The other day, for the fasting prayer that we usually hold every monthend at our Church, I happened to be preaching about the return of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Using Matthew 24:45-47 (Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. I tell you the truth, he will put him in charge of all his possessions.) and the first few verses of Matthew 25 (At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any extra oil with them. The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps.), I exhorted the Church members to prepare themselves for the Lord’s return.
It was a blessed time and later as we retired at home, my younger daughter aged 8 seemed to be in deep thoughts. As we put out the lights she snuggled up close to me. What’s bothering you? I asked. Papa, she said, “If Jesus comes tonight, will He take me to Heaven with you and Mama and Salome (my older daughter). “Definitely”, I said, you are so innocent, you will surely go.
“But didn’t you say in the Church that those who have sin won’t go” she said. “Yes, that’s true, but you have no sin.” I started explaining something about reaching the age of accountability but then stopped, thinking that she wouldn’t understand it.
Well, I’ve got something to confess she said. “I beat Salome the other day”. I said, “You better confess that to Jesus” and she did. Next she said, “I called her names” and I led her to confess that too. I thought she would be finished with that, but there were a couple of other things, scratching and pushing her sister which she confessed.
When she thought she had finished with cleaning her heart, she went off to sleep, believing that if the Lord came that night, she would surely go with Him.
As I lay thinking of all that had transpired between us, I remembered the words of Jesus from Matthew Chapter 18.
“At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"
He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”
How true! If only grownups could humbly and meekly accept the words of the Lord like little children, how wonderful it would have been.
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