DON'T FORGET THE CHILDREN
Mark 10:13-16 NKJV
13 Then they brought little children to Him, that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked those who brought them. 14 But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God. 15 Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it." 16 And He took them up in His arms, laid His hands on them, and blessed them.
A reason we built an expensive wing on the church a few years back was not directly related to our verses for today, but is absolutely related in principle. The bottom line is that children matter to God. And if they matter to God, then how we treat the children is important.
Jesus made this abundantly clear with His disciples. People were bringing their children for Jesus to bless, and the disciples were rebuking them. This was not a wise decision on the disciple's part. People can be very sensitive when it comes to their children, so rebuking parents was not a good look. And it certainly did not line up with who Jesus was and the values He preached. This is why Jesus was greatly displeased and not just displeased, greatly displeased. The scriptures are not given to hyperbole. If they say someone was very rich or beautiful, you can believe it. The scriptures are not unkind, but they don't give superlatives when none are due.
Jesus used the disciples' error to introduce a teaching moment. He was not simply trying to be polite with the parents of the children. He was revealing a spiritual truth. The kingdom of God is seen in the children. To enter the kingdom, one must become as a little child. Little children have not yet learned about status. Little children, and I am speaking of young toddlers, do not posture themselves and jockey for position. When you tell a little one something, they believe you. They don't usually argue or present an opposing viewpoint. One of the most endearing traits of little children is their innocence and lack of guile. They are not caught up with race, politics, or social standing. They are quick to forgive and quick to love. And Jesus loves these little ones and believes they matter.
This is another thing about Jesus and Kingdom values. In a culture where children did not have a significant place, Jesus made sure to take them in His arms and bless them. By doing this, He sent a message to not ignore the children. So as long as we have a church, we are going to make sure we treat the children as important. I have great appreciation for all our staff and volunteers who work each week with our children and youth. We are intentional about reaching them. If we can make a strong impression on their lives when they are young, we stand a better chance of them staying with the Lord or coming back to Him later in life.
APPLICATION
Alan's pastoral rant. I grew up in a church that placed very little emphasis on reaching teens. They were pretty good with the little ones, but church was incredibly boring to me as a teenager. Soat The Ark, we are going to make sure that when we present the gospel to children and youth, we present God in the best light possible. We will spend money on these areas. Children matter to God, and they matter to us.