Mark 10:13-16
“People were bringing little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them.” Mark 10:13-16 NIV
I think that we can all agree that childhood is a precious time. It is a time of relative innocence. It is a time to be nurtured. It is a time of awe and wonder. In our best moments, we parents get to re-enter childhood.
When I think of children, I think of these words, sweet, pure, honest, trusting, humble, playful, and loving. Woe to adulthood. We spend our entire lives growing out of childhood and away from possessing the very qualities Jesus said.
From the time we were wee tykes in Sunday School, we learned these little songs:
Jesus loves the little children,All the children of the world. Red and yellow, black and white,They are precious in His sight.Jesus loves the little children of the world.
And then, of course, perhaps the first one we ever learned:
Jesus loves me this I know,For the Bible tells me so.Little ones to Him belong,They are weak but He is strong.Yes, Jesus loves me,The Bible tells me so.
Where? Where does it tell me so – that Jesus loves little children? In these verses of course, we’ve grown up now, so we don’t sing those songs anymore, do we? Right, we’ve mastered the truths of those little Sunday School choruses, and we don’t need the juvenile reminders anymore.
No, now that we’ve grown up, we’ve moved on to much deeper truths. And perhaps we’ve forgotten those childish things. Jesus loves me this I know just doesn’t do much anymore, and so we forget to sing the songs, and perhaps the truths they contain.
We pat our kids on the head, and we’re glad they’re singing those simple little ditties, but we’ve moved on. And maybe, just maybe, we need to be reminded of the truths in those songs again today.
The Gospel urges us to love. This scene shows how Jesus understood that with children. A crowd of them interrupted His preaching, and the apostles were shooing them away. They were noisy, energetic, enjoying life, running instinctively towards someone who also enjoyed it.
The apostles spoke sternly to those who brought them. These kids are not serious. We are here to listen to the Sermon on the Mount and we can't hear Him properly with all this noise and commotion. Jesus intervened, invited the children closer and laid His hands on them. He gave them two precious things that cost no money time and affection.
We are like a child in the arms of Jesus, we want to trust Him with our lives. We want Him to be close to us in joys and sorrows. We ask Him for this, and ask it for all who are in our circle of life. Jesus wants closeness to each of us, as we want a close friendship with Him. Let the child in us trust, ask, and simply enjoy being love by Him.
Unless we are very careful, we will soon become everything that a child is not. We know that Jesus is forgiving, but we must become strong in prayer and faith so we too, will be able to trust, love, and forgive everyone, every day, the way Bible teaches us.
Let me remind you that Jesus’ initial proclamation in this gospel was, repent and believe the good news. Repentance means recognizing your own unworthiness, acknowledging your sin, and turning from it, to Christ.
Believing the good news means trusting God’s provision for your salvation, and nothing you bring to the table. Unless you are converted like this child, you will not enter the kingdom!!!
Father thank You for this day and Your strength to walk in it today. Lord rain down Your abundant blessings over my friend and family today. Lord please compel us to spend time with children, playing, loving, and praying with them. Lord let us watch them and learn from them. Lord let us not only show kindness to the children and youth that we encounter each day, but also our neighbors, our co-workers, and those that live in our communities. Lord us pray that we do not lose all of our child-like qualities as we grow older. Lord use my friend today to be a bold witness of Your Gospel to all. Daddy we love You amen. Be a blessing. Love ya !
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