2He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. 3And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.(Matthew 18:2-3)
Thoughts: Who was the child called to him? One tradition is Ignatius of Antioch was the child. Ignatius became a leader in the church. Ignatius had the nickname "Theophoros" which means "God carried" perhaps because Jesus carried him on his knee. William Barclay floats the idea that perhaps the child was the apostle Peter's though there is no evidence for this. It perhaps is best that the child is anonymous- for any child is a lesson in this humility. Children were seen as unimportant, unproductive and with little power. Jesus valued the powerless who could not pay back those who did them favors. So he lifts up the prisoner, the poor, the stranger/homeless, the sick (Matthew 25).
Jesus rebuked his disciples who were inquiring about greatness. Those who would grab church power are not the greatest in God's eyes, but those who are humble and convert/change/repent (straphete). In fact, Jesus adds that those who seek power will not be made great, but that unless they change their attitude they will not even enter the kingdom of heaven. These are harsh words. Jesus did not hestitate to say that not everyone makes it into the kingdom. He holds evil to account, especially human pride. Pride and the inability to be humble destroys faith and the work of the kingdom of heaven. Reinhold Niebuhr view pride is the root of human sin. Children, who are without power, in general do not value pride- and when they do it seems particularly out of place .
Prayer: Lord, help me to seek humility and to seek change.
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