I hate to admit this, but I had never been backpacking until Rebecca and I got engaged. Even then, it was just a one-nighter going up a mountain in Colorado, so not a backpacking trip by most hikers’ standards. When we were planning the trip, she was giving me tips on what to pack and how to pack it to make sure everything that we needed fit. I was so excited to actually go on a packing trip, especially with my new fiancé, her brothers, and her dad, that I was way more excited than I should have been starting off. The next day, I couldn’t wait to do another one, even though the rain and sleet were not the most fun things to happen in July, coming down from a mountain.
The same excitement happened at the Canyon. We both went down to the river, although at separate times, and we agreed that we will need to come back for two weeks minimum just to do all the hiking we hadn’t gotten the chance to do in our time there.
Several people on our ACMNP team and some locals wanted to hit every trail by the time they left last summer. I had the opportunity to go with one of my coworkers on her first hike ever. Not just at the Canyon. Ever. For me, that’s kinda hard to grasp, but it was also hard for Rebecca to grasp that I hadn’t backpacked for 22 years. The thing is that people doing it for their first time love it, usually. They initially can’t wait to go however far down, even though they might be a little nervous. Many people have a cap that says, “The Canyon is calling, and I must go.” That’s so true. Yes, we marveled at the fantastic gorge, but we also have an innate drive to explore, to find out something new, even though it may just be from hearsay.
People in our Scripture lesson had heard about Jesus’ miraculous healings, so parents were pushing through the door of the house the disciples and Jesus were staying at just so Jesus could touch and bless their children. The disciples were tired. They had spent all day discussing and debating with the religious leaders of the area, and they just wanted to rest. However, Jesus had told them just a few days prior to welcome children in His name. He has to reemphasize the point just so the disciples will start to listen.
Children take a huge role in Scripture, especially for Jesus. He’s constantly saying that we should welcome children and train them in the proper way of life. Teach them properly and don’t lead them astray from His truth. Why does Jesus place so much emphasis on teaching children and using them as examples for faith?
Children have a lot to learn about life. Jesus taught them so they could begin to learn the Christian life and pass it down to other generations, much like a hiker will share experiences so others can strive to go. But what about the kingdom of God belonging to children, or an adult receiving the kingdom of God like a child? Personally, I wouldn’t trust a lot of children I know with a kingdom. All the scientific research would be dedicated to bringing dinosaurs or unicorns back to life, and there would be mandatory recesses every day. Ok, that part would be great, but when it comes to decision making, especially with other kingdoms and ruling over people, children aren’t exactly the most suited for the job.
They can be really distracted by looking at only what they want. They can be narrow minded and singularly focused. They’re out for what they want and nothing more. This can be too obvious during the Christmas season when children pester their parents about that new thing, whatever it might be.
Whenever they get that thing they’re looking for, though, they get extremely excited and can’t wait to show it off to everyone. One of my mom’s favorite things to do whenever my brothers and I bring new friends over is pulling out the old baby videos…yay… and one of her favorites is birthdays. She watches the three of us react to what we were opening from “Whoooooa!” to “Oooooh!” to completely screaming at the top of our lungs in excitement. Most people who watch them, especially females, think they’re inexplicably cute, having about the same reactions, and the three of us try to hide while they’re going on. However, the videos she shows are a great example of how God calls us to receive His kingdom. It’s a gift he gives to us freely. Just like children have technically done nothing to earn the gifts they may get, we’ve done nothing at all to deserve God’s kingdom. God allows us to receive it as a gift from Him. We’ve done nothing to deserve it, and there’s nothing we can do. The love that God shows in that is something we can’t help but share!
The kingdom is exciting, enthralling, and something we can’t wait to go exploring in. The fact that God grants it to faulty people like us is extremely humbling. It’s something we can’t wait to share with everyone. We want to soak up everything we can from God and learn as much as we can about Him. We should want to go around screaming at the top of our lungs that God has saved us. That is the level of excitement, at least, that we should have about the kingdom.
As we go throughout our exploration, we have to remember that children need to be shown the way, much like new hikers. In our Scripture lesson, the children at the beginning had to literally be carried in to see Jesus. That could have been because they were too young to walk, or didn’t have the strength to manage for themselves. Either way, they needed a guide or helping hand. Many people are just like that. They need that helping hand, that guide, to get to God, because many don’t know how. They really want it, but they don’t know how to get there or what to look forward to.
Children don’t know what to expect when something new comes around, either. They’re excited about the new idea, the new thing, whatever. The anticipation of the new thing drives many kids crazy. After seeing it or getting it, they can’t wait to share about it. In Luke chapter 10, Jesus sends out followers to go ahead of Him and proclaim that the kingdom of God is near. They came back filled with joy exclaiming that even the demons are subject to them in the name of Christ. They have truly accepted the gift of the kingdom, and are completely enthralled and what they’ve learned from it. They can’t wait to share with everyone what just happened. Jesus later thanks the Father for revealing His power to little children, those who are new to faith. The followers accepted the kingdom of God with excitement and couldn’t wait to tell everyone. The kingdom was new, and they were filled with joy upon receiving it. That’s how we, as adults, receive the kingdom like a child: humility and excitement.
Back in our Scripture lesson, after the children had been brought to Jesus by their parents, Jesus blessed them and healed them. He showed them that God’s blessings are given freely, and they accepted His gift with open arms and probably left the house singing praises. In the same way, when we go to God to find His kingdom, He heals us from sin. He blots out our stain and makes us clean. That’s what we can get excited about. We are freed from bondage and can go living our lives to the full for God’s glory. We can spend our lives exploring the Kingdom of God. We can run, we can dance, and we can live for Him. It’s amazing freedom! Think back really quickly to your elementary school days and the first day of summer. You were free from the bondage of school, and you couldn’t wait to go romping around with friends, enjoying your very extended weekend. We can let ourselves go back to the freedom of childhood and romp around God’s kingdom, exploring and finding out new things, telling everyone we see about it.
Take a look around. The kingdom is calling. God is calling. And we must go; we must explore. The kingdom of God is near. It’s calling all of us. The trail map is right in our Bibles. Take a hike.
No comments:
Post a Comment