Gospel in Art: Unless you become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven

The Little Samuel in Prayer by Joshua Reynolds, 1777. Oil on canvas. © Musée Fabre, Montpellier, France

Source: Christian Art

Gospel of 12 August 2025
Matthew 18:1-5, 10, 12-14

At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, 'Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?' And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, 'Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me.

'See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven. What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.'

Reflection on the painting

The Gospels are filled with questions. Some are posed by Jesus Himself, others come from those who oppose Him, and many are asked by His own disciples. In today's Gospel reading, one of the disciples approaches Jesus with a striking question: "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" It's a question that tells us something about human nature: our concern with rank, recognition, and influence. Behind it may well have been an even more pointed question: "What must we do to become the greatest?"

Jesus' replies and He doesn't begin by talking about greatness at all, but instead focuses on something far more fundamental: simply entering the kingdom of heaven. Entering the kingdom of heaven is what we have to aim for! that is the greatest call of all. To do that, He says, we must be transformed and become like little children. In Jesus' time, children had no legal status or social standing; they were entirely reliant on others, especially their parents, for every aspect of their lives. Jesus invites His followers to adopt that same spirit of humble dependence. He calls us to trust fully in the loving Father, to receive rather than grasp, and to let go of any desire for self-promotion.

It's a message that runs counter to the instincts of every human community, even among disciples. Jesus challenges the pursuit of power and status and calls instead for humility. Humility as shown in our charming painting by Sir Joshua Reynolds, depicting Little Samuel in Prayer. Painted in 1777, it is a tender image of youthful devotion. Depicting the Old Testament figure Samuel as a small child kneeling in earnest prayer, the painting captures a profound sense of innocence, humility, and openness to God. With his small hands clasped and eyes gently lifted, Samuel becomes a symbol of the kind of child-like trust and dependence that Jesus speaks of in the Gospels when He says, "Unless you become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." Reynolds, a master of portraiture, beautifully conveys the purity of the child's heart and the quiet presence of God.

LINKS

Gospel in Art: https://christian.art/
Today's Reflection: https://christian.art/daily-gospel-reading/matthew-18-1-5-10-12-14-2025/