You Are Known By Heaven As The Hero

As a child, I always enjoyed the Superman movies.  I envisioned myself as the hero from another planet, saving the world with my super strength. Fighting evil and rescuing the weak from catastrophe. Is it possible something is placed inside children to want to be the hero?

When Jesus came to the earth, He used phrasing like, “You have heard it said, but I say….”. He was fantastic at dismantling religious thoughts to create kingdom thinking. In one instance He is asked by his disciples, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”.  Then He finds a child close by and places the kid in the middle of the disciples. With all eyes on the kid, Jesus dismantles religion by saying, “Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”

Is it possible the disciples looked at the kid and were not impressed? Could this kid have possibly had a runny nose as many kids do? Maybe his clothes were torn from playing so hard? I spent nearly five years volunteering in kid’s ministry, teaching all ages of kids. Is it possible the kid smelled? What was Jesus trying to do when referring to this kid about the kingdom of heaven?

The disciples possibly regarded the child standing next to Jesus according to the flesh. It is possible they still had old covenant thinking and judged by his outward appearance.

7 People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. –1 Samuel 16:7

Here are two consistent God-given qualities I believe all children possess at birth:

1. All children love to receive (see birthdays or Christmas time). When we are aggressive as children to receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness from our Father, we will reign in life and the kingdom of heaven.

¹⁷ For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ. -Romans 5:17

 

2. All children desire to be a hero (see costume dress up and favorite movies). When we received Christ by faith, we became born again (an adopted child of God) and received the kingdom of heaven, thus becoming the heroes of the earth. Jesus entrusted us with the keys to His kingdom.

From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. –2 Corinthians 5:16-20 

 

Is it possible that Jesus knew, when pointing out the child, the disciples would become born-again children, faithful to receive and faithful to be heroes in His kingdom?

3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. 4 He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. -2 Corinthians 1:3-4 

Did you know that Heaven knows you as the child hero on the earth? Receive His comfort and give His comfort today!