One of the first Sundays that I was in Limerick Baptist I was standing in the hallway of the church building when a young man and his wife came in. I asked this guy if he was new, and he said he was. He was South African, and I asked him what brought him to Limerick. He explained that he played for the Munster rugby team. I was in awe. While I didn't know him, he was on the fringes of the team, I was star-struck. I fawned over him.
The problem was that on that very Sunday I was due to go on holidays. I felt like saying to the church, 'don't mess this up.' Maybe they did, because when I returned he had stopped attending. In truth, if we put him off it was more likely my fussing over him than anyone else's actions.
I don't think that Jesus would have been impressed with my behaviour towards this guy. He had no interest in who the world considered to be stars. While we make some people more important than others, He loves to welcome those considered to be nobodies. He wants us to come to Him like children.
Jesus welcomes children and tells us to be like them. So let's not grow up.
1. Why did people bring children to Jesus?
In verse thirteen we see that people brought children to Jesus so that he might touch them. The touch of Jesus is a theme in Mark's Gospel. His touch made people clean and healed their brokenness. I had a good friend who used to always pray, 'Lord, may they receive a touch from you.'
People still bring children to Jesus. While I was working on this passage I was challenged to bring my not-so-little children to Jesus more often. I am so grateful to all those who remember them in their prayers. May we bring our kids and grandkids to Jesus often.
He laid His hands on those children and blessed them. I wonder what the result of that blessing was. Did the grow up learning to understand and accept the love of God in Christ for them? How do we want Jesus to bless our children? There are many things we may want for them, but nothing is more important than the see His love and love being loved by Him
2. Why did the disciples not want children to come to Jesus?
The disciples wanted to be part of an impressive kingdom with an impressive king. They did not want a king who had children on His lap. In that culture children were considered unimportant. This was not the look they liked for Jesus.
I think that God values how we treat those that the world considers small. I also think that Jesus is not impressed when we try to make ourselves something.
I was speaking to some students in a Christian Union in Dublin. After the meeting I invited them to come talk to me if they wanted prayer. I was struck that a couple of the students mentioned their sense of seeking grades for personal validation. What they meant is that they felt the need to prove themselves through their studies. I wanted to tell them that we need to come to God naked. He doesn't want us to dress ourselves in our achievements. He wants as we are.
But coming to God naked is scary for us. We are aware of our struggles and failings. Jesus calls us anyway. Dane Ortland writes, 'the thing that makes you wince the most only strengthens his delight in embracing you. At your point of deepest shame and regret that's where Christ loves you the most' (Deeper).
Isaiah declares, 'I am overwhelmed with joy in the Lord my God! For he has dressed me with the clothing of salvation and draped me in the robes of righteousness. I am like a bridegroom dressed for his wedding or a bride with her jewels.' We come with nothing, and even in shame, His death on the cross enables us to be beautiful in His sight. He treats us pure and delights over us.
3. How should we come to Jesus?
There are ways in which we must grow up. We should grow in knowledge of the truth and godliness. We should not squabble like children. But there is a way in way in which we must not grow us.
Jesus says that we need to come into the kingdom like children. What does that mean? Children know their need, see His love and simply desire His blessing.
Ed Welch says, 'as I grow more and more to be like a child, I grow more and more to depend on my Father.'
Conclusion
As I worked on these verses I tried to think of myself as being a child sitting safely on Jesus' lap. He will never turn away anyone who comes to him. He loves to embrace!
In the book 'Deeper', Dane Ortland writes, 'we grow no further than we enjoy his embrace of us. .. 'The love of Christ is settled, unflappable heart of affection for sinners and sufferers- and only for sinners and sufferers. He doesn't have to work himself up to love. He is a gorged river of love, pent up, ready to gush forth upon the most timid request for it.'
As I was working through this book, 'Deeper', with a couple of friends, I mentioned to one the fact that God sings over us. She wasn't aware of that verse (Zeph. 3:17). As she read it the tears began to roll down her cheeks. It can seem to good to be true!
Let us rejoice and grow in His embrace!
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