approach matters of faith with childlike trust and openness.
- Worldly Influences: The world around us can shape our mindset and priorities. The pursuit of success, wealth, and societal expectations may overshadow the simplicity and innocence of childlike faith. The pressures and distractions of the world can make it difficult for us to embrace childlike qualities.
- Hurt and Disappointments: Life experiences, disappointments, and pain can harden our hearts and make us wary of vulnerability. We may resist becoming like a child because we fear being hurt or let down again. Past wounds can make it challenging to trust and open ourselves to God fully.
The psalm shifts to focus on the daily toils of individuals. The psalm highlights the pointlessness of excessive labour and worry, emphasizing that such efforts are in vain without the Lord’s blessing. The psalm contrasts this with the divine gift of sleep to the beloved, suggesting that trust in God leads to peace and rest, rather than anxious toil [ … ]
Sometimes, when I read my Bible, I pause in the reading and say to myself: ‘This bit’s real.’ It would be fair to say, I have issues with Mary, because, contrary to what we are taught to say, Mary isn’t my mother. Rather: Mum is. One bit of the Bible-text says this: And when his family heard it, they went out to seize him, for people were saying, “He is beside himself.” … And his mother and his brothers came; and standing outside they sent to him and called him. And a crowd was sitting about him; and they said to him, “Your mother and your brothers are outside, asking for you.” And he replied, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” And looking around on those who sat about him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does the will of God is my brother, and sister, and mother.” (Mark 3: 21; 31-35.) Here she comes. She is in considerable distress. I can imagine that. I can relate to that. To save her boy from whatever he’s got himself into this time. And you’re not telling me there isn’t something inside that. Her boy is beside himself. Radical. Radicalized. Radicalizing. A misunderstood word. /ˈradɪk(ə)l/ adjective & noun. 1 Forming the root, basis, or foundation; original, primary. 2a Inherent in the nature of a thing or person; fundamental. b Of action, change, an idea: going to the root or origin; far-reaching, thorough. c Advocating thorough or far-reaching change. d Characterized by departure from tradition; progressive; unorthodox. ‘He has a demon! And he is mad!’ – thus ‘the Jews’. (e.g. John 10: 20.) Come home! It’s all she wants. His family want him back now. But it is an exclusive cult: there is an inside and there is an outside; and on the outside, they are not meant to understand, lest they be converted. He has defined himself as different from anything she was. Only at the end does Jesus say to his Mum – and with savage, bitter irony: ‘Woman, behold your son.’ And then he dies. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. We ask that we might find Mary in our hearts as a Yes! place for Jesus. It is also recommended that we pray to Jesus that we may be further in oneness with Mary. It is self-emptying, such that we only exist insofar as we are responsive to God’s Word. * Last term, and put-out to pasture, the old Archbishop Emeritus came over to stay for a few days and did the odd class with us. He spoke of Yes! as the meaning of Mary’s virginity. And we were not very nice about him. One or two took umbrage. One or two got the hump. In a sense, his Grace, the Arch, basically wanted to move anyone he’d ever known from a high-place – a mountain – received theological ‘truth’ – to an imminent, human plane. Earthing the spiritual. Recalibrating metrics of life’s believability toward a spiritual sense of things. He might have asked the impermissible question: what happened? His Grace described it. God’s love as a cloud. This descended upon Mary – and subsumed her. Within the cloud, Mary capitulated utterly. She became only and purely a response to God’s love. As he spoke, the Arch cradled her. He carried her in his lap – in his hands. His Grace was a consecrated bishop. He was faith. He sat squat, a rounded man, hands cupped and ankles crossed, fingers interlocked, with parted thighs. Rumpled, washed, speckled. A lifetime’s skin… There could be no doubt His Grace spoke through long-term personal relationship with Mary. It was Julian went for him: ‘So are you saying Mary was a Virgin? Or are you not saying Mary was a Virgin?’ Nasty. No, it wasn’t pretty. Julian twisting his silver ring. For a moment, what Julian had said to the Arch simply failed to communicate. No, for a moment, that dumped on the air meant nothing. Then His Grace said: ‘There is a range of possible meanings we may understand in the question of Mary’s virginity. For example, there are understandings of the word virginity entailed in the action of giving birth.’ Julian said: ‘Duh! So had she had sex or hadn’t she?’ Trigger words. No, it wasn’t pretty. On that went for a little while. At length, Julian’s point seemed reluctantly conceded. Then the Arch told us a new story, an additionally human event, the more to baffle us. Controversially, he told us that Mary could not have been Joseph’s first wife, for this would not have been the way of things in the society of that time. His belief was that Joseph must have taken Mary into his household through pity. That would be normal, he said, for Joseph to bring a young, vulnerable girl, who is about to have a baby, within his protection, not meaning to enjoy with her marital relations, but through kindness. ‘And this story of the inn and stable,’ the Archbishop said, ‘it can’t have been like that really. Joseph has travelled with Mary to stay with his family, at home in Bethlehem, and they don’t want Mary in their house, for reasons which I am sure we can understand. It must have been there was considerable resistance to Mary. But Mary gives birth, and who can resist a baby? That’s what happened. It must have been. ‘I’m convinced that must have been how it happened really.’ Later that term, toward the beginning of Advent, we met boys who had been here before, in Valladolid, and now were in regular seminary. They had heard and recited verbatim all the Archbishop had said to them. Their spot-on impressions of each of the fathers were scathing. […]
As a Christian martyr who endured the torments of persecution and ultimately gave his life for his faith, Saint Sebastian is a powerful intercessor for those who seek protection in the face of adversity. Through his steadfast devotion and unshakable faith in God, Saint Sebastian serves as a beacon of hope and inspiration for those who seek to overcome the challenges and dangers of this world [ … ]
