Big Enough 长大

[Dexu Xia]

Big Enough

Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Luke 18:16

My grandson ran to the roller coaster line and stood with his back against the height-requirement sign to see if he was big enough to ride. He squealed with joy when his head exceeded the mark.

So much of life is about being “big” enough, isn’t it? To move from car seat to seatbelt and from the back seat to the front. To take a driver’s test. To vote. To get married. Like my grandson, we can spend our lives longing to grow up.

In New Testament times, children were loved but not highly valued in society until they “became of age” and could contribute to the home and enter the synagogue with adult privileges. Jesus shattered the standards of His day by welcoming the impoverished, the diseased, and even children. Three gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) tell of parents bringing little children to Jesus so that He might lay hands on them and pray for them (Matthew 19:13; Mark 10:16).

The disciples rebuked the adults for what they saw as an inconvenience. At this, Jesus was “indignant” (Mark 10:14) and opened His arms to the little ones. He elevated their value in His kingdom and challenged all to become like children themselves—to embrace their vulnerability and need for Him in order to know Him (Luke 18:17). It’s our childlike need that makes us “big” enough to receive His love.

How might you need to remain small in order to know God? What does His love, the love of a heavenly Father, mean to you?

Dear God, help me embrace my need for You today that You might draw me closer, like a child, to Your heart.

长大

让小孩子到我这里来，不要禁止他们，因为在上帝国的正是这样的人。—路加福音18章16节

我的孙子匆忙跑向云霄飞车游戏区的身高墙，看是否达到可以搭乘的标准。当他看到自己的头顶已超出标准线时，他开心地放声尖叫！

在我们的一生中，似乎有许多事都取决于我们是否“长大了”。例如：长大了就不再坐婴儿汽车坐椅，而是直接系上安全带；从后座移到前座，甚至考取驾照。长大了就有资格投票，也能结婚。像我的孙子一样，我们一生都期待长大。

在新约时代，孩子们固然受到关爱但却不被重视，他们必须等成年后，对家庭有所贡献，有资格参加会堂的聚会，才会被重视。但耶稣却打破这些观念。祂不仅接纳穷人、生病的人，甚至孩子们。马太、马可、路加三本福音书都记载，许多父母带着孩子去见耶稣，希望耶稣能为孩子们按手祷告，并为他们祝福（马太福音19章13节；马可福音10章16节）。

耶稣的门徒却责备这些父母，认为这些孩子带来干扰。但这却让耶稣“恼怒”（马可福音10章14节），祂张开双臂欢迎孩子们。耶稣看重孩子们在上帝国度里的价值，并劝勉众人应回转像小孩那样，接受自己的软弱，认识到自己需要上帝，这样才能认识祂（路加福音18章17节）。我们要如孩童般单纯地渴望上帝，才能“长大”领受祂的慈爱。

亲爱的上帝，求祢今天就让我知道自己需要祢，吸引我像小孩般来亲近祢。

你为何需要像小孩一样才能认识上帝？
天父的慈爱对你有何意义？