Much to the consternation of Jesus, the disciples abruptly dismissed the approaching children and their parents. They thought it inappropriate for the children to take up the Master’s time. Little did they know that the opposite was true: He wanted to touch them. The Kingdom demands for us all to become as children. In that moment it was about their age, but it was also about their disposition and the conditions of the Kingdom. Children exhibit untarnished faith and trust. They come in the most innocent way, without skepticism or suspicion. They see the Lord for Who He is: Loving and faithful. They believe without the tethers of so-called maturity.
Mark 10:13 And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them: and his disciples rebuked those that brought them.
Mark 10:16 And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them.
I would gladly denounce the disciples for their arrogance and oblivious nature except that I fear we haven’t moved too far from their rebuke. Many still feel that children are less consequential than adults because of their level of understanding. Some even think it a waste of time to teach children or to be involved in children’s ministries. On the other hand I am not given to that false notion that “it’s all about the children.” There are balances in ministry, but it is true that some of life’s great lessons can only be learned by viewing the way the younger age approach the Lord. They come without contempt or scorn; without the convoluted conditions that our days bring. In response, Jesus declared: “Don’t push these children away. Don’t ever get between them and me. Children are at the very center of life in the kingdom. Mark this: Unless you accept God’s kingdom in the simplicity of a child, you’ll never get in.” The Message
Pastor Jeffrey Harpole
