What I Learned from a Turtle

Tweet: No matter how busy you are, sometimes you need to stop and help a turtle cross the road.

I helped a helpless turtle today and it reminded me of a story I read while I was preparing for my lesson in Impact on Wednesday night.

He\she hissed at me...but I knew he\she needed my help.

When Jesus was here on earth, the disciples came to Him and asked who was the greatest of the disciples. They were a humble group and I'm sure they just wanted to know so that they could pray for each other better...yeah right. Jesus answers them by doing something you'd never expect.

They must be in a marketplace or maybe near the temple in the city because Jesus then summons a little kid to come over to the group (Does this make Jesus a Stranger Danger?). The child comes over and Jesus sets Him on His lap(that's how I picture it anyways) and says that the greatest in the Kingdom are those who admit their sin and humble themselves like a child.

SIDE NOTE: Can you imagine being this kid? He is being compared to the greatest member of the Kingdom of GOD and he's probably sitting on Jesus' lap eating a booger or licking the dirt off his hand. 

Turn from our sins and become like a child...sounds confusing to me. I'm not a dad yet, but I have five younger siblings, two of which are more then ten years younger than me. So when I think about a child, they come to mind along with a few of the kids our friends have had. When I think about how kids are...I get even more confused...they whine a lot, they want their own way, they disobey a lot, and you always have to keep an eye on them. So what part of being a child was Jesus referring to? 

Then it hit me. 

They are dependent.

Yes they do all those things I listed above. But, what are they even if they don't realize it? Dependent. They are completely helpless without someone to watch over them. 

So, maybe that's it. Maybe being great in the Kingdom of God is simply admitting our dependance. Yes, we need to strive to turn from our sin...but Jesus knew we wouldn't do that perfectly and we knew we couldn't do it at all unless we realized our need for Him. 

Without Him, we are hungry, dirty, stinky, and really whiny.

With Him, we are hungry, dirty, stinky, and really whiny until we cry out saying, "Daddy! I need you!" 

He replies, "I know you do, and I'm what you need." 

What do you think Jesus meant when He said become like a child?