“The Little Children and Jesus”
Matthew 19:13-15
This past Thursday, after dropping Mary Ellen off at school, I realized I had not yet put my Mom’s Mother’s Day card in the mail…
…and that I had better stop back home real quick so that it would get there by Saturday.
As these thoughts raced through my mind, I thought about what I would write.
What would be meaningful and real?
What are some of my favorite memories about my mom?
In what ways did she influence me the most?
For what am I most grateful?
As I thought about these images, I surprised myself by getting a bit teary-eyed.
I have a GREAT mom!!!
Her influence on my life is, in many ways, directly related to why I enjoy such a fulfilling life today.
So, I thought about early memories.
I remembered how my mom used to walk me to kindergarten every morning, with our dog—“Frisky”—trotting alongside.
And I remembered, how, every Wednesday during that kindergarten year, we would go to McDonalds for lunch after she picked me up from school.
I thought about all the places and times she hauled myself and my two sisters around town with her in that old station wagon with the fake wood paneling.
And then I thought about her faith in God.
Her understanding of God’s grace.
I thought about how she would read the Upper Room devotion every morning before we could eat breakfast, and say the prayer every evening before we ate dinner together as a family.
I remembered the time when, on our way to worship, the family got into some big fight about something, and when we got to our pews—seeing my mother crying during prayer time.
I remember, as well, how we used to have to sit—all five of us—in the very front pew of the church.
And when I would ask my mother why we did this, her honest answer was: “Because there are some people who don’t feel comfortable sitting in the front. If they show up for worship, and the only seats which are vacant are in the front; they will go home.”
I remember, when I was being bullied in school, and before my mom dropped me off, she held my hand and prayed for me.
I recall watching my mom searching furiously in her purse for her check-book and quickly writing a check for the offering for the church just as the pastor was saying, “Let us now offer God, God’s tithes and our offerings.”
I remember how, when a woman in our church got in a really bad car accident which paralyzed her, my mother went to visit her every week for the next 30 years.
I remember riding along with my mother as she delivered homemade meals to church members who had lost a loved one or who were sick.
I remember having the preacher over at our house for dinner every Tuesday evening before Bible study at the church.
It was the fanciest meal of the week.
I could go on and on and on and on.
Back to that Mother’s Day Card.
I finished it by saying, “I would not be a pastor if it were not for you.”
Of course, with God, anything is possible, but my mother’s influence on my life goes deeper than anything I know.
By watching her, I learned what Christ’s love looks like in action.
And because of her, and of course, my dad, I was in Sunday school and worship every day of my life—even when we were on vacation somewhere.
And even though my parents are greatly flawed, just like all other human beings, and even though the Church is greatly flawed because God has chosen to use human beings as His Body…
…My entire being has been shaped by the Church.
I would not recognize myself if it were not for the Church of Jesus Christ.
I can’t imagine who or what I would be if it were not for the people of God.
Did I rebel a bit as a teenager?
You bet!!!
Can I be a real pain in the neck?
Oh yeah!!!
Am I a major sinner?
No doubt.
But do I have the love of Jesus Christ in my heart?
Yes.
And the reason; because I know I am loved by God…
…no matter my flaws, no matter what!!!
Am I happy?
Yes.
Why?
Because of my relationship with Jesus.
Jesus is my foundation.
Jesus is my life.
But what about those who don’t know Jesus?
What about those who don’t have mothers who care for them?
What about those who are living in crack houses, or on the streets?
Or what about those children who are growing up in modern day society with t-v and the internet as their only role models?
What about those who are being taught that the only way to happiness is money and materialism?
What about those who are surrounded by violence, addiction and abuse?
What about those who only know the word “Jesus” as a swear word?
What will happen to them?
Where is their foundation?
What will become of them as they grow up in this terribly difficult world?
In our Scripture passage for this morning, we read that some people were bringing “children to Jesus so that he would place his hands on them and pray.”
