The disciple came to Jesus and ask him who is the greatest in the kingdom of God?
Jesus responded;
Matthew 18:3 AMP
and said, “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, unless you repent [that is, change your inner self—your old way of thinking, live changed lives] and become like children [trusting, humble, and forgiving], you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
To begin with, why did Jesus use the word little children?
We can observe here that this is the early stage of Jesus ministry. He has not been to the cross and the Holy spirit has not come yet. So, he is telling the disciple unless you become born again and live life like a little children you cannot enter the kingdom of God.
Oxford languages defines children ‘as a young human being below the age of puberty.
To begin with, let us examine from our little children at home. When parents utter words and make promise to a child for intance buying them gifts we can see how they quickly trust and belief those words.
Also, in the aspect of being humble, little children are very humble because they have no consciousness for pride and they are very submissive.
Little children can easily forgive. When parents scold children, it is very intetesting to see how a child can forget and move on quickly at home when are corrected.
For this purpose Jesus said we must be like this little children before we can enter the kingdom of heaven.
How do we become like little children?
*Be born again
*We must take practical steps to consciously renew our mind with the word of God. Our mind must be consciously renewed to the point where we are like little children.
It is important to note that it is the responsibility of a believer to renew is mind constantly with the word of God. We must renew our mind and get to that level of being like a child. A place where we have no consciousness for sin anylonger. A place where we are totally novice of evil desire. A level where we are humble, trusting God and forgiving.
Hebrews 5:14 AMP
But solid food is for the [spiritually] mature, whose senses are trained by practice to distinguish between what is morally good and what is evil.
Another person that use the word little children in the scripture is John. Below are the verses where the phrase little children were used by John; 1 John 2:1, 1 John 2:12, 1 John 2:18, 1 John 2:28, 1 John 3:7, 1 John 3:18.
Let us take a close look on how John used the phrase ‘Little chikdren’. In the book of 1 John 4:4 ; ‘Ye are of God, my little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world’
From the book of 1 John we can see that the message of good news has already been preached to the Jews and some of the Gentiles has already heard the message as well. Jesus has already been crucicied, dead, ressurected and has ascended back to heaven.
In this context John is adrressing believers as little children compared to Jesus statement ‘be like little children’.
The reason John called believers little children here is that he believed they have heard the gospel of the good news and they have been saved by accepting what they heard and preached. He believed they are no more living as Gentiles but as little children whose heart has been consecrated with the word of God.
In summary, as a believer we must endeavour to renew our mind and get to the point where we are like little children. A place where we are totally novice of sinful desires.
Stay blessed & encouraged!