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At that time the disciples approached Jesus and
said, “Who is the
greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” He
called a child over, placed it in their midst, and said, “Amen, I
say to you,
unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the
kingdom of
heaven. Whoever humbles himself like
this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And
whoever receives one child such as this
in my name receives me. Whoever causes
one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better
for him
to have a great millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the
depths
of the sea.”
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Dr.
Malcomb Crowe in the
movie “The Sixth Sense” loved children. Receiving
an award for his work with them, he wanted to help them as
much as he possibly could. In such a
state of mind, he encounters Cole Sear, a unique child with a sixth
sense. Called a freak by just about everyone
around
him, Cole eventually turns to Dr. Crowe for help. Dr.
Crowe’s response was the same as Jesus’:
a child of God is never to be turned away, even at great personal cost.
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Jesus loved
children. Throughout Scripture, Jesus
interacts in the kindest way with them.
He wanted his apostles to allow them to come to him, he blessed them,
and he used them as examples of how adults should live. In
Matthew’s Gospel, at one time he called a
child into the midst of his closest friends, and told them:
“Unless you become
like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.” He
even threatened anyone who would
scandalize a child. For Jesus, showing
harm to children was comparable to embracing eternal death.
Why did Jesus feel so strongly? Probably because of the child’s innocence and ability to accept what others say without question. Jesus wanted his followers to have faith that came close to the acceptance of a child when told something. But Jesus would never use children in such a way as to hurt them. Knowing how vulnerable children were, he wanted to protect them, help them, love them, and he wanted his followers to do the same. There may not be anything more important in our world than the education and love that must be shown to children. Yet, statistics show that too many adults do not share such a conviction. Too often, children are hurt, children are cast aside, children are led astray by adults. If followers of Jesus listen closely to Jesus’ directions in the Scriptures, they will clearly understand that young people must be treated with the utmost respect. Any Christian who does not has missed a vital part of Christian thought. |
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THOUGHT
What
is the most
important characteristic a concerned adult should show a child?
PRAYER Good and gracious God,
in his life with us, your Son referred to the importance of a
child. Whether it was because of their
innocence or their sincerity, Jesus always cared for children in a
special way. Help us see the importance
of children, and to treat them with the utmost care. Be
with us, we pray.
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©2007
Capuchin Province of Mid-America
Fr. Mike Scully is a member of the Capuchin Province of Mid-America |