But we are told that the disciples scolded, I suppose, the people bringing the children and perhaps the children as well.
But Jesus told the disciples, “Allow the children to come to me…Don’t forbid them…
…Then he blessed the children and went away from there.”
Now we might ask ourselves in bewilderment, “How could the disciples, those people who knew Jesus so well, fail so horribly to understand Him?”
But the answer is easy.
It can also be a little embarrassing.
The answer for all of us is: “Go find a mirror. Look into it. That will help us understand their misunderstanding.”
The danger of being those who “forbid” the “little children” from coming to Jesus can sometimes hit “close to home.”
How much positive attention do we give to our Youth and the children we are blessed to have in our midst?
By the grace of God, I think this congregation is doing a good job, but we can always do more and better.
What are we doing about the children who are not among us?
What can we do?
What will we do?
What would Jesus have us to do?
There can be no doubt that children who are brought up in a church which teaches about the unconditional love and grace of Jesus Christ are much more likely to give their lives to Christ later on in life…when the going, as it inevitably will…gets rough…
…rather than giving their lives to crack, pot, alcohol or whatever else is prowling around looking to gobble them up!!!
Jesus tells us not to stop the children from coming to Him.
And this can be done unconsciously, or through non-deliberate inaction.
We can do this, with our own children, by showing a lack of concern in our own lives about coming to Sunday school and worship every Sunday.
We can show our children what is important and unimportant in life by where we place our priorities.
I’ve told this story before, but I believe it is important.
When I was about Mary Ellen’s age my mother would take my two older sisters and I to Sunday school, while my dad stayed at home.
This was time that my dad had reserved for himself.
Later, he would meet us all at church for worship.
One Sunday morning I declared: “I don’t want to go to Sunday school any longer.
Dad doesn’t go, why should I?”
From that time on, my dad started going to Sunday school.
Actions do, indeed, speak louder than words.
We show where our priorities lay by what we do.
There are many ways we can hinder children from coming to Christ, and there are many ways we can enable them.
Perhaps we can be a shepherd, a role model for an a couple hours a week, for children living in conditions that most of us couldn’t even imagine.
Maybe, we can help with Vacation Bible School.
We are hoping, this summer, to have a feeding ministry for the children living in some of the extended stay lodges down the street from our church.
What do you suppose it looks like for a child to have persons who represent Christ to come to them with a smile and a bag of food, asking for nothing in return?
Could it change their lives?
Could it be similar to those children having Jesus place His hands on their heads and bless them?
What image of Christ and Christ’s Church will stick in their minds as they grow older and face the life-deciding decisions we all face?
We play a big part in that, either through our action or inaction.
In Luke 17:1-3 Jesus says, “Things that cause people to sin are bound to come, but woe to that person through whom they come.
It would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around his neck than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin.
So watch yourselves.”
As Christ’s body in this section of East Ridge Tennessee and North Georgia, we are called to go the second mile, for everyone!!!
We are transformed and changed and thus become more like Christ when we allow ourselves to be stretched out of our comfort zone…
…when we become involved in the lives of others.
What this story about Jesus blessing the little children is telling us is that as the Body of Christ we have a responsibility for the children in our community.
We are called to bless them, with the love of Christ.
How can we best do this?
How can we change lives?
How can we best be used by God to end the cycle of abuse, addiction, poverty and unhappiness that so pervades our society?
What can we do?
I have an amazing mother who taught me about God’s love and grace through her actions and her words.
My guess is that many of you all did as well.
If it wasn’t a mother, was it a father, an aunt and grandmother?
Whoever brought you to church and helped you to see Christ’s love in action, imagine if those experiences and those persons were to be extracted from your experience.
Who would you be?
What would your life look like?
Would you even recognize yourself?
Is the thought of this too excruciating to even try and imagine?
It is for me.
“Allow the children to come to me,’ Jesus said. ‘Don’t forbid them.”
May we heed Christ’s call.
In Jesus’ name—Amen.
