In His Name Devotionals
BECOMING CHILDLIKE
In His Name Devotionals
BECOMING CHILDLIKE
“At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, ‘Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’ Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, and said, Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 18:1-4)
We’ll call him Larry. Several years ago Larry’s business often took him to mainland China. The purpose of one particular trip was to check the production of a brand new factory and to experience the ceremonial “Blessing” of the factory. Arriving in Hong Kong, he prepared for an early morning, sunrise start. He boarded the train, passed through the “New Territories,” arriving at Shen Zhen, the entry point to China, before 8:00. After clearing customs Larry boarded the taxi that would complete his journey to the remote location of the factory.
Upon his arrival he found production in good shape and moved to the meeting hall for the “Blessing.” What an experience. The fortune teller, or religious man in their culture, began the ceremony by lighting candles and incense. Next, he spoke in Chinese what appeared to be a ritual punctuated by hand claps and an occasional foot stomp. Larry was curious but respectful. With his work complete, it was time to go back to Hong Kong.
The trip back is one Larry will never forget. His return trip began like his arrival, in a taxi. After about 30 minutes he encountered a traffic jam. For miles ahead all you could see were stopped cars on our two-lane paved highway. The taxi driver said he knew a short cut, so off they went. Our two lane paved road turned into a one lane paved road, which turned into gravel, which turned into dirt after only a few miles. Finally, there was no road at all. They were traveling cross country, weaving between sugarcane fields. What they needed was a tank not a taxi. To make matters worse it became obvious they were lost. At this point Larry began to consider the possibility he would be camping in China. He began to ask himself: “What kinds of animals live in the woods of China?” and “What kinds of snakes do they have here?” His mental day dream shifted to reality as the car was now stuck in the mud. They all got out and began to push. Now all American boys know to look at the ground in such situations, to see which side the mud is on, and choose to push on the dry side. Unfortunately, the fortune teller didn’t do that and was covered with mud. Larry nearly bit his lip trying not to laugh. It was at this point he wondered why a real fortune teller could not have warned of the pending trouble, or divined directions back. Soon they came to a farmer returning to his home by a team of oxen. So, they stopped to ask directions. Just inside the gate was a little boy that was about 3 years old. His eyes were as big as baseballs. It was obvious that he had ever seen a car, much less an American with those funny eyes and strange clothes. Larry was drawn to him as the driver continued getting directions. Reaching in his pocket, Larry pulled out a U.S. quarter. The child’s curiosity finally won, and he came closer and took it. The coin seemed large in his tiny hand. He was a happy little boy. Kids are the same everywhere. Finally, with good directions in hand they once again took off for Hong Kong. Their big adventure was over. As Larry laid down that night, he thought about his family and how blessed they were, compared to the people he had met. Eventually his thoughts returned to the little boy and Jesus’ words from Matthew 18. Jesus tells us to change and become like the little boy—fresh, excited by the joy of another day, uncluttered by the things of this world. Then Larry looked at his hands. Just as the quarter had seemed so large in the hands of a 3 year old Chinese boy, he finally saw how small his hands were in holding the blessings God has provided. For a moment Larry was 3 again. Matthew 18:1-4 may be the biggest challenge in all the Bible to a country of affluence and wealth. So, let’s end with a question. How’s your inner child?
