Jeremy L. Berg

Tomorrow morning we send off our firstborn, Peter, to his first day of kindergarten. And he wants to ride the bus. [Cue the tears.] So, as we all behold those yellow buses on the move, shuttling precious loads of anxious, squirmy, hyperactive, pimple-faced, (hopefully!) potty-trained rug rats, let us pause and ponder their place in our society. The status of children certainly has changed since the first century world of Jesus.

I was reading David Fitch’s book, A Faithful Presence, which invites churches to recapture seven disciplines that can “revolutionize the church’s presence in our neighborhoods, transform our way of life in the world, and advance the kingdom” (from back cover). We’re not surprised to find among the seven disciplines Fitch is offering are things like reconciliation, proclaiming the gospel, kingdom prayer and being with “the least of these.”

But Fitch includes in his 7 indispensable disciplines the discipline of being with children! Wow. That’s a spiritual discipline essential to the life of the church? He makes a great case if you want to go read it here. For example:

Then [Jesus] says the all-important words: “Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me” (Mt 18:5)… When you receive a child into your presence, you also receive the presence of Jesus. A space is opened up where God can work. It is a space where God in Christ not only transforms children’s lives but the adults in the space as well (135).

Here’s a touching story that illustrates this:

Doug said to me that “working with children is not my gift.” This was not an uncommon response in our church when people were asked to serve with children. People could not grasp the sacramental reality that being with children is an encounter with the living Christ. I said to Doug, “Being with children in our teaching ministry is not a spiritual gift. It is never mentioned in the Scripture as a spiritual gift. Instead, the church brings all its gifts to the space of ministry with children. And all who can lower themselves to be present with a child will experience Jesus and his kingdom like nowhere else.” Several years later, Doug looked back at his experience at Life on the Vine and said he experienced the renewal in his life with Christ first and foremost in his blossoming relationship with children (137).

The average church goer has probably heard several sermons on how Jesus welcomed children into his company, and how countercultural such an attitude was in his ancient Jewish context where children were to be seen but not heard, or, perhaps better, just stay out of sight completely. But have you dug into the first century evidence for this?

Like most people on Labor Day (wink, wink), I was perusing the sayings of the ancient rabbis (from the Mishnah Avot or “The Ethics of the Fathers”) and came across a couple examples that jumped out at me in stark contrast to Jesus’ relationship with children. The two examples below highlight the more common attitude toward children among the rabbis in the ancient world.

First, Rabbi Yossei makes it clear that we should not seek God’s wisdom and spiritual insight from mere children; we should learn from the old sages:

Rabbi Yossei the son of Judah of Kfar HaBavli would say: One who learns from children, whom is he comparable to? To one who eats unripe grapes and drinks [unfermented] wine from the press. One who learns from the old, whom is he comparable to? To one who eats ripened grapes and drinks vintage wine (Avot 4:20).

Yet, Rabbi Jesus instructed his disciples to observe, learn from and become like little children in certain respects:

Rabbi Dosa b. Harkinas says, “(1) Sleeping late in the morning, (2) drinking wine at noon, (3) chatting with children, and (4) attending the gatherings of the ignorant drive a man out of the world” (Avot 3:10).

We easily picture a lazy deadbeat character carousing all night, sleeping half the day away, back at the bottle by noon, and hanging around a seamy crowd of ignoramuses. But the Rabbi considers a person who wastes precious time chatting with neighborhood kids to be equally as pathetic. Not so with Rabbi Jesus:

“People were bringing little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, He was indignant and told them, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them! For the kingdom of God belongs to such as these….And He took the children in His arms, placed His hands on them, and blessed them” (Mark 10:13-16).

My paraphrase: Jesus isn’t above riding the Kingdom school bus and chatting it up with the boys and girls in the back.

Once again, Jesus turns the conventional wisdom and customs of his day on its head, and offers a shocking alternative vision for life together, inviting us to imagine a world reshaped by Kingdom values. In Jesus’ kingdom, all jockeying for power and status are obliterated. The last are first, and the greatest is the humble servant. The weak are strong, and “a child will lead them” (Isaiah 11:6). Yes, if we want to enter into the kingdom kind of life we must not only put up or embrace or find a place for children; we must become like a child!

As you stand at the bus stop and wave goodbye, or as you drop your little ones off at school, or just notice the parade of yellow limos out in full force, let us marvel at the special place given to children in the Upside Down Kingdom of Jesus.

“God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God has chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty.”

~1 Corinthians 1:27