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I have often wondered whether we should use the word ‘kids’ when we refer to children. After all, a kid is actually a young goat! According to the Oxford English Dictionary, when the word kid began to be used to refer to children, it was considered to be slang. However, it had become an everyday term by the nineteenth century. As we might expect, the authors of the Bible don’t use the word ‘kids’ with reference to children.

The gospel-writers, Matthew, Mark and Luke, all recount the occasion when little children were being brought to Jesus so that he could place his hands on them and pray for them.

However, the disciples did not approve of this! We presume it was because they thought Jesus should be giving his time and attention to more important people - like adults for instance. So they told those who were bringing their children to Jesus to stop it!

When Jesus heard what his disciples were doing, he was cross with them, and he gave them a telling off! He said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them, because the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them.

In saying this, Jesus was telling his adult disciples that they could learn some important lessons from the example of young children. So what might those lessons be? Three come to mind:

First, young children are totally and utterly dependent on their parents for their care and loving attention. So for us to become, as Jesus says, like little children, would include having a sense of dependency on God, believing that he will provide for our needs.

Secondly, young children are also very receptive to what they are taught by their parents. So we need to be receptive to the things that God might want to teach us. As with children, we may find some of these things challenging.

Thirdly, children also have an inherent faith and trust in their parents, believing that they will look after their needs and their well-being. Of course, putting our faith and trust in God are at the heart of the Christian faith.

Christmas carol services nearly always include a reading from the beginning of John’s Gospel. Speaking of Jesus, John writes, “To all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”

Through such faith, trust and dependency may we know what it is to be children of God.

Learning from children

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