JESUS & CHILDREN
Do you remember the story when some parents brought their children to Jesus so that he could hold and bless them, but the disciples scolded the parents for bothering Jesus? Please take the time to read four verses in Mark 10:13-16 that recount Jesus’ reaction to this setting.
What are some possible reasons why the disciples might have thought that it was not important for Jesus to hold and bless these children? Perhaps they thought that:
- Jesus was too busy to bother with children.
- Jesus was too tired at the end of a long day, and they were trying to protect His time.
- There were too many kids to make it feasible for Him to bless them all.
- Children were not that important anyway. And back then, that was certainly the norm.
While we don’t know the real reason the disciples didn’t want to let the children come to Jesus, we DO know one thing. Jesus wanted them. In fact, when Jesus found out what was happening, the Bible says that he got angry, and there are only two times that we are told that Jesus became filled with righteous anger, the other time being when Jesus observed unscrupulous money changers exploiting the faithful poor in the temple.
So, may I ask that the following people be especially attentive to Jesus at this point? It is for those who might tend to:
- Treat children’s ministry as a second-class venture, maybe even secretly resenting having to do that much.
- Diminish the men and woman who have answered the call to give their lives vocationally to children.
- Be unavailable when it comes to changing a diaper, wiping a tear, telling a story, or singing a simple song to a 5-year old.
Let me share one other thing about Jesus and children. I think that Jesus had a playful, happy, fun loving, transparent disposition. Why? Because children are naturally drawn to people like that? Isn’t that true? Children are never drawn to mean, argumentative, cynical, calloused people!
Devotedly your pastor,
Bill Blanchard