“The Kingdom Is for Kids!”
“Mark 10:15”
Mark 10:13 And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them: and his disciples rebuked those that brought them.
14 But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.
15 Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.
16 And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them.
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It’s funny how things that you may have seen or heard in your childhood stick with us year after year. It’s a two-edged sword because some of our memories are both good and bad. It may be that the reason I remember what I’m about to relate is that I’m entering my second childhood! I remember a breakfast cereal commercial for “Trix” cereal the emphasized the idea the “Trix are for kids!” Jesus makes it very plain in this passage the kingdom is for kids too! With the Lord’s help this morning I hope that we can see this truth clearly with all its implications.
I. The Reaction of the Followers
a. The benediction that was sought
It was quite common to seek a blessing from someone who was considered to be a great prophet or teacher. We are not told whether the parents or adults sought this blessing.
b. The behavior of the servants
In Jesus day children were treated as if they had no value, as a matter of fact they had less than human status. Sounds much like the 21st century, doesn’t it! For the disciples these children were a nuisance and a distraction.
c. The Blessing of the Savior
The Lord’s attitude towards these children is far different than His own servants and He is very indignant at their behavior.
II. The Response in Focus
The disciples reaction is very revealing. Is indicates that even these men who had been with Jesus had very little idea about the Kingdom of God and how one gains entrance. They proved this in chapter 9 when even after hearing the Lord speak of his impending death 8:31-33, that they get in an argument about who was going to be the greatest in the kingdom. 9:33-37.
a. Salvation by subtraction
I will give up all my bad habits.
Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
b. Salvation by supplement
Like the rich young ruler in verses 17-22, men have always sought to add something to God’s plan. The question is always, “What must I do that I may inherit eternal life?”
Titus 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
ILL - Not many people enjoy going to the doctor, but according to Reuters, in 1994, one London accountant to that to an extreme. The 63-year-old man needed bladder surgery, but he couldn't overcome his fear of doctors and hospitals. So he self-reliantly did what had to be done. He tried to perform the surgery upon himself. Tragically he got an infection and died. The coroner said, "Unfortunately, his drastic remedy went wrong. A simple operation would have solved the problem."
Just as many don't trust doctors and hospitals, many people wont trust God. In their self-reliance, they destroy themselves.
c. Salvation by service
Still others believe that by serving their community to civic or social groups they can be good enough. It is interesting to read the obituary column, especially when some notable person has passed away and there is a long list of civic and social accomplishments and then almost as an afterthought there is a small mention about this persons church life if at all.
III. The Revelation We Find
Since Jesus said that we must become childlike (not childish) to enter the kingdom then it is important that we understand what He was taking about.
a. Children are truthful
Children have a straightforwardness that is absent in adults.
b. Children are trusting
"I CAN SEE YOU."
During the bombing of London during WW2, the Nazis would nightly bomb buildings and homes of civilians.
A father, holding his small son by the hand ran from a building that had been struck by a bomb. In the front yard was a shell hole. Seeking shelter as quickly as possible, the father jumped into this deep dark hole and held up his arms for his son to follow.
It was dark in the hole and the boy couldn't see his dad. Terrified, yet hearing his father's voice telling him to jump, the boy replied, "I can't see you!"
The father, looking up against the sky tinted red by the burning buildings, called to the silhouette of his son and said, "But I can see you. Jump!"
The boy jumped because he knew his dad and he had faith in him.
Accessed 3/26/2011 http://bible.org/illustration/blitz
A LITTLE GIRL'S TRUST
It's a lesson we need to learn, as well. Our true security comes from God and God alone, so we must learn to trust Him. Don't trust in a lie. Don't trust in an idol. Trust in the Lord. Then and only then will you be truly secure.
Five-year-old Jessica became a bit frightened as lightning flashed and thunder cracked just as she was stepping out of the bath tub before going to bed. The lights began to flicker as she was getting into her pajamas. She remembered other times when they had to light candles after the electricity had gone out. This time, she asked if she could "please sleep in mommy's room."
Then, before kissing her mom good-night, she prayed: "Dear God, I hope it doesn't thunder and I hope the lights don't go out." She paused briefly, then she continued, "But I thought it over, and you can do what you want. In Jesus' name. Amen."
That's what it means to trust God. It's letting Him do whatever He wants with my life, my family, and my business. And whenever we do that, whenever we turn it all over to Him, trusting Him to do what's best, then and only then do we find true peace.
(From a sermon by C. Philip Green, Hot Pursuit, 2/19/2011)
c. Children are
SAVED FROM OUR RUBBLE OF SIN-
The September 11, 2002 issues of TIME magazine has a touching article about 31-year old Genelle Guzman. Genelle was the last of just four people caught in the debris of the Twin Towers to be found alive.
After the planes hit the World Trade Center, Genelle was descending a stair case from the 64th floor of the North Tower. Steel beams weakend to their breaking point. Solid concrete was pulverized. But somehow her body found an air pocket.
Her right leg was pinned under heavy concrete pillars. Her head was caught between stacks of wreckage. But somehow she was still alive.
For twenty-seven hours Guzman lay trapped and seriously injured. In recent months before the attacks Genelle had started attending the church called Brooklyn Tabernacle, and wanted to get her life turned around. So while she was stuck in the rubble, she started to pray. She’d trail off into sleep – wake up and pray some more. Shortly after noon on Wednesday the 12th, she heard voices. So she screamed as loud as she could, “I’m here! HEY, I’M RIGHT HERE!” A rescue worker responded, "Do you see the light?" She did not. She took a piece of concrete and banged it against a broken stairway overhead—probably the same structure that had saved her life. The searchers find the noise. Genelle wedged her hand through a crack in the wall, and felt someone grab it. She heard a voice say, "I’ve got you," and Genelle Guzman said, "OH GOD, THANK YOU.” It took 20 long minutes, and then she was saved. In many ways, Genelle Guzman represents the plight of all people. We are buried under an enormous mess of spiritual black marks – ways we have wronged our perfect God. The Bible calls these things sin. We have no hope of freeing ourselves. We are truly stuck. In need of rescue. But by admitting the need to be forgiven – by reaching out and saying, “God, help me! I can’t get out of this unless you save me,” we can be confident that he hears and helps.
SOURCE: Matthew Rogers. Citation: TIME Magazine, 9/11/02, p. 38.
