13 People were bringing little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them, but the disciples rebuked them. 14 When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 15 Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” 16 And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them.
Mark 10, 13-16
We adults would like to believe that we are all masters of our own destiny. Which is partly true. My posts so far have all been about self-improvement either. However, we need to realize that much of what affects us is not up to us. There are things we can’t change at all. And most things in life are like that. In addition to things outside of us, our own basic nature also belongs here, our limitations. However, we also need to be able to deal with this. You have to live with them. A good chef cooks from what he has. The life is not fair. Stoicism calls this amor fati (love your destiny). The Christianity calls the same the burden, sacrifice, or cross you have to bear.
Unlike adults, nothing depends on children, including their destiny. Neither fully nor partly. Life with them is even more unfair. And they are fully aware of this fact. This is not a conscious process in their cases. They instinctively feel that they need their parents. That’s why they learn to trust. If they feel their trust pays off, the trust gives them confidence.
What impresses me most about this story is the way Jesus treated children. Incredibly positively, pointing out their pure and innocent nature. They are not yet corrupted by the world of adults. They say what they feel.
They are not yet afraid to ask questions. They are not hypocrites. They are not too arrogant to learn.
The children primarily trust their parents when they awaken to consciousness. They are right. But what if their parents aren’t around? I remember some such terrible nights when I was a little kid. For a few hours at night, my parents left home, and I was left alone. I was afraid the burglar would come. I was afraid something terrible was going to happen and there is no one around to help. In such situation what always calmed me down that my parents are not here though, but God is watching over me. That gave me incredible power.
As a parent, what can you give your child instead of protection? When your child feels that there is no help, what will give them power? The child thinks they can only get into trouble if their parents are not nearby. Later, of course, they realize that even though their parents are nearby, they are not omnipotent either. They soon realize that in addition to their parents, they constantly need someone who has enough power to protect them. One who accompanies their steps and protects them from evil. What can you tell your child when you can’t be around to protect them? That the “silence of the night will cover you”, or the society, or police will come to help?
When one constantly wants to prove that one is already an adult, and one is constantly ashamed when they fail over and over again, because they are not yet adults. When one conceals their successive failures by lies, and feels, something is wrong. Who should an adolescent child go to, if not the Lord? When they are looking for a spiritual leader, who do you recommend if not Jesus? Gang or cult leader, political demagogue, or the science? They will feel the necessity of filling the void, I guarantee that. And they can easily end up in bad company.
Or what are you going to say when your child starts dealing with the thought of death? Because no one should believe that this is just a matter for the oldsters. No way. Even a very small four-year-old child can feel that they are on the verge of death. They feel it even when they’re not in life threatening situations. Kids can be very worried. How do you soothe your anxious child? You don’t have to be afraid, because the maggots will eat the rotten flesh off your skeleton. Just trust science. And will you reassure them with this, even if they will be witnesses the dying of a close family member? Where will grandma go? She will be with the maggots soon.
As children need emotional support they need spiritual explanation at the same way. And children are even more open minded to that than adults, not merely because they are still naive and gullible. Cuz they see the world as you don’t see anymore. They see that world you forgot a long time ago. The world in its pure and innocent self. And they teach you to see it at the same way once again, if you let that happen. If your ego and vanity don’t prevent you from listening your children.
When the children reach Jesus, he didn’t start some high-minded theological smarting, he just hugs and blesses them. It is not the job of adults to keep children away from serious and sacred spiritual issues and the thought of death, no matter they either believe or not. The job of adults to tell it in their own level. Children are more in mind with God than adults. For it is unjust that those who are least prepared for the greatest tribulations are affected by them the most. They are the children, who nevertheless have to cope with tribulations which adults have forgotten. And adults often ignore this. Children are too vulnerable to deal with what they cannot control, and they can control almost nothing. They require psychological protection.
Finally, a few words about how Jesus closed this topic. Not only he said that children can be in the kingdom of God, but he also added that whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a child will not get there. Jesus said the same thing another time when his disciples were arguing about who would be greater in the kingdom of heaven. Jesus called a child, and set him among them, saying: “If you won’t be such like a little child, you cannot enter the kingdom of heaven.”
The myth of childhood innocence is not taught in the Bible. However, it teaches that compared to God, we are all children and will remain so. That is why children teach us adults how to maintain our trust in God. A child is much more confident in a situation they cannot control. Because they can control virtually nothing. And when adults lose control of what they are used to have, they are much more prone to panic. In this sense the adults are children too, with no trust and innocency.
We adults have long since lost the ability to have the confidence that only a small child can look at their parents with. Children teach us, adults if we listen to them. There are many situations in life that we can’t control in any way. But there is one thing we can fully control in all situations, mental strength. However, this does not work without trust. The trust what children master of. It doesn’t matter what ordeals we face in life, but with no trust that they have a purpose, we can’t fix anything. With trust however, we can be unbeatably strong even in the most hopless situations. Only with this spirit we can be children of Heavenly Father as adults. For me, this is the lesson of the story.
Thanks for reading me and have a wonderful whit sunday!
Are you sure because my balcony is full of pretty flowers? ????
Unlike you I never illustrate erotic momentums and sex in general for self-serving purposes, such as pornographi. Those have a deeper philosophical and emotional meaning, but who I am to judge…