Growing up as a little child, I never knew we were poor. I always trusted that my father was capable of providing all my needs and those of my siblings, which were not many though. I was confident about regular meals, the basic needs of clothing and the little things needed for playing. For children like me, these were, more or less, all that mattered in the world.
Even when father said no to my requests, I would run immediately to mother who would give whatever she had to make me happy. Even when she said no, I still did not lose hope, as I was convinced my needs would be provided sooner or later. I never fully believed that things were that hard. My siblings had similar impressions.
It was only later in life that I came to realize how our parents toiled to make sure we lived comfortably in the family. But my childlike attitude towards them made me live with confidence and contentment. This is the type of childlike approach to God and His kingdom that we are encouraged by the readings of today to have. This childlike frame of mind made little children always flock around Jesus.
Entering the Kingdom like a Child
Jesus makes a categorical statement in today’s Gospel from Mark 10:13-16: “Whoever does not accept the Kingdom of God like a child will not enter it” (10:15). Accepting the kingdom like a child can be understood from different but related perspectives. It means developing an attitude of confidence and trust that all we need is assured in God’s Kingdom. It means trusting that God is able to provide all our needs whenever we approach him.
This attitude makes us see all we have as coming ultimately from God. It awakens a sentiment of gratitude to God for every success achieved and for every favor received. It also means trusting and hoping even when things appear to contradict our trust and hope. Only those who have such a childlike approach to God will be confident in entering His abode. As adults, we tend to spend a lot of time weighing the options before giving our trust and assent. Sometimes, we over-rationalize and so often give way to doubts. Children are more ready to trust and surrender themselves. Jesus wants us to do this in our relationship with God, knowing that God is always trustworthy and caring.
Religious Approach to Life
One aspect of contemporary living is the gradual de-emphasis or even outright elimination of the religious dimension. Our immense human developmental feats have inclined many to think that we are sufficient without God and religion. But today’s first reading from James 5:13-20 encourages us to seek the face of God in every situation. The text concludes the letter of James, and it is entirely devoted to the power of prayer. It relates to what Jesus describes as the childlike approach to God. The letter encourages us to see the power of God in every life experience, whether positive or negative.
God, the Greatest Defense
The childlike trust that facilitates one’s access to God may be summed up by the prayer of the psalmist in today’s Psalm 141:8, which the New Revised Standard Version beautifully renders thus: “But my eyes are turned toward you, O GOD, my Lord; in you I seek refuge; do not leave me defenceless.” The psalmist sees God as his greatest defence, and with such powerful confidence, no adverse situation in life can ever shake one’s faith. But even as we write, many people are losing confidence in God because of hard experiences of life. The raw fact is that the more they run away from God, the greater the pain and despondency. There is, therefore, no better way than to lean on God as a child leans on the beloved parent.
[Readings: James 5: 13-20; Mark 10:13-16]
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