Let the Little Children come has been a popular theme for children’s camp and vacation Bible school. It is taken from the passage about Jesus blessing little children. It is a tender and sentimental passage and very welcome because it follows some judgement passages.
If you have been waiting for a feel-good sermon, here you go. This is the time for people to have their heart warmed. There is nothing that touches our hearts like children, and especially our own children.
Jesus loves the little children. All the children of the world. There are so many ways children are emphasized in the ministry, the kindergarten and preschool ministry, the child dedication service. The children’s Bible programs, the children’s camps, Sunday school, vacation Bible school, children’s choir and more. When the church building is designed a lot of consideration goes into how it accommodates the children’s ministry.
All of this should send a clear message to those who work with children. Your ministry has value. What you do is important. Those who work with children are doing a valuable ministry. We support you and we see that it is a ministry Jesus valued.
Children have a different approach when asked to fill in common proverbial sayings:
Don’t bite the hand that…….looks dirty
You can’t teach an old dog……math
People who live in glass houses shouldn’t…………undress
Strike while the………..bug is close
Never underestimate the power of the……..termites
Imagine Jesus sitting under a shade tree where people are bringing little children to him just to have him bless them. After all Jesus blessing will heal the sick, make the lame walk, and give sight to the blind. Parents brought their children to Jesus so that he could bless them.
And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. 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. 15 Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” 16 And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them. (Mark 10:13-16)
It is a beautiful thing when parents care about the spiritual wellbeing of their children. Parents have a responsibility to nurture their children spiritually which includes Bible reading, prayer and church. The most significant thing a parent can do is to model a vibrant and personal relationship with God.
I have encouraged missionary mom’s with what I call my spiel. They are discouraged because they are not out in the field training the women and are at home with their children, busy with homeschooling while their husband is out traveling and training national leaders.
Because the mom is discouraged and feeling she is not making a difference I say this. If you have three children and invest in them and they are walking with the Lord and they each marry you have six directly in your influence.
When those three couples each have three children and marry there are now these eighteen in your direct family influence plus the original six for a total of twenty-four. Now in the third generation if those nine couple each have three children and those twenty-seven marry there are now an additional fifty-four in your direct family influence to seventy eight. Now we go to the fourth generation (and I have my calculator out now) we go to a total influence of 240.
We are using the 2 Timothy 2:2 principle of multiplication for our children, not just our ministry outside the home. Of course, I am adding the children and grandchildren and great grandchildren to this verse because I am applying the principle to our own children.
The things you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses (children) entrust to faithful ones (grandchildren) who will be able to teach others also (great grandchildren).
(2 Timothy 2:2)
You probably won’t live to see your great-great grandchildren, but even while you are in heaven the kingdom impact will continue on. I believe how you influence your children and the following generations will be of more kingdom impact than all the traveling training teaching and discipling you have done outside the home put together.
When I share this with the mother who is struggling at home wanting to get out and travel more she says thank you. And hopefully the husband hears me say this too. He does not need to be absent from the home. Fathers pouring into their children is super important. In our passage the parents were bringing their children to Jesus. It is a great thing they were doing.
Children are precious in the Lord’s sight. Look at verse 13.
And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. (Mark 10:13)
The disciples rebuked those who brought the children to Jesus. After all Jesus is the great king to restore Israel to it’s rightful place of prominence. It was as though a children’s ministry was below the dignity of their master. Jesus was important. The crowds followed him. Rich rulers and religious leaders sought after him. He did not have time, they thought, to devote to children’s ministry.
Jesus loves little children. Not only are the children precious in his sight but they are important. As a matter of fact, Jesus will teach that adults have an important lesson to learn from children. The disciples made a mistake here and we have Jesus’ view of their mistake recorded.
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. (Mark 10:14)
This is the only time that indignation is attributed to Jesus and it comes because the disciples thought children were not important enough for Jesus’ time. It was when children were discounted that Jesus became indignant.
We do not need to think that we are too important to give time to the children. Jesus didn’t think he was too important. Jesus said let the little children come to me, do not hinder them. Pouring into children is Christlike work.
Becoming like little children.
Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” (Mark 10:15)
Jesus says we need to be like the children to enter the kingdom of God. Jesus is saying, you can’t be a Christian unless you become like the little child. The kingdom of God is not for the proud. The kingdom of God is not for the self-sufficient. You don’t do achievements to enter into God’s kingdom.
The kingdom of God is for those who come to Jesus with childlike trust. This is a simple trust in Jesus recognizing our own lostness because of sin. Like a little child trusts his mommy and daddy. That kind of trust, faith in Jesus is saving faith.
Well, it’s a good thing Jesus did not say to enter the kingdom of God you need to have the intellect of a brilliant scientist. He did not say you need to have the physical strength of a bodybuilder. He did not say you need the political power of a congressman. No, he said for anyone who puts childlike faith in Jesus Christ theirs is the kingdom of God. It is your pride that can keep you from coming into the kingdom of God.
Children by nature must depend on their parents. The children are needy and need the parents help. You want to come to Christ you must learn a lesson from the children. Consider yourself helpless. There is an insurmountable distance between you and God. No amount of good works can bridge that gap. Jesus is the only hope.
Jesus came, set aside his heavenly glory of God, took on the nature of man, lived a sinless life and died on a cross. He died the just for the unjust and why, to bring us to God. That you might come to God. That you might enter the kingdom of God. You don’t earn salvation. You must trust in Jesus.
Your only hope of restoring a broken relationship with God is in childlike trust in Jesus Christ. Jesus said, I am the way the truth and the life, no man comes to the father but by me (John 14:6). But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. (John 1:12)
The lesson the disciples needed to learn is we come to Christ; we enter the kingdom of God by putting our trust in Jesus. We need to put childlike faith in Jesus Christ. Put your trust in Jesus. Jesus said let the little children come for such is the kingdom of heaven. Are you willing to come to Christ with a childlike faith?
