Let the Children Come to Me

1. Blessed are the pure of heart,  for they shall see God.  (Mt. 5:8)

2. Then, some children were presented to him so that he would touch them, but as his disciples kept away with scolding words those who were being presented,  Jesus was displeased and said to them, “Let the children come to me and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven is for those who are like them. Verily, I say to you, anyone who does not receive the kingdom of heaven like a child will not enter it.” And embracing  them,  he blessed them, placing his hands upon them. (Mk. 10:13-16)

3. Purity of heart is inseparable from simplicity and humility, and excludes every thought of selfishness and pride. That is why Jesus uses childhood  as a symbol of such purity, just as he uses it as a symbol for humility.

This  comparison might  not  seem just, considering the fact that the spirit of a child may be quite old, and that upon being reborn to corporeal life it brings with it the imperfections that it had not gotten rid of in its previous existences. Only a spirit who has reached perfection could give us a model of true purity. However, the comparison is precise from the present life point of view, because, having not yet manifested any perverse inclinations, little children offer us the picture of innocence and candor. Furthermore, Jesus does not say that the kingdom of God is for them literally, but for those who are like them.

4. Since the spirit of a child has already lived before, why does it not show from birth what it really is? Everything  is wise in God’s works. Children have need of sensitive care, which only a mother’s tenderness can give them, and this tenderness increases with their frailty and innocence. To a mother, her child is always an angel and it has to be that way in order to capture her concern. She would not have the same care toward her child if, instead of innocent charm, she found behind her child’s infantile features a virile character and adult thoughts; and she would care even less if she knew about the child’s past.

Furthermore, the activity of the intelligent principle would have to be in proportion to the weakness of the body, which could not endure a large amount of activity of the spirit such as that which may be seen in highly precocious individuals. That is why, as incarnation draws near, the spirit enters a state of confusion and gradually  loses its self-awareness; for some time it remains in a sort of sleep, during which all its faculties remain latent. This transitory state is necessary to give the spirit a new starting point, and to enable it to forget the things that might hinder it in its new earthly existence. Nevertheless, its past acts upon it. It is reborn to a greater life both morally and intellectually as it is upheld and aided by the intuition it has retained of it previously- acquired experience.

Beginning    at   birth,     its    thoughts    gradually   regain momentum to the degree that its organs develop, so that it may be said that during the first few years, the spirit is truly a child, since the ideas that will form the basis of its character are still dormant. During this time it is more malleable and therefore more accessible to the impressions that can modify its nature and enable it to progress, which in turn renders the task imposed on the parents easier. Thus, the spirit wears the tunic of innocence for a while, and Jesus is correct when, notwithstanding the soul’s previous lives, he uses the child as the symbol of purity and simplicity.