Sunday Sermon

"What Do Children Have That Self-Protective Older Men Might Not?"
[Mark 10:13-16]
June 25, 2006 Second Reformed Church

Jesus had been teaching, as was his custom, and parents began to bring their children -- their young children, even infants -- through the crowd, so the rabbi, Jesus, might reach out His Hand and touch them, bless them. But when the disciples saw what was happening -- all these children coming through the crowd -- children who wouldn't understand what Jesus was saying -- children who would disrupt Jesus' teaching -- the disciples sprang into action, and they rebuked the parents and turned them around and told them to get to the back of the crowd where they wouldn't be a distraction. They could wait in the back, not disturbing anyone, and wait until Jesus passed by, and they could touch Him then.

And Jesus saw what was happening and He became angry, "Permit the children to come to me, do not hinder them, for such is the kingdom of God." Notice, Jesus was emphatic about having the children with Him, before Him, as He taught. Jesus commanded the children to be brought front and center, both in the positive and the negative. "Let the children come to Me, and to make sure You understand, do not do anything to keep the children from coming to me. Because the kingdom of God is for these little children."

Jesus was reminding the disciples and the crowd, that God made His Covenant -- God made His Promises -- not just to adults, but to children. God said to Abraham, "As for you, you shall keep my covenant, which you shall keep between me and you and your offspring after you: every male among you shall be circumcised. You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and you. He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised. Every male throughout your generations, whether born in your house or bought with your money from any foreigner who is not of your offspring, both he who is born in your house and he who is bought with your money, shall surely be circumcised. So shall my covenant be in your flesh an everlasting covenant. Any uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin shall be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant" (Genesis 17:9-14). Peter reaffirmed this covenant promise before the crowd at Pentecost, "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself" (Acts 2:38-39).

We are told in the Old and New Testaments that children are part of the covenant; children are equally part of the worshiping community with their parents. Children born to parents who are part of the covenant or who are adopted by parents of the covenant are children of the covenant. The sign of being a member of the covenant in the Old Testament was circumcision. The sign of being a member of the covenant in the New Testament is baptism. In the Old Testament, children we received as members of the covenant and circumcised at eight days old. That is why we baptism infants and children, by this example, that children are part of the covenant.

Now, let us not forget and let us not get confused: Does circumcision save? No. Does baptism save? No. Does being a member of the covenant save? No. Jesus Christ Alone saves. When a child was circumcised, or baptized, or recognized as a member of the covenant, we understand that they were received as a member of the community of faith -- persons who needed to be taught the teachings of God and His Messiah. People who may or may not yet believe in Jesus Alone for salvation. People who may or may not be part of the elect of God. Being a part of the covenant, being circumcised, being baptized, for a child, is a sign that the child is a member of the community of faith and that the community has a responsibility to raise the child in the faith.

Jesus said, "Let the children come in; don't send them away. Children ought to be where they can hear the Word of God and His Salvation taught -- they are members of the covenant community of faith."

What does that mean for us today? Children ought to be in the sanctuary hearing the Word of God read and preached. We ought not to forbid or discourage, but encourage them, and parents, guardians, ought to require that our children be in the worship service.

"Well, how young a child should we bring to the worship service?" Remember what happened when Mary visited her sister Elizabeth? John the Baptist, who was not yet born, was allowed to understand that Jesus, the Messiah, was in the womb across from him, and he leapt for joy (Luke 1:44) And Abraham was told to bring the child beginning on the eighth day.

"But what if the child becomes disruptive?" Understand, it is our duty as adults to teach our children and the children in our care to sit and listen as best as they can. They surely can listen to cartoons for hours on end without moving; they can learn to listen in worship and learn to worship. But there will be times when a child, especially a very young child will need to temporarily be removed by the adult to quiet the child. Such is life, yet they will adjust quickly. I grew up in a church where children, certainly by the age of three, we present in the sanctuary for the whole service. We must train our children -- it is our responsibility.

"Does it really matter that young children and infants be in the worship service?" Yes. From the youngest age possible, we must be teaching our children that Salvation is in Jesus Christ Alone. They may or may not ever believe that is true, but since they are children of the covenant, they belong here in the sanctuary, being taught. Our children ought to be in worship.

