Jesus repeatedly tells us that in order to get into the Kingdom of Heaven, we must first become as little children. This is a problem for most intellectuals because they feel that being a child is the opposite of being an open-minded adult.
Six Reasons for Becoming a Child:
First of all, "The Emperor's New Clothes." The Emperor was naked; however, the people were told that only stupid people could see him naked. The adults allowed the deeper, more intellectual argument to control them--because no one wanted to be thought a fool--till they convinced themselves that the Emperor was wearing the most beautiful garment they'd ever witnessed. Instead, the child--seeing the situation at face value and not caring whether he was called a fool--admits that the Emperor was, in fact, naked. Nakedness was the reality. The Truth lay in the simplest answer.
Secondly, humility is the only way that we can know real Truth. Why? This seems like such a simple-minded answer, yet it's the only answer that makes any shred of sense. Being stripped of agenda equals humility in its truest sense. Children are sponges and soak in what they are told. Talk to anyone who has taken a class anywhere. The ones who don't want to learn anything the professor has to teach, don't. Those who humble themselves--even if they do not agree with the professor--do the learning. How can one know Truth if he is not willing to learn?
Thirdly, if the simple could not receive Truth, then Truth would be elitist. Therefore God would be a prejudiced bastard and not loving at all. People from all walks of life are Christians: doctors, lawyers, tribesmen, vegans, NRA members, college professors, toddlers, etc. God must design Truth so that the simplest people can grasp it immediately and the intellectual can grasp it eventually.
Fourthly, God is smarter than we are. If this is really true, then we must be at least children before Him, in that we cannot fathom Him. If God is not smarter than we are, then He is not fit to be called God.
Fifthly, children trust more readily than adults. Tell a child he is a sinner and he understands. Tell an adult, and you have just offended him.
Lastly, Jesus tells us that we have to become as children. In other words, He realizes that there will be many people who do not naturally think as children, but rather want to think deeply--seeing all sides of something. Seeing all sides of something is wonderful and needful; however, as history has shown us, a person can get completely off-track in his thinking quite easily (Copernicus, Nazis, cults, etc.). He tells us to become like children so that we don't veer off the path and buy into a lie. But the point is that He tells us. That means that we, as adults, need to evaluate His reasoning for telling us to do so. Is He trying to brainwash us? Is He trying to pull one over on us? Is He actually telling us the Truth? The fact that He tells us and doesn't force us to become like children shows that the decision is up to us, but that the answer will be always be there staring us in the face until we simply open our eyes to look at it.
Posts
