Jesus, Kids, and Me

"The ground of Jesus' surprising statement is not to be found in any subjective quality possessed by children but rather in their objective humbleness and in the startling character of the grace of God who wills to give the Kingdom to those who have no claim upon it...

"The demand that a man become as a little child calls for a fresh realization that he is utterly helpless in his relationship to the Kingdom. The Kingdom is that which God gives and that which a man receives... The Kingdom may only be entered by one who knows he is helpless and small, without claim or merit." —William L. Lane, The Gospel of Mark, 360-361.