If we do not bring our children to worship, we neglect our duty as the church to educate them in worship. Sunday School is good and necessary and everyone -- everyone -- ought to be involved in Christian Education -- because we all have more to learn -- but our children must also be taught how to worship, how to come before the Almighty and Living God. Surely, we've all heard people say, especially in mixed religious marriages, "We're not going to impose our religion on little Johnny, we're just going to let him grow up and decide what to believe." How poor and worthless is our faith if we do not teach it to our children Do we say, "I'm not going to teach Sally what to eat, I'm just going to let her decide what to eat and how to get the food"? Of course not How dare we shirk our responsibility and leave our children to fend for themselves before a Holy God.

Paul reminds Timothy, "from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through Jesus Christ" (II Timothy 3:15). And Solomon reminds us to "Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it" (Proverbs 22:6).

Bring the children Teach them, instruct them, pray for them, correct them, comfort them, but bring them Jesus said, "Permit the young children to come to me, do not hinder them, for such is the kingdom of God."

Then Jesus said, "Amen, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a young child, shall never go into it."

What did Jesus mean? What does it mean to "receive the kingdom of God like a young child"? Certainly it doesn't mean to be "childish." Jesus is not telling us to be unfit, immature, ignorant, and so forth. Nor is He telling us to be like the Pharisees and the scribes who knew the Scripture backwards and forwards, but had hearts of stone. What did He mean? What, as the title of the sermon asks, do children have that self-protective older men might not?

Listen to what David wrote in Psalm 131: "O Lord, my heart is not lifted up; my eyes are not raised too high; I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvelous for me. But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me. O Israel, hope in the Lord from this time forth and forever more."

David said, "I don't wrack my brain trying to understand those things that God has kept as mysteries; I humbly receive the truth that there are things that God has reveal this far, but no further, and I am satisfied with that. I am not anxiety-ridden over the things of the world; I neglect the depths of the depravity of the world. Instead, I calmly and quietly trust You in my soul, I trust what You have revealed. I rest on You like a weaned child. I am satisfied in You; I need nothing more. I am at peace having faith in You. I trust You. I have hope in You."

If we want to receive the Kingdom, we must receive it on God's terms. We are children of our Heavenly Father. And as we, as little children, ran to our mothers and fathers and trusted in them without a second thought, but had faith in them, that they knew what was good and right and true, so God says that His children will receive the Kingdom in the same way.

If we want to receive the Kingdom, then we will hear that Salvation is in Jesus Alone, we know God's Word and believe Him at His Word and do not seek to push God's Word beyond what He has said and revealed to us. Instead, we will trust Him and find our comfort and hope and eternal salvation in Him. Children have a trust and a faith that is second-nature; may God be pleased to instill that in us.

Let us notice, finally, this morning, that Jesus picked the children up and blessed them, and lay His hands on them. Let us not be afraid to show children our love. Yes, we must be careful to respect each others' boundaries and the scruples of parents. Yes, we must be careful not to do anything that misleads children -- or adults -- about our intentions. But, let us still not be afraid to show children our love.

The minister of the church I grew up in had what he called "a ministry of touch," and in his final sermon, he talked about touching people, about how he hugged those who were willing to be hugged, about how out Savior reached out and touched. And Dr. Dunderdale said, "Is it dangerous? Oh, yes. But how much more dangerous is it to let a young person come into the church, grow up in the church, go out of the church, never knowing he's loved. Not by one of us, and not by God." Let us not be afraid to show children our love.

Let us bring the children to worship as members of the covenant community. Let them hear the Word of God read and preached, and let us teach them and guide them as the people of God. Let us be like children, in their faith and trust in our God and Savior, Jesus Christ, Who Alone is never to be doubted. And let us not be afraid to show our love to the children -- and each other.

Let us pray:
Almighty God and Father, as we celebrate our 90th Anniversary as a church, a church that we built for the sake of the great overflow of children from First Reformed Church, make us understand the importance of bringing the children into the sanctuary to worship and learn from You. Make us more like children in our faith and trust, for these shall receive the Kingdom. And teach us to show our love to each other, meaningfully, safely, and concretely. And may Jesus Christ be praised, for it is in His Name we pray, Amen.