Word of Salvation – Vol. 15 No.06 - February 1969
Jesus Blesses The Children
Sermon by Rev. H. Boer, Th. Grad. on Mark 10:13-16
SCRIPTURE READING: Luke 18:1-17
PSALTER HYMNAL 175; 289; 217; 412; 327
A preparatory sermon for the Lord's Supper
Brothers and sisters, boys and girls,
If there is any Bible story which is well–known to us, then it is this one – the story of the Lord Jesus blessing little children. We have known it already from early childhood. It has become very dear to us; we can see it as it were before our eyes: Jesus with a group of children around Him; He looking down on them in great love, and they looking up to Him with eyes full of expectation, as only children can do.
But it is not only a very charming picture which is given us here, but also a very great message. That is what people often forget. This story contains a lesson which is very heart-warming – and also very serious.
There were a number of parents who came with their children to Jesus, wanting the Lord to lay His hands on the heads of those little ones, to bless them and to pray for them.
But the disciples, who regarded themselves as pretty important, made objections. They did not want Jesus to be bothered with little children. He could not be interested in them. He was far too great for that. It was much more necessary that He should use His valuable time and His capacities for grown-up people, and especially for His own disciples. He should discuss things with THEM.
The things of the Kingdom, they reckoned, could not be understood by children. Only ADULTS could appreciate them; only they could understand, AND believe.
Well, we could say that that is a very logical argument. It is silly to talk about difficult matters of religion with children. It is just a waste of time.
However, this is a very low, a very earthly way of thinking about Jesus' greatness. This applies to the disciples also. They did not have the right insight as far as the Person of Christ was concerned. They had a very wrong idea about His work; they did not yet see His real greatness. They still thought that THEY had the right understanding, and that THEY therefore should have Jesus attention in the first place.
But it comes out here so strongly that Christ's interest for children was so very great and real, that His love was directed towards them in a very special sense.
It was not only that He liked small children, because they are so nice, so open and simple. Of course He liked them as such. But His interest in them was so great, because He could work so well with His grace in their hearts.
The Lord knew very well that little children are not sinless. Though sin itself has not developed so much in them, still they have a sinful nature, which they have inherited from their parents.
But children, just because they are so open and simple, accept their Saviour much more easily. It costs them hardly any trouble. They do not think and worry a lot first, but they know straight away that what Jesus gives is good for them. And so they run to Jesus immediately.
Christ is able to save ANYBODY, He works His grace in all those whom His Father has chosen, from the smallest baby to the oldest person, from the worst patient in a mental hospital to the man with the greatest mental and intellectual capacities. And they all come to believe in their Saviour, who works such a miracle in their hearts.
But that miracle takes place in the hearts of young children especially. Not just in people who think that they KNOW everything so well. For them, to believe is often the hardest thing of all. We might think perhaps that, to have faith, at least we have to be educated persons. But that is not the case at all. A child's mind is open to receive anything without reserve.
Therefore, Christ says it so strongly. He even says it twice.
First: "Let the children come to Me.” And then, in different words: "Hinder them not. For of such is the Kingdom of God."
And that same strong call goes out to us all, as though it were said: "People, come on, DO bring your children in contact with the Saviour! Don't let anything stop you from that. It is just the time for it, now, before they accept something else, something worthless – Father Christmas, for instance. Bring them, lead them to Jesus, because – especially for those who have the mind of a child – the doors of the Kingdom stand wide open, Don't let them pass by that door."
You see, what Jesus said here was directed straight to the older folks – to the disciples, the servants of Christ and future leaders of the Church, AND to the parents, to those Jewish mothers on the scene. And of course it is also meant for all other parents and teachers who are members of the Christian Church,
And these words of Jesus are of such great importance because not ALL children of the world are under Christ's special care. They do not automatically receive the Kingdom WITHOUT MORE being done. No, our little ones have to be BROUGHT to the Lord; and that is OUR duty, our great responsibility.
