Jesus Love the Little Children
Mark 10:13-16
13 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.
ESV
Jesus Loves The Little Children
(Mark 10:13-16; 9:33-36)
Intro:
A. For the month of October, I want to share with you sermons that center around the value of children. Today I want us to be reminded about how important children are. Next week we look at a story of boy who shared his lunch with over 5000 people. The third week we will look at some Bible teens and see how our teens are like them. Then the last Sunday of October will be a sermon directed to us adults; challenging us to pass on the faith to the next generation. I hope you will be with us all four weeks.
B. I started today with you watching four kids talk about Jesus. I did that, not because I want to answer their questions or use their favorite story, but because I wanted you to see how important it is to make sure our kids have a great faith and love for Jesus. So often we see kids as way to get to the parents and grow the church. But the truth is, kids have value in and of themselves.
I. To Such Belong the Kingdom of God
A. Lord willing, Elizabeth will bring her second child into this world next month. To say that we are excited is an understatement. I love Prov. 17:6. The joy little S.J. bring us right now is greater than I realized it would to be a grandpa. The second part of that verse is that children find glory or pride in their parents. Children who grow up in a home filled with God’s love experience something few families experience anymore. They know that life is not perfect, but in their mind, it almost is. Mom and dad love each other and will always be there to protect them.
B. If you were raised in a godly home, my guess is one of the first songs you learned was “Jesus loves me.” To say that Jesus loved kids is an understatement. I will tell you that Jesus saw the innocence of children, the faith of children, and the good that kids have deep within them. He not only used them as an example, but knew what kingdom means to them.
C. Matthew, Mark and Luke all tell the same story about Jesus and his view of children. This morning we began our worship with Matthew’s account, but I want to share with you how Mark records what happened (READ Mark 10:13-16). What we find in vs 13 is that, “they were bringing children to Jesus that he might touch them.” Matthews account says that “he might lay his hands on them and pray.”
D. People were bringing children to Jesus for a blessing. What they wanted was for their children to know that this teacher named Jesus believed in them as a person. These parents wanted their kids to have the blessing that came from a man who healed so many and taught so deeply about how to have a relationship with God, not just a religion.
E. The ending of vs 13 tells us that the disciples rebuked the parents for some reason. I know I was not a perfect parent. But I also know that we need to give every opportunity to parents, grandparents for our children experience the blessing of Jesus.
F. Vs 14 says that Jesus was “indignant.” That’s a strong word. It expresses a strong emotion of anger and pain. The very thought that these children were not good enough to spend time with him caused Jesus to well up with anger towards his disciples. The synoptic gospels all have Jesus saying, “Let the children come to me. For to such belong the kingdom of heaven.” Did you catch that last phrase?
G. The kingdom of God is not just for us adults. The church is not just for adults. Jesus is not just for adults. I loved seeing those four boys share a story or talk about Jesus. The kingdom of God belongs to them as well us. That was the point Jesus wanted his disciple to understand.
H. Kids have value now, not just as the church of tomorrow. Some of the greatest evangelists I have seen in my preaching life are kids who love Jesus, love Sunday school, love worship so much, they want to bring their friends with them. They know that this place is not only a safe place, but it’s a fun place and place that lets you know Jesus loves you. I thank God for the children of this church the blessing we get because you kids help to make worship and this church great.
II. Childlike Example
A. I believe that everyone here today wants to go to heaven. I loved listening to Beau as he wanted to know about heaven and what it looks like. Well, Beau, let me tell you, so do I. But here is something I know, I need to be like you if I want to be in heaven. There’s some food for thought.
B. For many of us adults being good at something is important. No kid wants to be the last person picked for the team, and I doubt most of us adults want to be the last person to get a promotion at work. As adults we want to succeed in what we do, and sometimes, that idea can get carried over into the church.
C. There was a time when the disciples were arguing over which of them was the greatest. I love the way Mark retells what happened (READ Mark 9:33-34). I just had to stop there. They were silent because they knew their argument was not one Jesus was going to approve. But my mind ran to what they thought they were the greatest of? Did Peter think he was the greatest disciple? Did John think he was the greatest friend to Jesus and the most loved by Jesus? Did Judas think he was the leader of the group because he was in charge of the money? I don’t know, but I know all them knew it was not a topic Jesus would approve of.
D. Look what Jesus did (READ Mark 9:35-37). I want God to receive me and the only way that happens is if receive Jesus. How I show Jesus how important he is to me? By loving what he loves. Jesus took that child in arms and said to those disciples, “Whoever received one such child in my name, receives me.”
Conclusion:
A. In this story and the first one we read, Jesus wraps those kids up in his arms. They experienced a hug from heaven in the arms of Jesus. If we as church don’t understand the value of our kids in this congregation, we miss seeing them the way Jesus does.
B. I want you to be a part of God’s kingdom and that begins with a heart and life that looks like our kids.
Because of Jesus,
Jeffrey Dillinger, minister