No Adults Allowed
Adapted from a sermon by Fr Yacoub Magdy
Passage Matthew 18:1-9
The Lord makes a condition to be accepted into the kingdom of heaven – to become like little children. He further emphasises His point saying, “Assuredly, I say to you…”
We will by no means enter the Kingdom of Heaven unless we are first converted into little children (Matthew 18:2). It is not optional, it is a necessity. We must convert ourselves to the status of little children if we wish to enter the Kingdom.
There are some places that write children cannot enter, or there are age restrictions. In the Kingdom of Heaven, the restriction is the opposite – no adults allowed. Big heads and high positions have no place in the Kingdom.
For this reason, we must be converted, we must come back. The word return comes from the Greek word, metanoia, meaning to repent. To repent is to become a child once more and return to your Father’s arms.
For any servants of our church that gets married, I encourage them to invite their Sunday School kids to their wedding. Don’t follow the world that restricts children. In the church, we love to see children in the church and treating it like their own home. These are the angels we imitate to be accepted by God.
Many of the teachings of our Lord converted standard practices. Everyone thought that the rich were the blessed ones. In the famous sermon on the Mount, Jesus flips this around with the first beatitude that says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.” The standards the world holds dear are different to the standards of our Lord. Now in the 21st century, we accept this command, but think of those that heard it for the first time more than 2000 years ago. How could the poor be blessed? How could a child be the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?
St John Chrysostom once said that the poor don’t need the rich but the rich need the poor. I cannot arrive to the Kingdom without dealing with the poor. The poor do not need the rich because they have God to cater for their needs.
To the servants, I plead that you do not use the language of leadership. There are many courses under the title of, leadership. Our Lord Jesus Christ never claimed to be a leader but called Himself a Servant. In Sunday school, we use the title of, servant. We do not have leaders. Christ made it clear that if you want to be first, you must serve; “whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:26-28).
When St Augustine was bishop, he looked to those whom he served, he prayed, “Your servants, Lord, are my masters.” If we do not appreciate the weak, the poor and the children, then we have missed all of Christ’s teaching and we can have no share with Him.
When Christ washed His disciples’ feet, St Peter was astonished. How could the King of kings wash his feet? The Lord rebuked him and said it was a must; he could not be a part of Christ’s body unless Christ washed his feet; “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me” (John 13:8). The principle is in that the higher bows before the lower; the adults bow before the children. The concept lies within strength and weakness. But Christ teaches us that if we are not weak, we cannot receive strength from God. St Paul famously says, “Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me” (2 Corinthians 12:9). The most powerful Hand of the Lord will rest upon the one who declares their own weakness.
“Who is the greatest in heaven,” was a question asked by the disciples that came about from the way they would sit around Christ. On the right hand of the King would sit the greatest, and the lesser moving around in a circle, till the least would sit on the left-hand side of Christ. The Lord didn’t like this concept and made it very clear that this kind of teaching was of the world and not of God. The one that is greatest is the one that bows before others. My location is at the feet of those whom I serve. If any servant accepts the service without putting themselves at the feet of those whom they serve, then they have no share with the Lord.
We learn from the kids whom we serve. We learn simplicity, we learn faith that does not waver, we learn to trust without question, we learn humility from the least of these. Children accept orders when they are given. Be careful not to grow too high in your own self-worth. In the ordination of a monk to a bishop, the monk to be ordained is carried in by two stronger monks and bishops, one on either side. Historically, the bishops would try to escape this role. They escape because of the longer journey that befalls them from the rank of bishop to come down to a child.
The higher the position, the longer the journey, for the Kingdom of Heaven only has places reserved for the children. Never let your position in the church elevate your status in your mind to anything above a child. Understand how valuable the little children are and how valuable their prayers are in the eyes of the Lord. When you need something from the Lord, let the little children intercede on your behalf and see the power of their prayers. When they pray, they pray honestly and in full faith of the God they are praying to. Let us learn from them and become like little children so that we may inherit the Kingdom of Heaven.