Today, my son asked me "daddy, does God have 2 hands?". What a beautiful question! Previously, he has asked "daddy, what colour is God?" Another... "where does God live?"
It's interesting how the Bible speaks about being child-like as a virtue and even necessity for seeing and inheriting the Kingdom of God. The irony is all there, when compared to our performance-obsessed world.
In fact, the harshness and cruelty of our world is a stark contrast to the simplicity, tenderness and authenticity of a child. Perhaps it's these attributes that Jesus means are necessary to see and inherit the Kingdom of God.
Nowhere, is Jesus harsh in his lifetime, except against those willfully misrepresenting the kingdom. These people are deceivers, and have agendas to distract us from truth. A perfect example is when he drove out the merchants in the temple, throwing over tables and cracking a whip...
On many other occasions he chastises and scolds the religious people of the day - those hypocrites who "knew it all" yet did not see the Creator of the universe standing in their midst.
A child is especially good at receiving gifts. They don't pause and think "I'm not good enough" or "I don't deserve this" or "I don't need a gift" - they just receive it with an immediacy and open heart!
Really, it's not that complicated when thinking this way. Yes, what we have on offer is an incredibly expensive gift... but do you know something? - God is lavish in His giving - He delighted in giving all He had for us. Accept life today - be reconciled with your Creator - accept the love!
I think as an approach to seeing the kingdom, it is helpful to follow the words of Christ himself (Matt 18:3) and think like a child - simply, tenderly, and with an authenticity coming from the essence of our being - our hearts.
“Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”