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Humility in God's Kingdom

THE KINGDOM BLESSING COMING THROUGH HUMILITY In Gospel of Matthew 19:13–15, we encounter a scene that appears simple: people bring little children to the Lord Jesus so He might lay His hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuke them. To the disciples, children seemed insignificant. They likely assumed the Lord’s time should be reserved for weightier matters—serious discussions, influential people, important kingdom concerns. But the Lord’s response exposed something deeper. “Permit the little children and do not prevent them from coming to Me, for of such is the kingdom of the heavens.” Then He laid His hands on them. This is not merely a sentimental account of Jesus loving children. It is a revelation concerning humility—and a warning concerning pride. It unveils a foundational requirement for entering into the kingdom blessing. The Hidden Issue: Pride Matthew intentionally positions this incident between two weighty subjects: Verses 3–12: the Lord addresses divorce and lust. Verses 16–22: He confronts the rich young ruler regarding money. Between lust and money stands this scene about children. This arrangement is deliberate. Pride is the hidden root between fleshly desire and the love of riches. Lust and greed are expressions; pride is the underlying principle. A fleshly person who loves money is inevitably governed by self-exaltation. When the disciples rebuked the children, their reaction exposed an unconscious superiority. They may have thought they were protecting the Lord’s dignity, but in reality they were defending their own sense of importance. The Lord corrected not merely their behavior, but their inward condition. His word implied: Do not only allow little children to come—become like them. Reject your pride. Become small. Becoming Like Little Children When the Lord declares, “Of such is the kingdom of the heavens,” He is not speaking sentimentally about innocence. He is identifying a spiritual condition. Little children are characterized by: Dependence Simplicity Freedom from status-consciousness Absence of self-exaltation A child does not compete for position. A child does not calculate reputation. A child does not protect an image. The kingdom of the heavens belongs to those who are lowly in spirit. Humility is not weakness. In the kingdom economy, humility is strength under divine authority. It is the relinquishing of self-importance. To participate in the kingdom reality today—and to share in its manifestation in the coming age—pride must be judged at its root. The Lord did not say, “Act humble.” He indicated we must become humble in our inward being. T