Let The Children Come

I’m reminded of what happened when a family was driving away from a church after the dedication of their baby. Seeing the older brother crying in the back seat, the mother asked him what was wrong, and he replied, “The pastor said he wanted us to be brought up in a Christian home…but I want to stay with you guys!”

As a church family, we are committed to helping parents evangelize and disciple their children in a Christian home. There are many books on parenting and grandparenting on a table in the south lobby. We also have copies of David Jeremiah’s commentary on Philippians called, “The Joy of Living in Christ.”

• Beware of attitudes that hinder children. In the last part of verse 13, we see how the disciples responded to this interruption: “…and the disciples rebuked them.” The word “rebuke” literally means, “to be muzzled.” It’s the same word used by Jesus when He rebuked the wind and the sea in Mark 4. It has the idea of strictly forbidding something with the threat of punishment if the command is not obeyed. The disciples may have said something like this: “Jesus doesn’t have time for your little brats. Stop bothering Him. He has more important things to do.”

This elitist attitude lights the Lord up in verse 14: “But when Jesus saw it, He was indignant and said to them, ‘Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God.’” The disciples didn’t want Jesus to be bothered by kids, but Jesus was more bothered by the disciples! To be “indignant” means “to be sorely vexed with great anger; to grieve much.” The idea is to have intense irritation and unrestrained repugnance. Isaiah 22:4 captures the intensity behind it: “Let me weep bitter tears.” Children are intended to be a blessing, not a burden.

This week, I gave a message at Youth Hope’s Men of Valor and Excellence program. This program matches a Christian man with a third-grade boy from two schools in East Moline. Our aim is to help them learn how to respect others. I spoke on the importance of watching words because they bring life, or they bring death. After demonstrating how our words are like toothpaste which can’t be put back in the tube, I asked these young boys what kind of hurtful words have been spoken to them. I was jarred by their answers because it shows how they have been dismissed by others and how these words of death have lodged in their souls.

You can’t do it.

I hate you.

I wish you would never have lived.

I wish you would die.

You should suffer.

People made fun of me when my grandpa died.

I will kill you.

Go to H…

I was encouraged by the words of life they’ve heard as well.

We’ll be friends forever.

You’re the best friend in the world.

I wish you would live forever.

I love you.

You are smart.

You’re my favorite person.

I like your shoes.

Incidentally, a total of 12 Edgewood men of valor are part of this program.

The dismissive attitude of the disciples toward young image-bearers made Jesus extremely sad and excruciatingly mad because they saw children as expendable interruptions. Pastor Chad offers this insight: “The threat to children in that moment wasn’t the Romans, the scribes, the Pharisees, Herod’s son, or any outside source…it was those closest to Him.” The disciples thought Jesus needed protection from bothersome children, but these children needed protection from arrogant adults. Jesus became indignant that anyone should think children unimportant.