Notes on Interpretation of Matthew 18:3 - Jesus and Childhood

Matthew's Gospel 18:3

Amen I say to you, unless you turn and become like little children, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven.

In Context 

18 At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 2 Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, 3 and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me. (NKJV)

Parallels

33 They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the road?” 34 But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest.35 Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.”36 He took a little child whom he placed among them. Taking the child in his arms, he said to them, 37 “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.” (Mk 9:33-37 NIV)

46 An argument arose among them as to which one of them was the greatest. 47 But Jesus, aware of their inner thoughts, took a little child and put it by his side, 48 and said to them, “Whoever welcomes this child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me; for the least among all of you is the greatest.” (Lk 9:46-48 NRSV)

A Question of Innocence or Meekness

A question arises in understanding Mt 18:3 as to what childlike quality or attribute(s) Jesus is here highlighting.  Is it innocence or meekness (or perhaps both)?  Merriam-Webster supplies several definitions of innocence: a. freedom from legal guilt of a particular crime or offense, b. freedom from guilt or sin through being unacquainted with evil; etc.  Merriam-Webster defines meekness as "a mild, moderate, humble or submissive quality."  What characteristic of children is called to our attention here by Jesus of Nazareth?  

Since subsequent verse, v. 4, mentions humility [Gk. ταπεινώσει, tapeinōsei, to make or bring low], this is the quality Jesus' saying is pointing to.  All three synoptic gospels have the disciples in dispute or wonder about who is greatest.  Jesus calls a child into their presence, using it (words for "child" and "children" are neuter in gender) as example.  A reader or hearer of this passage may well imagine a child becoming quiet, meek, when called alone into a group of grownups.  To draw out the meaning of Mt 18:3, it could be said that Jesus tells his followers to put away all thought of greatness and pride and reform to a state of stillness, meekness, humility.  As children are submissive in the presence of adults, so adults should be deferential with each other.  

Gospel of Mark, which was written prior to Matthew and Luke and utilized by those authors in their gospels, has the following saying to complement the example of the little child (see above).

Anyone who wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all (9:35; also, Mt 20:26; 23:11; Mk 10:43f; Lk 22:26) 

Gospel of Luke has, 

for the least among all of you is the greatest,  (see above) 

to capture meaning of 'children' for discipleship.

So children are lowly servants in teaching of Jesus, but shall be great in the kingdom of  God.  Jesus likens himself to children and so ought his disciples.

Three Commentators

Here are three substantial (i.e., non-technical) comments on Mt 18:1-5 from books.

1. By the question they have asked, the disciples demonstrate their lack of understanding of the nature of the Kingdom.  W.F. Albright & C.S. Mann, Matthew (Garden City: Doubleday, 1981), p. 216

2. It is now explained that the child is an example of humility, "not of innocence, not of purity, not of moral perfection."  Francis Beare, The Gospel According to Matthew (Peabody: Hendrickson, 1987), p. 375 [quote from P. Bonnard, L 'Evangile selon saint Matthieu (1970)]

3. The disciples ask, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? and Jesus tells them that they will never even enter the kingdom unless they give up all desire for being great, and become like children, without any status or privileges.  Those who do that will be great in the kingdom.  ...  Jesus' taking of a child is an acted parable.  J.C. Fenton, Saint Matthew (Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1978), p. 290f    

Additional Sayings of Jesus on Children

Permit the little children to come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. (Mk 10:14)

Amen I say to you, who would not receive the kingdom of God as a child will not enter it. (Mk 10:15)

Whoever may cause to sin one of these little ones believing in me, is rather better with a large millstone around his neck and to be cast into the sea. (Mk 9:42; Mt 18:6; Lk 17:2) 

These infants who take milk are like unto they who enter the kingdom. (GTh 22)    

See that you don't despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their heavenly angels constantly behold the face of my Father.in heaven (Mt 18:10) 

The Lost Sheep (Mt 18:12-14)

12 “What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying? 13 And if he should find it, assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray. 14 Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.  (NKJV)

Jesus paid special attention to children, handling, blessing them (Mk 10:13-16), using children as examples of  meekness, innocence in his teaching.  In this parable we read about a man who goes searching for a lost sheep from his flock.  Finding the lost sheep, the owner of the flock rejoices.  Note that finding lost sheep is not a sure thing in this parable.  Instead of  the word, 'when,' or some other construction, such as, 'having found' [Gk. participle εὑρὼν], appearing in verse 13, which would imply guarantee of recovery, we see the particle 'if' [Gk.ἐὰν], if the sheep is found.  Appropriating verse 14 as legitimate interpretation of the parable, we understand that some children of God may be lost permanently, even though this isn't God's will.  This is a strange thing, considering God, in Judaism, is almighty.  What could be preventing our Father's will from accomplishment?  The answer is discovered in book of Genesis, chapter three.       

             

Santiago Ramon y Cajal: Scientist/Artist

 I've just read book review in latest issue of 'Science News' (3/26/22), entitled 'How a scientist-artist transformed our view of the brain,' by Laura Sanders.  The book is a biography of Ramon y Cajal, The Brain in Search of Itself  by Benjamin Erlich (FS&G, 2022).  This man, Santiago Ramon y Cajal [hereafter abbreviated RyC] (1852-1934), was a physician, an anatomist like his father, born and died in Spain.  He married Silveria Fananas Garcia and had many children.  As a youngster, he developed a talent for drawing and sketching, and produced pictures of the world around him.  This artistic ability served him well in the field of anatomy, particularly in brain and nervous system physiology, as he drew fine, elaborate pictures of nerve cells, based on his microscope observation.  With use of reazione nera, the 'black reaction' method of staining cells for better viewing, invented by Italian physician, Camillo Golgi, RyC discovered independence of nerve cells, contrary to current reticular theory of brain/nervous system.  He saw and drew in his pictures, space between nerve cells, showing their independence in function.  This discovery won RyC, Nobel Prize in medicine in 1906, which he shared with Golgi.  This discovery and teaching of RyC became the basis of modern theory of neurons and so RyC is called 'father of modern neuroscience.'  

Though RyC departed from organized religion, he held to doctrines of soul and God, Creator of universe.[1]

Note

1.  On this, see Wikipedia article under heading, 'Political and religious views.'  Especially, see there note 15.