"And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven." -Matthew 18:3

Hi there.  So, today I want to discuss the statement above made by Jesus, recorded in the gospel of Matthew.  It's a piece of scripture that you've probably heard before from time to time.  If you're anything like me, you've probably read it, tried to absorb it, but then not actually think about it that much.  Right now I'm writing to figure and it out myself on a more in-depth level.  So, let's begin. What exactly does He mean by, "become as little children"?  Sometimes when God makes statements like this, we read it and misinterpret it as some sort of threat. God is not threatening us when He says, "Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.". First of all, I think it should be stated that when we are truly converted by the Holy Spirit, we do become like little children.  Let's think of some basic characteristics of any children we may know.
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Here are some of the traits I could come up with.  One, children are sometimes extremely hard on themselves when faced with the realization that they did something wrong and disappointed someone whom they care about and rely on.  Two, children also have a tendency to drop everything they are doing- and simply not care about the rest of the world- when they have their eyes on something they are fascinated by.  Sometimes this can merely be an ice cream cone, but at other times it can be really quite beautiful.  Three, children are very stubborn about what they believe in.  Anyone who has witnessed a tantrum can testify to this.  So, let's take these three traits and exemplify them in a made-up scenario.
Ben is eight years old.  He lives in a safe neighborhood far away from any urban setting.  His family decides to take a trip to Chicago for his father's business.  While Ben is in Chicago, his parents buy him a new scarf and gloves, as it was colder there than they expected.  On the streets the three of them pass a homeless man sitting outside against a building.  The man is wearing a thin looking jacket and has an empty soup can in his hand. Living in a wealthy neighborhood, Ben has never seen homelessness like this before.  He asks his parents if they can give the man something and they tell him no and not to make eye contact.  Ben doesn't understand why they can't even look at the man, and, suddenly annoyed with his parents, he turns around and runs towards the building where the man was.  His parents, frightened that their child is no longer at their side in a large city, come chasing after him while calling out his name.  Ben ignores them and runs faster, reaching the man first.  Quickly, he checks all his pockets and finds nothing acceptable to give him besides a half eaten candy bar and three pennies.  Before his parents can reach him, he rips off his new scarf and gloves and tosses them to the man.  Before the man can even say thank you, Ben has turned around and met up with his parents.  He was afraid that they would try to take the stuff back from him, and he didn't want to make a big deal out of it.
Now, let's examine this story. First, what childlike things did Ben do that you think God appreciates?
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Second, in terms of faith and sprirituality, why do you think it is better to be more like a child than an adult?
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Why do you think it more difficult to become like a child than like an adult?
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Ben was not afraid of his parents' criticism when he decided to leave their side to give to the homeless man. He also refused praise from the man and, "didn't want to make a big deal out of it".  This reminds me of a section from Matthew, chapter 6.
"But when you do alms, let not your left hand know what your right hand does: so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you." -Matthew 6:3-4

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Lastly, children love blindly.  Ben saw directly through the homeless man's rugged appearance and straight to his situation.  He did not wait to take action, but acted in the moment while he still could. What are some ways Jesus could use these same characteristics and behaviors in us, teenagers and adults?

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