In Matthew 18 Jesus adds to his long list of cryptic teachings, “Unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven.” That’d be great advice if nothing ever had to get done in the Kingdom of Heaven. If all anyone had to do was run around and play and have fun, and no one had to eat a properly cooked meal, or run a business, or teach anyone anything. Right?
Those of us who are engaged in the work of the Kingdom know how important it is to be educated. Have business savvy. Know how to fix stuff. Get stuff done.
Here’s the problem. Those of us who know how to get stuff done learned our skills within a broken system. We learned in an environment that taught us to be self-sufficient and hard. We carry into the Kingdom the baggage of a world that has made us cynical and selfish. As we try to engage the work and life of the Kingdom our programming keeps getting in the way. We rank ourselves according to attractiveness, success, and goodness. We impose rules about whose opinion matters and whose gifts are valuable. And before you know it, what we think is the Kingdom of Heaven turns out to be just another broken-down kingdom of our own making.
Jesus says, “If you want to be part of my Kingdom, leave your programming at the door. You don’t have to build it or run it. It was working fine before you got here. Empty your hands and your pockets; drop your bags. Then come on in.” The Kingdom is huge, but the door leading in is really small. Only big enough to let in really little people. People unencumbered by big egos and big baggage. Entering the Kingdom of Heaven is a matter of going back to the beginning. Rediscovering innocence and simplicity. Being relieved of your guile and your savvy and your shame. Starting fresh. Reprogramming.
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