Lessons Drawn From Childhood
Illustration★★★★Every reader of the Gospels has marked the sympathy of Jesus with children. How he watched their games! How angry he was with his disciples for belitting them! How he used to warn men, whatever they did, never to hurt a little child!
How grateful were children’s praises when all others had turned against him! One is apt to admire the beautiful sentiment, and to forget that children were more to Jesus than helpless gentle creatures to be loved and protected. They were his chief parable of the Kingdom of Heaven. As a type of character the Kingdom was like unto a little child, and the greatest in the Kingdom would be the most childlike.
According to Jesus, a well-conditioned child illustrates better than anthing else on earth the distinctive features of Christian character. Because he does not assert nor aggrandize himself. Because he has no memory of injuries, and no room in his heart for a grudge. Because he has no previous opinions, and is not ashamed to confess his ignorance.
Because he can imagine, and has the key of another world, entering in through the ivory gate and living amid the things unseen and eternal. The new society of Jesus was a magnificent imagination, and he who entered it must lay aside the world standards and ideals of character, and become as a little child.
The point
Jesus's distinctive teaching that children exemplify the Kingdom of Heaven: their humility, forgiveness, openness, and imaginative grasp of spiritual reality reflect Christian character.