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
Then some children were brought to Him so that He might lay His hands on them and pray; and the disciples rebuked them. But Jesus said, "Let the children alone, and do not hinder them from coming to Me; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."
Matthew 19:13, 14
But Jesus called for them, saying, "Permit the children to come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all."
Luke 18:16, 17
Recently I watched a video interview of Heidi Baker in Mozambique. She was asked why she asked the children to pray for the sick, blind, deaf, and lame- and why so many received healing.
Her answer was simple: the children had believed in Jesus, taken Him at His word, they hadn't been ruined by the world, they did not doubt, their faith was pure, and their lives unspoiled by sin.
So are Jesus' instructions to us: Come to me like a child, simply and unencumbered.
No "buts", no irrelevant questions, no excuses...put another harsher way in Luke 18:17:
"Whoever does not receive the Kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all."
So there it is- no degrees, no earned entry, nothing except the faith of a child.
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