30th Mar 26 | 13:54
Studies by Book
Luke 18 15-17 TO RECEIVE THE KINGDOM OF GOD AS A LITTLE CHILD 02 Humility needed for conversion
📖 Luke 18:15-17
24Sep2020 - *Humility needed for conversion* - _Luke 18:15-17_ - TO RECEIVE THE KINGDOM OF GOD AS A LITTLE CHILD 2 – Bible reading: _Matthew 18:1-4_
_Luke 18:15-17 Then they also brought infants to Him that He might touch them; but when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. (16) But Jesus called them to Him and said, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God. (17) Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it."_
_Mark 10:13-16 Then they brought little children to Him, that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked those who brought them. (14) But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God. (15) Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it." (16) And He took them up in His arms, laid His hands on them, and blessed them._
Note that the rendering in Luke says, ‘infants’ and the rendering in Mark, ‘little children’. What is captivating to me is that the Lord is showing us that we need to bring even infants to Him. This places a great responsibility on young parents that the nurturing of children, in their walk with the Lord, must begin even while they are infants.
Yesterday, we said that the problem with us is this deep itch within us, which is, *I must be significant*. Jesus addresses this issue by placing a child in the midst of us. It is the child in the midst of us, who will set our perspectives right. Children are actually the ones who protect us (from ourselves) and it is not the other way around. If we do not have children amongst us, we will burn ourselves in this pursuit of self-aggrandization.
Children teach us the lesson of humility. They are therefore precious for us, for our societies.
The ministry of John the Baptist was to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children. He fulfilled his ministry when the religious leaders came to him. He confronted them and directed them to repent. _Matthew 3:7-8 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, "Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? (8) Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance,_
What was their issue? They were self-righteous. They saw themselves as children of Abraham and therefore children of God. They felt that they had no necessity to repent. Repentance was for sinners but not for them. Then, why did they come to John, for John preached the message of repentance? _(Mark 1:4)_ We see later in the Gospels that they wanted the acceptance of people for the people considered John as a prophet. _(Luke 20:6)_ John, knowing their heart, called them as a brood of vipers.
John did not just confront them but reached out to them, to repent, as Jesus also did. The majority of these religious leaders gave no heed to John neither to Jesus.
_Matthew 3:9-10 and do not think to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. (10) And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire._
What is the repentance that is needed? The repentance needed is to repent of our self (righteousness) and become humble as the child. _Matthew 18:3-6 and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. (4) Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven._
The child demonstrates humility for us. I had said, in an earlier study of this passage, _(Matthew 18)_ that the repentance required is the repentance of our faith. As I see this passage now, I realise that faith is needed to come to God but faith too, as all of the other values, arises out of the bedrock of humility, which we learn from the child.
This quality of humility, which we learn from a child, is what makes up our entire life. _Matthew 20:26-28 Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. (27) And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave— (28) just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."_
*Thought to ponder*
```Will you now look at children differently and give much importance to them, for they are our teachers?```