About that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?”

Jesus called a little child to him and put the child among them. Then he said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.

“And anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf is welcoming me. But if you cause one of these little ones who trusts in me to fall into sin, it would be better for you to have a large millstone tied around your neck and be drowned in the depths of the sea.” v. 1-6

The first step in becoming the greatest in Heaven is to turn from our sin.  That means we acknowledge that we have sinned and then turn (run) the opposite way of that sin. But Jesus takes it a step further.

Why would Jesus say that the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven are those who are like children?  I can see the confused faces now, can’t you?  This shocked the disciples because it’s not exactly what they expected to hear.  They thought they would hear Jesus say things like, if you do this and that and . . . then you will become the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.  You name it, they wanted to be able to evaluate themselves and puff themselves up and aim for that position.  But when Jesus says to be like a child, He cut away any outward approval that would have caught them up in pride and achievement.  Jesus is so smart!!!

So what can we learn from Children?  I have seen several times how kids have impacted adults and inspired change.  Maybe it’s the age of innocence, but we can learn a lot from watching and connecting the characteristic we see in a child, to the things God desires from us.

Here are some quick thoughts that I have about learning from children:

• They don’t have the extra baggage (pains, fears, doubts, experiences) that keep them from fully trusting God and others.
• They are dependent.
• They don’t have to have all the details before they can believe.
• They are obedient (most of the time).
• They are always learning.
• They know how to have fun.

We can learn a lot from looking at children.  What are some other characteristics that we can glean from children and apply to our faith?

Today, will you have childlike faith, or will you continue to try to figure things out on your own?

37 The next day, after they had come down the mountain, a large crowd met Jesus. 38 A man in the crowd called out to him, “Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, my only child. 39 An evil spirit keeps seizing him, making him scream. It throws him into convulsions so that he foams at the mouth. It batters him and hardly ever leaves him alone. 40 I begged your disciples to cast out the spirit, but they couldn’t do it.”

41 Jesus said, “You faithless and corrupt people! How long must I be with you and put up with you?”
Then he said to the man, “Bring your son here.”

42 As the boy came forward, the demon knocked him to the ground and threw him into a violent convulsion. But Jesus rebuked the evil spirit and healed the boy. Then he gave him back to his father. 43 Awe gripped the people as they saw this majestic display of God’s power.

Today I want to learn from you!  Why does Jesus say, “You faithless and corrupt people! How long must I be with you and put up with you?”

Let me know your thoughts or your answers!

“Then, calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, ‘If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it.  And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul? If anyone is ashamed of me and my message in these adulterous and sinful days, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he returns in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.’” v. 34-38

Jesus asks His disciples “Who do you say that I am?”  Upon this question Jesus tells us what it truly means to be one of His followers. The NLT Life Application Study Bible Notes says this,

We should be willing to lose our life for the sake of the Good News, not because our life is useless but because nothing – not even life itself – can compare to what we gain with Christ.  Jesus wants us to choose to follow Him rather than to lead a life of sin and self-satisfaction.  He wants us to stop trying to control our own destiny and to let Him direct us.

Many people spend all their energy seeking pleasure.  Jesus said, however, that worldliness, which is centered on possessions, position, or power, is ultimately worthless.  Whatever you have on earth is only temporary; it cannot be exchanged for your soul.  If you work hard to get what you want, you might eventually have a ‘pleasurable’ life, but in the end you will find it hollow and empty.  Are you willing to make the pursuit of God more important than the selfish pursuits?  Follow Jesus, and you will know what it means to live abundantly now and to have eternal life as well!

“Watch out!” Jesus warned them. “Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” v. 16:6

It took the disciples a long time to understand what Jesus was saying.  The key word in this passage is yeast.  To understand what Jesus is truly saying we have to understand what yeast does to bread.  Just a little bit of yeast affect the whole batch of dough causing it to rise.  Jesus is teaching that just a little bit of wrong teaching can and will affect many people.  Ouch!

Let’s break it down for today.  Maybe you don’t teach in a church setting.  However, you are teaching everyday by your words, actions, and attitudes.  If you have kids, you are teaching life long lessons with every word, action, or attitude.  If you have friends you are modeling something to them.  If you have a job, your attitude is saying something to co-workers and your boss.

Today, lets take Jesus words to heart and begin to think about our influence in the diferent arenas of life we venture.  May we tak advantage of the opportunities and represent Christ in all areas of our life.