Matthew, Mark and Luke all report that wonderful moment when children were brought to Jesus that he might lay his hands on them and pray for them.
You recall that the disciples rebuke the people. We are not told why, but I think we can assume that they think Jesus has more important things to do than bless children.
Jesus tells them they are wrong. Jesus says “Let the little children come to me. Don’t hinder them.“ And two amazing lessons emerge.
First, children need Jesus. Children matter to Jesus. Children can be blessed by Jesus and have faith in Jesus.
What is our part? Bring them! And that’s more than just dropping them off for Sunday school or youth group. The Bible says to parents, “Teach the things of God diligently to your children, and talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.“ Simply put, there should be structured and spontaneous intentional spiritual nurture of our children - both as parents and as a Christian community.
So, please pray, pray, pray for them, and bring them to Jesus throughout that period in which they are on loan to you. If you’re not sure what resources there are, I and our church are glad to help you.
The second lesson I would point out is remarkable. Because, you see, this passage is about more than the nurture of children. (I suspect some people without children have already stopped reading. And that is unfortunate.) You see, this passage is for everyone because it reinforces the amazing teaching of Jesus about the kingdom of God. As he rebukes the disciples he says “for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” But he’s not talking about children there. Who is he talking about?
He’s talking about “such“ people as he explained in Matthew 18: 3. He said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”
Just as he told Nicodemus “You must be born again,“ here Jesus reiterates that the kingdom of heaven is a spiritual kingdom populated by people who are spiritually “born from above.“
Not only that, but they exhibit the humility of childlike behavior expressed in “helpless dependence.” What do children say? “Pick me up.“ “Tie my shoe.“ “Help me get clean.“ “Comfort me.“ “Show me how to...“
Helpless dependence. Easy for children. Hard for adults.
Who can we learn this from? How about Jesus himself? For me it is breathtaking that even when he hangs on the cross, suffering for the sins of his people, experiencing the wrath of God as our substitute, enduring the greatest trial in the history of humanity, what words come to his lips? “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!“ God the Son who came into this world as a little baby, who lived the life we should have lived, now dies the death we deserve to die - even then He does it in helpless dependence.
The apostle Paul writes “For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by him we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’”
Is it becoming more natural for you to come to God in humble, helpless dependence, saying, “Abba! Father?“ I hope that is more and more a reality for you and for me.