Talking Like (To) A Two-Year-Old
Matthew 18:2-4 “He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.“
I have a new appreciation for Jesus. He was multi-talented. He could heal people, preach, deal with large crowds and small-minded men, and…understood and reacted to kids, young kids.
My appreciation expanded incredibly this past week as my wife and I spent 7 days (from the beginning to the end!) with our two youngest grandkids, a just-turned four-year-old and a not-quite two-year-old. It was constant involvement and interaction. When there wasn’t face-to-face engagement, it usually meant something bad was happening, some mischief or prohibited activity.
I lost weight! Lunch time would arrive and I’d suddenly realize I hadn’t eaten breakfast. It had slipped right by me as I hustled from building blocks to kicking a ball back and forth to playing chase.
The disciples of Jesus thought of Him as being too important for the youngest folk to crowd around. Jesus’ response: He got angry with the fact that adults were limiting the access that children had to Him. He understood that the kingdom of heaven was not complicated, not sophisticated. It was more about being guided by another than having an impressive resume.
My two-year-old grandson liked to point out things to me…over and over and over, repeating the same one word for the object that has his attention. “Yes, that’s a ball.” “Yes, the sky is up there.”
I wonder if Jesus had kids pointing out the sky to Him?
I wonder if the kids who crowded around Him tried to nudge others out of the way so they could be the ones who crawled into His lap?
I wonder if He made up stories on the spot to engage them in spiritual principles? And when He finished a story, did some of the little ones whine and squirm long enough to convince Him to tell another story?
Did Jesus keep it simple? Did He keep his story to one point, one lesson, instead of multiple plots that flew over the heads of his listeners? Kids were different than adults. Adults got parables that contained the mysteries of the Kingdom and sometimes left the listeners stroking their chins in deep thought.
Jesus was a figure with listening skills of patience and care. He took in questions about why clouds are puffy and why do ants live on a hill and fish in a deep blue sea? When he arose from his seat to face the complications that grown-ups tried to tax Him with, I can envision Him leaving the little ones with the assurance that they were loved, valued, and brought Him joy.
I have a new appreciation for Him, as I think of the two not-stop bundles of energy…and it causes me to consider the possibilities of a nap.
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