For of Such is the Kingdom of Heaven

For of such is the Kingdom of Heaven

Tucked between some teachings concerning divorce, celibacy and how difficult it is for a rich man to enter heaven lies an obscure section of Scripture found in Matthew 19:14. The verse goes like this: But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” (KJV). I have to admit that I didn’t fully understand this verse when I first read it many years ago. Even after re-reading the Bible for a second and even third time through, the meaning of the verse didn’t quite stick for me. I had a basic understanding of it passed down to me through some well-versed folks who came into my life through the years. The general meaning always given to me was this: In order for us to enter heaven, we must first possess the innocence of a child. That interpretation seems to appease the masses – who then move on to bigger and more important topics such as “it’s easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle……” and so on and so forth – found in the very next section of Scripture. No doubt, many more conversations and Bible studies can be created from the story of the rich young ruler than can be gleaned from Jesus’ line to His disciples concerning the children. What I would like to do in this short devotional today is simple: Give you a different perspective of what it means to possess the “innocence” of a child.

First of all, I must ask the question: Is any child completely innocent? For any parent reading this today, you know immediately that the answer to that is a resounding “no”. Without opening a side-bar can of worms here concerning an “age of accountability” or anything of the like, let me state the obvious: Everyone is born in sin and iniquity. This is one of the foundational truths of our faith – and the main reason why we all need a Savior. Without sin, there would be no need for us to be saved from anything. The question of whether or not children are counted as righteous until they are old enough to understand the gospel remains a mystery to me – I wont touch that one other than to acknowledge the fact that we’re all born in sin. Can of worms officially closed – moving on.

We all know that any child left to his or her own self has the capacity to get into all sorts of mischief – some more than others (insert me here when I was a kid). Let’s face it: Any adult left to his or her own self has this same capacity as well. The difference between the adult and the child in these matters – the adult knows better (or at least, should know better). So what exactly did Jesus mean by His statement, “for of such is the kingdom of Heaven”? Let me break it down this way: Have you ever watched children playing on a playground? Years ago when my oldest daughter was about 5, we would go somewhere where other kids were playing. We had never even met these other children or their parents before and yet – my daughter went right over to them and began to play as if she had known them for her whole life. Didn’t matter what color they were, what language they spoke, if they had turbans on their heads, if they had a cleft palate, if they had down’s syndrome – none of this mattered. Now I can’t make this claim about all children as some are more shy than others but – most kids take to other kids without any prejudice or preconceived fear when it comes to play time. Why is this? Is it because these kids haven’t lived long enough to experience rejection or hatred? Perhaps they are too young to realize that there are many crooked people in this world who want nothing more than to cheat them out of something? Bottom line: The longer we live in this sin-sick world, the more we realize how badly we need Jesus Christ to deliver us from sin. Kids aren’t fully aware of the perils of life yet – which in turn, gives them every reason to love and trust folks whom they’ve never even met.

As I have grown in grace these last few years, the LORD has allowed me to experience the innocence of children. I work side by side with kids on a weekly basis now at church. God has revealed to me exactly what it means to possess the innocence of a child. I see it every time they say “hello” to me or give me one of their trademark “flying” hugs. They don’t know about my sinful past – and frankly, they don’t really care. They just want to be loved on for that short time that we have them. This is what it means to have the innocence of a child – one who holds no grudge or prejudice. They reach out to me with trust and confidence. 

I need to close with this: God commands perfection in order for anyone to cross over from this life and on into heaven for all eternity. We must be found innocent and without blemish before we can sit and feast at His table someday. In and of ourselves, this cannot be achieved. But by faith and trust in Jesus Christ alone – we are now counted as righteous and worthy to enter into His presence. The LORD no longer looks at our past sins – but instead, runs to us with more than just a flying hug. He runs to us with the promise of unending love and eternal life in Heaven with Him. May Jesus Christ be praised!