Their argument in Matthew 18 was about which of the disciples was the greatest. Have you noticed any friends of yours that do that too? Have you had that competitive edge yourself? I do at times. As I thought about where that comes from, I thought there must be a sense of insignificance that drives us to compete in this way. Somehow, we must not be fully accepting and resting in the significance given to us by the God of the universe, our own Creator.
Jesus' response to the disciples' argument was to bring a child to stand in front of them, stating, (as Beth Moore puts it) "You want to see my idea of greatness? Take a look at this child."
Now I'm wondering, what was it about a child that made him/her great? Some possibilities I thought of were:
- unquestioning faith
- uninhibited intimacy
- authenticity...they're real...they haven't learned to feel one way and act another (and be passive/aggressive or wear a mask...)
- confidence in another's love (they don't need to compete for love; they trust it)
- A TENDER HEART
I was most struck by the last one. I think it's a tender heart that allows all the other things.
What would you add to this list? I'm curious to hear some replies.
2 comments:
Kelly, when I think of a child I thing of them having unconditional trust and unconditional love toward their parents. I know this was the feeling I felt about my mother and still do til this day. I thought she alone was the one who loved me unconditionally, until I started to trust in the Lord. I believe he wants us to come to him daily like little children. What a feeling to be loved unconditionally! Wow.
Lori
Great point, Lori. Thanks for sharing
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