I recently started watching a new series about the life of
Jesus called The Chosen. You
should know that I cringe a little whenever a new film about Jesus comes out. I’m all for sharing the Gospel story, but I’m
always afraid that a film portrayal of Jesus will turn out cheesy. It’s hard to capture the depth and beauty of
Christ. But I was pleasantly surprised by
The Chosen. It’s the best screen
adaptation of the Gospels I’ve ever seen, hands-down.
The series does take artistic license to develop the
backstory of many characters and events in the Gospels. For example, the second episode starts with a
little girl wandering into a camp. No
one’s there. The girl starts playing with
stuff in the camp until she hears its occupant returning. She quickly hides to see who it is. It’s Jesus.
She’s intrigued by him, so the next day, she returns to the camp with
her best friend. Sure enough, Jesus is there,
and he welcomes them to join him. Before
long, the girl and all her friends are regular visitors to Jesus’ camp, sort of
like the precursor to his band of disciples.
In The Chosen, Jesus’ interactions with children are
warm and dignifying. He plays with them
like he’s one of their own. He honors
their inquisitiveness. He treats them
like they belong. It’s like watching a
real-life portrayal of Jesus’ teaching that “unless you turn and become like
children, you will never enter the kingdom of God.” (Matthew 18:3)
Watching this moved me because one thing God has been
working on me for a while is being more child-like. Being forced to stay at home more has helped
me make strides in this regard because I get to hang around my kids a lot
more. Here are some of my main takeways
from observing my kids:
- Uninhibited affection. Kids show affection without fear of rejection or violating protocol. And their affectionate displays are often spontaneous. My 3-year old regularly kisses me on my butt for no reason at all.
- Unfiltered imagination. Children are capable of imagining the wildest things. The laws of physics and good taste pose no limit to their creativity. A pink rhino eating pasta on the moon? You call it silly. They call it awesome.
- Present-mindedness. Rarely are the past and the future the center of a child’s attention. The present is where it’s at for them. Living in the moment helps them take in their environment in wonderment. My oldest son stopped in the middle of a field once and said with a long excited sigh: “Tree!” Then he sat down and stared at said tree for the next five minutes.
- Constant curiosity. Kids constantly ask questions because the world is so new to them. They’re not afraid of asking questions, no matter how dumb they might seem to others. Well, the Kingdom of Heaven is a pretty foreign thing even to adults. Might we learn a thing or two about the Kingdom if we approached it with child-like curiosity? James said, “You do not have, because you do not ask.” (James 4:2) Maybe we should “pester” God with more questions.
- Purity of heart. “Kids say the darndest things.” Kids, especially younger ones, are pretty transparent with their motives. Not all their motives are good—some are downright selfish—but they have little trouble laying it all out there. As a parent, it’s easier to guide a child who is transparent about where they’re at. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God,” Jesus said. (Matthew 5:8) Transparency helps us connect with the heart of the Father.
- Receiving well. I’ve never had my kids refuse an offer of ice cream. They don’t wonder if there are any strings attached, deem themselves unworthy of such a treat, or say they’re too busy working to enjoy it. I’m guessing our heavenly Father has some treats in store for me as well. Maybe I should get better at receiving them.
Prayer:
Lord, we can learn a lot from children because that’s who we are to you, and you love us immensely because we are your children. Help me to receive your care, correction, and calling like a child would. Thank you, Jesus. Amen.An Idea:
Watch some YouTube videos about kids saying funny things. Not only will you get some laughs, but maybe your mindset might shift a little toward much-needed childlikeness.
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