Rank in the Kingdom

At that time the disciples came to Jesus and said, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”  And He called a child to Himself and set him before them, and said, “Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.  Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.  And whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me; but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.  (Matthew 18:1-6 NASB)

According to what I’m reading here, unless I become like a child, I WILL NOT enter the kingdom of heaven.  What does it mean to be like a child?  In this context, I’d say that being like a child means I’m to be:  humble, vulnerable, tender-hearted, gentle, teachable, meek, sensitive, trusting, hopeful, carefree, and joyful.  After all, this is what most children are like.  The person who embodies such characteristics embodies what our Lord encourages us to embody. 

After all,…   “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.  Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.  Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.  Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.  Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.  Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”  (Matthew 5:3-9 NASB) 

It seems pretty clear to me that there is not much room in the kingdom of God for pride, bravado, or hubris.  It also seems clear to me that if we take advantage of, abuse, or mistreat one of Christ’s humble, vulnerable, tender-hearted, gentle, teachable, meek, sensitive, trusting, hopeful, carefree, and joyful servants, we’d better think twice, as the Lord of Hosts will not let such behavior go unpunished – and I don’t think He means we'll get a little swat.

It’s interesting to me what we value today – even in the church.  We tend to value the exact opposite of what the Lord tells us to value.  We value the competent, the confident, the bold, the top performers, the popular, the movers and the shakers, and the politically connected.  What would happen if we changed that?  What would the church look like?  What would my life look like if I truly became like a child?