At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
“Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me”
Matthew 18:1-5
You have likely heard this passage more times than you can count, but have you ever sat in it? Have you ever really soaked in what Matthew is describing in this story? Jesus, the Messiah, the Savior of all people, just told them all to become like the children: sticky, whiny, needy, children.
I had never really sat in these verses until I accidentally fell in love with children’s ministry, specifically, preschool ministry at my church here in Jackson, Mississippi. Preschool ministry seems like an oxymoron to many people who hold the idea that since children this young may not be able to grasp the full gospel and come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, there is no need to minister to them. I spend most of my time with children under five. The majority of these children cannot even form full sentences, it is easy for so many of us to disregard them, to forget that they can, and should be ministered to.
Jesus told us that these babies are important, and well, Jesus is always right. He said, “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me”, that’s a BIG deal. Later in verse ten, Jesus goes on to say, “See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven”. Jesus calls His followers to invest in these little children. But how? How do you minister to a tiny human that can hardly talk? To be honest, many of my days in preschool ministry look like wiping noses and telling a four-year-old that it is unacceptable to urinate on the playground slide. But there are moments that make it all worth it, there are moments when I begin to see the fruits of God’s wisdom and love evident in the lives of these kids.
We teach children Bible Stories like Noah’s Ark and Jesus Calms the Storm, but why? Many people may see it as storytelling, but that is not the case. We teach preschoolers Bible stories in order to teach them about the character of God. We teach Noah’s Ark to show the children that we can trust God because He always keeps His promises. We tell them about when Jesus calmed the storm because Jesus never abandons us, and His love makes us brave! We teach children about Jonah and the whale because God forgives us. In order for these children to come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, they must know His character. The first step in any relationship is to know the person’s character. By telling these true stories and emphasizing what God does, we are introducing these children to The Lord and giving them the opportunity to get to know him better.
Last semester I taught eight four-year-olds, by myself, twice a week from 9am to 2pm. Sometimes, it was exhausting. Sometimes, I felt like I might die if I couldn’t get another shot of espresso and a moment of silence. But despite all their disruptions, their meltdowns, and their days without naps, they grew. I hugged a little boy as he ran into the classroom on a Tuesday morning and exclaimed, “Miss Hannah, Jesus is good! I got adopted! I wish you could have been at my adoption, Miss Hannah. I am so happy!” I heard a little girl ask me if I could teach her how to pray because she wanted to talk to Jesus like me. I also heard a little boy tell me, “Talking to someone I can’t see is the silliest thing I have ever heard”, and he hasn’t come around yet. But the word of the Lord does not return void. He blesses it, and He uses it to grow these children into an understanding of His character. What a joyful thing, what a joyful calling, to point these children to the cross and to the gospel. I may not get to experience the fruit, I may not ever know if they come to salvation, but I know that Jesus welcomes them. I know that His heart is for their hearts. I know that His word does not return void. I am thankful for the honor to know and love these tiny image bearers of Christ. What a joy it is.
Hannah Beth Humston is a junior in Social Work at Mississippi College in Clinton, Mississippi. She loves queso, the Bachelor, and Dr. Phil clips on Facebook. The Lord is teaching her about herself and about His kingdom during this summer working with preschoolers.