Recently a friend and I reminisced about children and the funny things they say. One memory continues to play in my mind.

When I began my career as a Kindergarten Teacher, we started the year discussing the importance of classroom hygiene habits. I explained at length how we don’t want to share our germs with each other. So we all agreed to never, ever put common utensils, such as pencils or crayons, in our mouths. 

Soon after this discussion, I began handing out a worksheet. The pages stuck together and I unconsciously licked my fingers to help separate the sheets. Immediately a little hand shot up.

“Yes, Thomas?” I asked.

“Mrs. Jackson, have you spit on my paper yet?”

Just like the young child who called out the Emperor’s lack of clothing, my young student’s question highlighted my lack of good classroom hygiene habits. (I did use his question as a teachable moment. After thanking Thomas for his question, I apologized to the class for breaking our rule. Then I pointed out how easily we can slip into old habits, and how we need to hold each other accountable.)

While I still chuckle at the memory, the experience reminds me of something Jesus taught us:

He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 18:2-4 NIV)

In the context of this passage, the disciples had just asked Jesus who was the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. In response, Jesus equated greatness in the kingdom with the lowly position of children. The Greek word translated as lowly position, tapeinoó, means to make low, to humble oneself, or to show humility.

The definition Jesus gives contrasts sharply with worldly wisdom. Today’s dictionary defines greatness as the quality of being great, distinguished, or high-ranking. Few children fit this definition.

In fact, I saw my young students as a responsibility: people to protect, care for, teach and mold. Certainly not people to look up to and follow. Yet, in the innocent question posed by Thomas, I can’t help but see a humility I’m meant to cultivate in my own heart.

Humility to learn: Thomas, like all my young kindergartners, acted like human sponges. Eager to learn, they soaked up all the information we discussed. Cynicism had not yet squeezed out their sense of wonder. As quickly as they acquired new knowledge, they sought out opportunities to apply it to new situations.  

Humility to ask for clarification: When Thomas encountered a disconnect between what he learned and what he experienced, he simply asked for clarification. Without a hint of sarcasm or disrespect, he tried to make sense of my actions and the hygiene habits we discussed. 

I’m reminded of another group of people, adults, who exhibited this same humility as Thomas:

Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. (Acts 17:11 NIV)

Shortly after founding the church in Thessalonica, extreme persecution forced Paul, Timothy and Silas to leave. (Acts 17:1-10) When they arrived in Berea, these Jews received the gospel message like little children. Since the New Testament had not yet been written, the Scriptures they examined would have been the Old Testament prophecies about Jesus. 

When we eagerly receive His messages and examine the Scriptures for truth, the Bible calls us people of noble character. The Bereans even tested the messages of the esteemed Apostle Paul. This reminds me I need to test all messages I hear, secular or religious, against the truth and authority of God’s word. 

True greatness comes when we humble ourselves and receive His word like children.

As I continue down the road, I pray to receive God’s word with a child’s sense of humility and wonder. Wherever the road takes you, I pray you can do the same.