Little Children

Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven ad earth, for you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.” (Luke 10:12)These words of Jesus were spoken to seventy some followers including the disciples who had returned from visiting towns and villages where Jesus planned to visit. The men who returned were full of joy at how well they had been received. The seventy returned with joy and said , “Even the demons submit to us in your name. ( Luke 10:7) Jesus’ great joy came from knowledge that His Father’s Spirit had been successfully conveyed by his followers and disciples.

When Jesus spoke out of joy, he was also speaking out of experience, for as a twelve year old boy he himself had stayed in Jerusalemfor three days while his parents searched for him. As a child Jesus spoke with the “wise and learned” teachers at the temple, to the amazement of his parents, as well as to the teachers and bystanders. He knew that there were receptive ears in Israel, and it brought him great joy. As a boy, Jesus had a foretaste of his future ministry, It was enough to allow him to return willingly to Nazareth with Mary and Joseph. (Luke 2:51)

Many years later, when Jesus was teaching and healing, he spoke about children: Jesus called the children to him and said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these . Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it. ( Luke 18:15)

I have a sister who is ten years younger than myself. One Christmas I succeeded in convincing her that I was actually Mrs. Santa Clause in disguise, and that her sister Prudy was in the North Pole, but that at Christmas she would return; and I would go back to be with Santa. She believed it easily. She was only four years old. I was fourteen. I had a lot of fun deceiving her and talking about my life with Santa. At Christmas she was glad I had returned. When we were both grown up, I asked her why it had been so easy for her to believe me. “I never thought that you would lie to me,” she answered. “I didn’t think that you even could.”

Since then I have learned to value the simplicity of children, and the depth of Jesus’ understanding of childhood and the value of children. As Advent approaches, I think of it every year. Jesus’ words are so deeply true that they speak to our hearts two thousand years later.

Love in Him,

Prue