Oh, To Be a Child Again!
“And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, and said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 18: 2 – 3)
For the first time in years, I found an “old-fashioned cartoon” on television. It was the Woody Woodpecker cartoon, followed by Bugs Bunny and Friends. Now you may ponder why a grown man, a man who considers himself mature, and studious and engages his time with more informative communications enjoys watching cartoons. The answer is simple. For a brief time, it took me back to the more innocent days of being a child! The mischievous antics of Bugs Bunny and his “adversaries” such as Elmer Fudd, the Tasmanian Devil, Marvin the Martian, and Yosemite Sam, were funny, and even the child knew who would win the contests. We grew up watching the expected defeat of Wile E. Coyote and his Acme supplies as he pursued the elusive Road Runner. We knew better than to attempt the “violence” of these characters who were blown up, smashed, poked, and humiliated by their failures. Somehow, we laughed at their feeble attempts at “victory” and adopted their catchphrases such as “Be very, very quiet. I’m hunting wabbit,” or “What’s up doc?” or “Dat, dat, dats all folks!” Oh yes, and do you remember the Little Rascals? How many of us envied the homemade soapbox derby car, and their clubhouse? Guys, did you ever wish you had a “Darla” girlfriend; or you girls an Alfalfa? Oh, those were the days!
Times have changed indeed! But I remind you of our opening verse: Matthew 18: 2 – 3. How old was this child that Jesus used as an illustration? Would this child ever have been mischievous as many children are from time to time? Who knows? The point is, that Jesus used a little child to show GROWN MEN how they should be in God’s sight! While attributes of innocence, dependence upon parents, teachable, loving, and obedient come to mind, one ponders if there had ever been an inclination within this lad to “experiment” with life as children sometimes do. The point of our Lord’s demonstration was to teach His disciples humility and avoid the arrogance they purported in asking Him, “Who is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” Read the text (Matthew 18: 1 – 6). Still, adults fail to learn this lesson, as even within the Lord’s church some believe they are better than others! Shame! Even cartoons teach the error of such convictions!
Those old cartoons did more than entertain children. They taught us how to laugh. They taught us we can’t always have what we want. They taught us that “real smarts” are the best to use in every situation, and that “bad guys never win.” Like many, I progressed from cartoons to westerns like Hopalong Cassidy, The Lone Ranger, and Roy Rogers, and from these to the more “dramatic” westerns like The Rifleman and Have Gun Will Travel. As I matured, shows like Gunsmoke and Bonanza gave way to the more challenging ones like Mission Impossible, Adam-12, Emergency, and Quincy. Game shows were sprinkled among these for “educational” purposes. Shows like Password, Concentration, Jeopardy, and Bob Barker’s show Truth or Consequences advanced our minds, or so we thought.
These and dozens of other cartoon-type shows allowed us to escape reality and enter a fantasyland where no one ever got hurt and the good guy always won. We laughed at the stupidity of the losers and marveled at the minds of game show winners. We knew the heroes and villains by name, and even before the show began, we knew the outcome. We watched them just the same! Frankly, we still do, and with the same reactions! Why? Well, for one reason, we miss being the child!
Perhaps there’s a spiritual lesson in this. As we mature as Christians, we realize our responsibilities are increased and the discipline within our lives is more critical. We realize others observe our words and deeds, and we have become the example younger souls follow. Therefore, we become more diligent in examining ourselves (2 Corinthians 13:5), and endeavor to be more “grown up” than childish. We recognize the value of Paul’s statement, “When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.” (1 Corinthians 13:11)
Paul’s statement does not preclude us from the necessity of HUMILITY. If recalling the times of our childhood helps us in achieving that righteous attribute, then by all reason, recall those days of innocence, dependence, learning, loving, and obedience! But there is no reason to revert to childish ways, childish deeds, or childish ignorance! We have grown up, and matured, and must accept the increased responsibilities that come with increased life. As Christians, we are “no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, [we] grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.” (Ephesians 4: 14 – 16)
Yes, there are several things from childhood we miss, and yet from which we continue to learn and value the lessons. Still, we cannot return to those days but must press onward and upward toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus (cf. Philippians 3:14). Sure, we need to laugh, have fun, and enjoy the blessings of this life; but never to the exclusion of working out our salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12). Now that we’re older, we would do well to observe the little children, and learn from their lives the lessons contained in their example of humility!