Suffer The Little Children

Whoever Welcomes One Of These (Mark 9:30-36) People were bringing little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”s 16 And he took the children in his arms,t placed his hands on them and blessed them. (Mark 10:13-16) As we read this portion, we need to realize it happens not long after Jesus talked about children in chapter 9 as well. As Christ and the disciples were “[passing] through Galilee” (9:30), His disciples got into a quarrel about which of them was the greatest (vv. 33-34). Jesus knew what they’d been discussing, and instead of scolding them, Instead He gently took a little child whom he placed among them” and said, “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me” (vv. 36-37). He was teaching them that to follow Christ one needs to be as humble as a child, in our faith and trust in God. humility was obvious. Then in chapter 10, the disciples began to “rebuked” people who were literally “bringing little children to Jesus” (10:13). Yup, very much like us, they too were hardheaded and still hadn’t learned that “the kingdom of God belongs to such as these” (v. 14). Its our childlike faith and trust in Christ that makes us real. We need to remember to always welcome all of those people who have been overlooked and looked down on. Oh, there are so many like this in our world today. People who just get passed by I have found as I worked with children over the years, the simple faith and trust of a child is a pure, you can tell them something and they will just believe whatever you tell them. Another thing kids do not worry about food or bills, they simply live isn a family where all of their cares and needs are met by the adults in their lives and they rest in the love they are shown. at the beginning, they accept a promise as a promise without any doubt, it is only after we as adults have not followed through on one or more of these promises that they will start to wonder and doubt. But on the original promise there was No worry, they just never had any of the adult fears and stress that we adults deal with on a daily bases. As a child we are just happy to be alive, and I am so glad even though we had to work hard as chldren, we were still allowed to be children, that could roam and be free, within a protected inviroment. We had pure inocennce and humility If we had a need, we had no problem asking for help, we would simply admit it instead of trying to earn love by doing it on our own. Jesus said, we in our faith need to become like little children to enter God's kingdom. it wasnt that He wanted us to be childish, no. But rather that deep brave trust and faith in what was and is. With no need to control everything, just living and let live. For many years, all summer long I got to watch children during Bible camp days. As I worked many hours with them, I noticed many of them were wise or experienced beyond their young years. I also notice a change in my heart towards them, realizing the kind of a world they were gowing up in where at a young age the faith and trust in our system had left out the window, and it was at a place where I needed to earn their trust. Yet, in a short time after they arrived onto theBible Camp property, I sensed a certain sense of peacre that came over them. I could see them relax, and I could hear a different tone to their laughter, and a joy and freedom they felt,that came flowing out from them as they had come into what they knew was a fafe place. And that showed as it came bursting forth from from them as they trusted the adviroment they came into as they came to camp. Some how they knew they were in a safe place, where they could simply be kids. Jesus spoke of this peace and trust when He was speaking of the children in these portions of scripture today. Because as People were bringing their children to Jesus so He could bless them, but this annoyed His disciples, so they began to scold the parents, and they rebuked them (Mark 10:13). When Jesus saw what was happening it really upset Him. (v. 14). HE said to the disciples,“Let the little children come to me,” He told them, “and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” He added, “Anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it” (vv. 14-15). I think He was a little annoyed with them because He had already taught His disciples this when they’d argued who among them was greatest. And in trying to explain it to them, He took a child as an example into His arms, and Jesus said to them, “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me” (9:37). At another time “He took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them” (10:16). These life examples were to be beautiful reminders that we too, need to be childlike in our trust in Jesus. It is hard coming from a different wrld into the world Jesus gives, and too place a complete trust in Jesus, until you get to know Him. Then you realize, He is always there for you and you can trust Him, as a child would If you have a chance to work with children for a period of time, I encourage you to do so. And you will see the joy and trust a child can have and you can learn much from them as you work with them. They simply speak what they believe, a little girl last night came and told me, did you know my mom is beautiful. Thats just what she believed, it was so ciil Lord Please grow my love for others, that I would simply live and love in the fait hand trust of a child. Amen