“At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do. ” Luke 10:21 (NIV). This is one of my favorite verses. In this passage the 72 ministers Jesus had sent out had returned with news about the miracles and exorcisms God had done through them. And so Jesus rejoices because all these people got to see the kingdom of God! The Jews had waited for centuries to see the kingdom of God, and now it was here.
Notice that Jesus was full of joy. We often think about Jesus’ suffering, but we need to remember that Jesus also experienced great joy and this joy was due first to the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. It was also due to the fulfillment of his mission: to minister to people so they could see the kingdom of God and be whole.
Jesus also rejoiced because the “wise and learned” did not get to see the kingdom of God; presumably, this was because of their pride. But those of us who are willing to be “little children” can see the kingdom of God. This is more of Jesus’ upside-down kingdom. Thus, we are encouraged that even though we are “children” to the intellectual elite, we see the kingdom of God in part now and we will see the kingdom of God in its fullness in eternity.
Thus, we should never let wisdom or learning prevent us from being “little children.” It is only as children that we can see the kingdom of God. If you start intellectualizing Christianity or God’s kingdom, then your spiritual sight will grow dim. If you remain as a child, with the faith and humility of a child, then you will see the kingdom of God, even though it is not fully manifested on earth yet. For example, you can see how Jesus changes lives. You can see him lead people by his Spirit. You can see him do miraculous healing in some people’s lives. You can see the kingdom of God as you read the New Testament.
How much do you think of yourself as a spiritual child? What do you do to maintain childlike faith and humility? If you think of Jesus can you embrace more of your childlikeness? What elements of the kingdom of God can you see?
