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Read: Matthew 18:2-4
Warm up Question:
What is the greatest thing you've ever done during the community quarantine?"He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said: "Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 18:2-4 NIV)
Context of the verse:
This was the time when the disciples are pre-occupied with the organization of Jesus currently taking up. They were arguing among themselves who is the greatest. They sought multiple advantages. If we think about it, it's like they were basing in their performances. "Lord, who is the greatest among us".But this verse shows us what Jesus' response to them. The illustration that Jesus gave to them in this verses was a child to help His self-centered disciples really get the point. We are not to be childish like the disciples who are arguing about petty issues during those times. Rather, Jesus is telling them to be childlike - with humility and sincerity of heart. Jesus was so amazing to use this to illustrate his point. If we would notice, children are so true about what they feel. They are also dependent on their parents regardless of the situation. Even when they did something that will make their parents angry, they will never hesitate to tell them still. Children also don't hide how they are feeling from their parents - whether they are happy or sad, if they are at ease or scared. They never hesitate to share anything and everything to their parents. This is how dependent they are. This is also what God wants from us.
Children are characteristically humble and teachable. They are trusting in nature. In these verses, Jesus wants us to have a childlike faith. He promoted a humble and honest faith in God in a sense of child-likeness. Jesus wants our hearts to really depend on Him. Like how we were to our parents when we were just a child, Jesus also wants us to depend on Him in our problems, in our seasons when we are afraid and have so many trials, in our finances, love life, our relationships, God want us to depend on Him. And God wants us to share to Him everything that happens in our lives. God wants us to ultimately depend on Him. God wants to know how we feel.
The Lord wants to be involved in all areas of our lives, God wants us to depend on Him like a child - teachable, humble, sincere.
He wants you to trust Him that He is the Father in heaven who give good gifts to those who ask Him. He is not the father that you need to we wary of. God wants us to always come to Him, that we always seek Him.
Breakout Question:
In what areas of your life you tend to struggle with childishness?In what ways are you making progress with child-likeness?
Photo by: Jaime Legaspino
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