At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me. -Matthew 18:1-5
In an age and context where children were not always valued and protected as they should be, Jesus’ words were all the more striking. When asked a question that, in other gospels, was a source of debate, the response Jesus gives is not one that anyone, not even modern readers, would expect. The greatest is not the person with high authority, or of great theological education, or with an impressive career track; the greatest is a little child, because their lowly position reflects the lowliness and humility with which Jesus came to the earth (Phil. 2:4-10). Despite hearing Jesus teach this, the disciples still struggled to understand this, as we often do.
Then people brought little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked them. Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there. -Matthew 19:13-15
Since being back in the USA, we have had a few different opportunities to speak and share about our mission in Costa Rica. One of those invitations brought us to Cracker Trail Elementary, where we shared about our missionary work with the Good News Club, an after school Christian group consisting of kindergarteners to 5th graders. We loved the time with the kids, as we saw their innocence, curiosity, and warmth put on display. Questions ranged from, “are there beaches in Costa Rica” to “how did you two meet” to “can you bring back a sloth” to my (Christopher’s) personal favorite, “Is God older than Jesus?” I was reminded of how I, too, was a child when I came to know Jesus Christ, and being with the kids, I left awestruck again, pondering the fact that the kingdom of heaven belongs to them. What do I need to learn from them?
In another occasion, I (Christopher) got to teach to a group of high school students, and the main point I imparted to the group was that, based on the biblical narrative and cultural context, it is very likely that the 12 disciples were anywhere from 10-21 years old, with Peter being the oldest, around 20 or 21, and the rest being around 13-17. I encouraged them to be confident in their youth, because the greatest revolution in history as recorded in Acts, was not led by 50, 40, 30, or even 20 year olds, rather mainly by what we would call teenagers.
This past Wednesday, the 26th, we attended the youth group at Arise Church. We truly enjoyed the opportunity to observe the service and experience God with them. The youth pastor, Daniel Izquierdo, invited us on stage and asked a few pointed questions concerning our life as missionaries in Costa Rica while also giving us the opportunity to share a more personal reflection regarding how this mission has impacted us. It was another moment in which I (Christopher) encouraged the youth to live boldly and faithfully, sharing with them that Jesus spent time with people around their age for 3 years, discipling them to then lead His Church at its birth. We both left the youth service impressed by the middle and high school students: their respect, their attentiveness, and how many students were leading in the service, from greeters to worship to the prayer team. We learned so much that night seeing God at work in their youth group and hope to learn more from Arise to better lead the youth in La Carpio.
Lastly, we have been encouraged to see that new youth, specifically upcoming 12-13 years old, have joined the youth ministry in La Carpio and have attended the services thus far. We are excited for the new relationships that are being formed and how, over time, the upcoming generations will continue to help form the youth ministry into something new and different. Some of the new youth have had years of investment through the children’s ministry, so having them advance to youth is a big deal in two ways. Firstly, we want to continue to foster the growth and partner with God in the work He has already begun in them. Secondly, they are coming in with a more open mindset than others since the children’s ministry has had years to pour into them, which is certainly different from teenagers who come into the ministry fresh, with no prior exposure or investment. We are thankful for our team who continues to carry out to fruition the mission that God has in La Carpio.
We would like to leave with you some things we have shared with different groups this past month with the hopes of spurring you on to continue living a godly life:
- Let us not despise, undermine nor underestimate one’s youth, as Jesus chose a young adult and 11 other teenagers to lead His Church at its inception.
- The kingdom of heaven belongs to the little children, and to enter we must become like them: lowly.
- Every Christian is a missionary, because as disciples of Jesus, we all have the responsibility to participate with God in His mission of restoring the world.
Praise Reports:
- New teenagers who have joined the youth ministry in La Carpio
- Disciples of ours who continue to invest in their faith
- The youth team continuing to minister and serve with excellence
- Our families threw us baby showers and it was such an enjoyable time to spend with loved ones and friends! We continue to be amazed by the generosity of others.
- Hannah has maintained great health during the pregnancy and has received great doctors’ reports the last two appointments.
Prayer Requests:
- Hannah’s body and mind as she prepares for childbirth.
- For Eliana Grace, who is due this month (March), that her birth would be smooth and for her to continue to be a healthy baby, as the doctors have confirmed to this point.
- A situation in La Carpio that has produced more tension among the community.
- Our van is still in the mechanic shop. Let us pray that the mechanic figures out how to repair it, or displays honesty if it needs to be transferred to another shop to be fixed.