Imitators of Christ

Read Mark 10:13-16

Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs."
-Matthew 19:14 (NRSV)

MY hands and fingernails were grubby from working in the garden with my two-year-old granddaughter, Dellaunna. When we came inside and washed our hands, I used a soft-bristled brush to get the grime out of my skin and from under my fingernails. Watching me, Dellaunna picked up the brush and ran it across her hands as she had seen me do. Now, whenever she washes her hands at that sink, she uses the brush. She has no idea why; she just saw Grandma do it. As I thought of all the things she has done simply because she has seen me do them, I realized this is what God wants from us - that we be imitators of Christ.

In our complex world, it is easy to stray from the way of Christ, to give in to temptation, to rationalize wrong behavior. But faithful followers of Jesus Christ do not choose to be like him only at certain times or in certain situations. Even though we do not understand everything he has told us to do, we can follow Christ with childlike trust. Children believe, they trust, they imitate. Maybe this is why Jesus said the kingdom of heaven belongs to those who are like them.

by Sue Briggs (Michigan, USA)