Children Can Lead Us During Lent

The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them. But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple courts, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they were indignant.

“Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him.

“Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read,

‘From the lips of children and infants
 you, Lord, have called forth your praise’?”

Matthew 21:14-16 (NIV)

Even as adults can do much to help children know the ways of God and walk in them, children, in their own way, can teach adults a lot about how to join and participate in God’s work in the world. As we enter into the season of Lent, Christians around the world are taking time to prepare to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus about forty days from now. Although this is a good time for adults to teach children about the values of introspection, repentance, and spiritual disciplines that can help us to connect with God, children can also lead adults in this season.

Matthew’s Gospel tells us that when Jesus finally arrived in Jerusalem he went to the temple and he caused quite a commotion. Imagine all the sounds: crashing furniture, coins hitting the stone floor, birds flapping and squawking, and the joyous yells of people being healed. Added to this cacophony were children shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! (Matt. 21:15-16)” 

The religious leaders in the temple didn’t like the children shouting in this way, and they expected Jesus to do something about it. Whether in the temple of Jesus’ day or in the church of our day, children are often told to be quiet in religious spaces. But not Jesus. Instead of telling the children to be quiet, Jesus silenced the religious leaders. He told them that it is the children who have it right. Far from inappropriate, their shouts were what this moment demanded. The religious leaders and the children were both witnessing the same thing. Jesus was doing “wonderful things (v.15).” Yet it was the children who knew how to respond appropriately. They are the ones in the story who know better. How is it that these children were better prepared for what Jesus was doing than the teachers and dedicated religious leaders? I have a few ideas.

Children are ready to celebrate good things.

You don’t have to teach a child to celebrate or shout. You don’t have to teach a child to sing or dance. You have to teach them not to. Adults help children learn cultural rules about when and how it is appropriate to celebrate, but when cultural rules are getting in the way of real authentic celebrations, it is often the kids who are the first to challenge the rules. Isn’t this what was happening in the temple? Jesus was healing people who wanted healing. He was also exposing systems that were taking advantage of people. 

The children recognized this moment for what it was - a reclaiming of a space for God’s love and compassion - and so they used what they had (their youthful lungs) to celebrate! Regardless of what the adults were doing, the children were ready to shout “Save!” in the temple as loud as they could.

Children are sensitive to unfair power structures.

Children often seem distracted or unaware of what is going on around them. As a dad, I’ve done my share of telling my kids to listen up and pay attention. The truth, however, is that children are quite aware and attentive to many things, just not always the things that I want. One thing that children seem to be hyper aware of are systems or situations that are unjust or unfair. Children are aware of their dependence on adults for the things that they need, and because of that they are also very aware of how systems of power are working or not working for themselves and others. Children are especially good at exposing rules that aren’t really working the way they were intended. When power structures hurt or neglect other people or treat some people unfairly, it is often children who will be quick to notice and to want to do something about it. I wonder if that is one of the reasons the children shouted in the temple. Perhaps they were sensitive to those who were not being taken care of in the current system, and they were hopeful that Jesus was going to do something about it. They were right!

Children ask lots of questions.

Children, by nature, are extremely open and flexible in how they process the world around them. That is how they learn so much so fast. They are full of questions and curiosity about the things that they don’t understand, and they are constantly assimilating new information. I can distinctly remember all four of my kids going through a phase where they asked “Why?” all the time about everything. As annoying as it is at times, it is one of the great gifts that children give adults: a moment to stop and ask why about our unquestioned habits. Through their questions, children often reveal underlying goals and hidden motives, inconsistencies and hypocrisy. Could it be that a child’s proclivity to ask questions and to seek out better answers helped them to be excited about the new things that Jesus was doing in a way that the religious authorities were not?

If Lent is about letting God’s light shine in the dark places of our lives to help us see things that need to change; if Lent is about being open to the new things that God wants to do in us and through us to make the world better; if Lent is about stopping to celebrate goodness wherever it is found, then perhaps children are the best teachers we can ask for during this important time of preparation.