Jesus turns our world’s ways on their head. For those of us with nothing to boast in, it is wonderful news. But for those who have spent our lives scrambling to be near the front of the queue, it is a sharp rebuke and challenge. The question Jesus presses upon me is, ‘Have I come like a child, empty handed, laying aside everything that gives me status?’ And if I have, does that continue to be the way I live in the kingdom, resolutely refusing to play the status game?

One of the enduring images of Jesus in the minds of many is of Jesus surrounded by children, some sitting on his knees with his arms around them. It may raise eyebrows in our ‘safe space’ world, but it captures an attractive aspect of the Jesus we meet in the Gospels. But if Jesus’ disciples had had their way, it would not have happened.
The incident is reported Mark 10:13–16. People are bringing young children to Jesus. The parents (I presume) recognise that Jesus is much more than another travelling preacher. They think his touch and blessing carry weight. But the disciples attempt to stop it. I have some sympathy for the disciples. They finally recognised that Jesus is important. He is the Messiah (Mk 8:29), the long-promised king God was going to send to crush their enemies and bring all the benefits of his victory and rule. He has arrived: the most important person in the world! And they are the inner circle. So they take it upon themselves to shape his itinerary.
Imagine that Jesus was going to be in your town or city for a weekend, and you were in charge of his itinerary. Who would make the cut? The Prime Minister? The business tycoons? The bishops and moderators? The University professors? They would be on my list. Would you include children? Certainly not! Grubby, noisy, unpredictable kids—keep them away from Jesus. They are not important, they are not the influencers, it would not be a good use of Jesus’ time and attention.
The disciples think Jesus will be pleased with their discernment. But Jesus is furious with them.
We Can Be So Wrong
They got Jesus and his kingdom totally wrong. The kingdom he is bringing belongs to people like these children. Jesus is more than willing to give his time and attention to children. Don’t stop them. Don’t even hinder them.
In our sentimentality, it would be easy to stop here. Let’s value the children in our families, in our communities, and in our churches. Grubby they may be, but they are precious and they are the future. Give me a child and I will shape the adult. But Jesus has something sharper and more significant to say to us adults: ‘Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a child will never enter it’ (verse 15). These are strong words. They encompass everyone regardless of race or sex or age or education or religion. They encompass all time (‘never enter’), and so speak about every person’s eternal destiny in the kingdom of God.
Becoming Like a Child
What does Jesus mean by, ‘receive the kingdom of God like a child’? What aspect of childlikeness does Jesus have in mind? There have been many suggestions.
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When the message of Christ dwells among us richly, fueling our singing, our hearts will be filled with gratitude to God (3:16). In verse 17 Paul urges us to give thanks to God the Father through the Lord Jesus in whatever we are doing or saying. Thanksgiving is inevitable for those who know the message of Jesus; it also something we should consciously choose.

Confidence in the genuineness of any valuable commodity is often difficult. In 1300 King Edward I of England decreed that gold and silver had to be tested and approved by master craftsmen before being sold. Later, London artisans were required to bring finished metal goods to Goldsmiths’ Hall to be checked, and if those items met the quality standards of the craftmasters there, they would be marked with a special stamp of approval—called a Hallmark. But over the years the word came to refer to any mark guaranteeing purity or genuineness.
What is the hallmark of genuine Christianity? What is the outward sign that a person is truly Christian, or that a community of Christians is the real thing? What is the inevitable fruit of obeying the gospel? There are many potential hallmarks:

But I have been struck by another recurring note as the Bible describes those who know God in Christ: thanksgiving.
The Beginning of Thanksgiving
Lack of thanksgiving is the hallmark of the rebellious, unregenerate human heart (Rom 1:21). There is something pathetic and perverse when people’s hearts are filled with joy at the experiences of delight the world delivers, yet they refuse to thank the God from whose hand they come. Enjoyment of a delicious meal, a stunning sunset, an intimate moment—all have the capacity to overflow in thanks to their creator, but instead there are vague nods to Mother Nature or lucky stars. The truth gets suppressed because giving thanks to God means acknowledging his goodness and our dependence. It runs the risk of entering the world of moral obligation towards God which secular humanity wants to avoid at all costs.
When a person stops suppressing the truth and quits their rebellion, thanksgiving to God springs to life. At first it may only be gratitude for the experiences of common grace— food that nourishes the body and tastes good to boot, relationships that bring connection and joy, or the expanse of incredibly blue sky that thrills the eye. ‘For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving’ (1 Tim 4:4). The simple act of turning our joy in life into thanks to God is a profoundly relational event. Everything has changed.
But simple thanks to our Creator is the shallowest of Christian thanksgiving. For all true Christians have experienced God’s special grace to us in his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Every page of the New Testament rings with the thrill of grace lavished on undeserving sinners.
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