Like a little child

Jesus said: “Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” (Luke 18:17)

There's much debate as to exactly what that means. Jesus couldn't mean that adults have to be like children in every sense, as we could never be short enough. (Well, most of us couldn't — you know who you are.)  In what sense “like a child”?

Some people thinks he means free of having made any big mistakes - since children are, according to such people, innocent. That can't be right - this is found in Luke's gospel, where Jesus delights in the company of the most undesirable people. Others think he means unquestioning - just accept it, don't think too much. What does he mean?

Well, the Gospels are all very carefully constructed accounts. They aren't random incidents from the life of Jesus, that could be shuffled into a different order.

I think it was Christianity Explored that first drew my attention to the connection: It pays to observe what happens next in Luke.

And a ruler asked him, 'Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?' (Luke 18:18)

If you hit that verse, still wondering what Jesus meant by “like a child”, surely you find yourself thinking: “Whatever he meant, it surely doesn't look like this. This is not how a child would go about it!”

The word for child in Luke's account means “infant”. Jesus is speaking of very young children. When a toddler is faced with something that they want very much, they don't start to ponder what they would have to do in order to earn it. If they've learnt manners, they ask for it. If they're extra polite, they say “please”. If they haven't got that far, they just take it.

No child, when faced with the chance to be in Jesus' kingdom, would ever react with "what must I do"?

Then we look up the account, and see what incident came before this one in Luke's Gospel. It's the parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector. The Pharisee prayed to God, thanking him for all he does. The Tax Collector simply asked for God's mercy; he knew he didn't deserve God's acceptance. The punchline is well known.

So what did Jesus mean by “like a child”? Could it be this simple? To receive the kingdom like a child is to take it with both hands, remembering to say “thank you” (Luke 17:11-19). To receive the kingdom not like a child is to try to earn it, to meet the standard.