Several times Jesus held up children as models for life in the kingdom of God. He once famously said we needed to “turn and become like little children” as his followers. In the Gospel of Mark we find Jesus saying: “Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me.” Not become like a child but receive a child. If you think of it, when we welcome a child we get nothing out of it. It is not transactional in today’s lingo. You can’t really receive a child if you are thinking “what’s in it for me? What do I get out of it?” You receive a child simply for the joy of it. In the Man of La Mancha Aldonza confronts Sancho Panza about his relationship with Don Quixote. What do you get out of it? I like him, Sancho Panza says, I really like him. Our relationship with God is not primarily about being blessed with good health or good fortune. Rather, it is about enjoying being the presence of one who loves us and whom we love.