We think very highly of Jesus, don't we? And we also desire, with all our hearts, that our children should receive His grace, don't we? Then we have to do our utmost in commending our children to Him, using all possible means by telling them the Gospel as soon as they can understand the words; by being examples to them in true Christian living, showing them that we have indeed a LIVING faith; showing them our gladness in the Lord.
That is very important – giving that example, so that our children may follow us in the right way.
Christian education does not just mean a great number of ‘may–nots’. It is not just something NEGATIVE; it is also POSITIVE.
And the most important thing is that we PRAY for our children, pray very much for our own flesh and blood. And at a certain stage, when our child is still a small baby, that is the ONLY thing we can do. We cannot tell a child of a few days, or a few weeks, anything about Jesus.
Still, that baby has to be brought to the Lord. That is the Lord's command, because He wants to bless even that very small child. He makes that clear, He PROVES that, when the child is baptised. While WE cannot do a thing ourselves, the Lord promises that He will do this great and blessed work.
He promises it by means of the water which is sprinkled on the little head.
The blessing is of the Lord. Not the parents, who bring their child into church and who have to answer the questions. Not the minister, who has to perform the act of baptism. Not even the Church as a whole. Only the Lord.
How powerless, how poor we are, after all! And what else can we do but pray; leaving it all to our Saviour–God by just asking HIM, and waiting upon HIM.
But then let us also be filled with deep adoration for our mighty and gracious Lord – as parents, as Church members. What the Lord does with our children is far greater than we can think. The almighty Lord of heaven and earth enters into a very special relationship with each one of us, even while we are still very young. Let us all be very thankful and glad about that.
We are absolutely powerless. But Jesus has said: "Bring the children to Me, and hinder them not". Bring them, because they belong to Me. And I will take care of them as they grow up. For the Kingdom is just exactly for little ones. They accept it freely.
And we, as grown–ups, have the duty to accept it freely, just as well. Sometimes perhaps, we are a bit jealous of our children, who can believe so easily. They do not share our big problems. They just receive God's grace, and that's it.
But we are always ready to put something in the way! Let us look at ourselves for a minute. Sometimes we are real masters in making difficulties! We cannot, for instance, completely forgive a person with whom we have had a quarrel. Or we think we are not strong enough in our faith, and we doubt whether what the Bible says is also for us. We talk about our spiritual difficulties, about our struggle of faith. "It is often so hard to believe", we say. And so on.
The trouble with us really is that we do not want to ACCEPT, without reserve, those great blessings which God gives us, without something more. We do not want the Lord alone to do it; we want to do something ourselves, too. We do not like to be helped.
And now Jesus comes, and He speaks with very great authority: "VERILY I SAY UNTO YOU, WHEN YOU DO NOT BECOME LIKE A LITTLE CHILD, YOU WILL NOT RECEIVE THE KINGDOM."
To receive the Kingdom; that is, to trust humbly, and to accept God's grace as a free gift, To enter the Kingdom is to receive Jesus as the King of your heart, as a child does, so that Christ can do His work in you, rule you, and fill you with His love.
It is such an astonishing statement that Jesus makes here, "Become like a child...!” WE are inclined to turn it around: a child must receive the Kingdom as an ADULT. But the child is our model, our example.
Of course, we have to use our capacity to think; we have to study the Bible seriously. We can never do that enough. But we have to understand and accept God's Word in childlike faith... never doubting Jesus' love for us, never proudly resisting His grace, never wanting to disobey Him. And He commands us all to adopt that childlike attitude, because His love comes to us and overwhelms us like a mighty flood.
His voice of authority sounds out because He is so gracious, because He wants us to be true children of God indeed; children who are longing to receive His blessing.
Next Sunday we will, the Lord willing, celebrate the Holy Supper again. Then that other great miracle will take place: Jesus will remind us and assure us that He has come into our lives, that He has given HIS life for us just as well.
Well now, do we really long for that great gift, that wonderful blessing, as little children? Or are we hesitant? Are we happy while waiting for that great feast to take place? Are we impatient, so that we would like it to happen even sooner? Or would we like it to be postponed?
Let us be like children, brothers and sisters, as children who are happy, now already, for the coming feast. And let us SO come to the Supper next week.
Amen.