“Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.”
Mark: 10:14-15
God’s encouragement…
Jesus is in the midst of a crowd, teaching them, when He makes His astonishing proclamation. The Pharisees have been testing Him on the law of Moses which says a man can write a certificate of divorce and send his wife away. They want to see if Jesus will refute the law which has been handed down to them. Jesus answers by stating Moses wrote the command in response to the hardness of their hearts—but it is not what God intended from the beginning. (Matthew 10:1-16) To demonstrate what He means, Jesus gathers the children to Himself and blesses them. He lays His hands on them. He states that children show us how to receive the kingdom of God.
What God intended from the beginning—this is what Jesus came to reveal to the world. For us to understand God’s intention, we must have a willingness to learn from Jesus. This requires childlike trust. We are to be sponges, absorbing everything He says and does. As children, we took our mother’s hand and she showed us the world. Now we are to take the hand of Jesus so He can show us the kingdom of God.
Through the four Gospels we hear Jesus’ words! Through them, He teaches us today in the same way He taught people during His incarnation. Through the four Gospels He demonstrates the actions we are to emulate as we follow in His footsteps. The lessons we learned from our parents about the world, are now superseded by what Jesus teaches us about the kingdom of God.
Accept His blessing and receive God’s kingdom! Allow God’s love to pour into you through Jesus, then through you into the world. Allow God to touch others through you. Bring them His mercy, compassion and forgiveness—all God intended from the beginning. Be faithful. Rely on His strength. Exhibit self-control and gentleness as His vessel, filled with His love, joy, peace, patience, kindness and goodness. These are His gifts to you, to give to others. Give them in His name to honor Him, as Jesus did.
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Image: original pen and ink drawing “Receive the Kingdom” by Robin Lybeck
