MARK 10:13 REVISITED by Nancy Tichy
First published as six entries in the KdZ Kan Make a Difference blog – 2012
The afternoon was warm on that Judean hillside. Ardent followers and curiosity seekers alike were milling around waiting for another session with the Master. Jesus may have taken a break to rest his voice when a commotion caught His attention. Men and women with babes in arms, small children tagging along, were arguing with His disciples.
The disciples, intent on protecting the Master, were indignant. “Surely you people must know Jesus has more important things to do…” Overhearing his misguided handlers, Jesus expressed His anger in no uncertain terms. He issued a command in two parts, gave a lesson on His Kingdom’s principles and…sat down. And then, with simple delight, he took children up on his lap, and He blessed them.
Undoubtedly, Jesus treasured his own childhood memories when He played with other children at village feast days and sacred celebrations. But note, in this incident, Jesus did not hand out “blessings.” He had no treats to pull out of his robe’s pockets. He played no games with the children. Neither did He set up nurseries to care for their needs, nor organize activities to keep them out of mischief. That remarkable afternoon, He simply placed His hands on their heads and blessed each one. And then he returned them to the arms of their parents, their rightful guardians and teachers. But oh, what joy those families must have experienced who could remember how Jesus, with a gentle touch, bestowed a blessing on their children.
Today, we ask questions in response to this poignant story. What did Jesus mean when He declared that His Kingdom belonged to “such as these?” Why did He say that only those who receive His Kingdom in the way a child receives it can enter at all? How can we, today, so many centuries and miles away from that hillside scene, how can we be sure our children truly come to Jesus; how can we avoid hindering them? How can we make certain that our children experience Jesus’ tender touch and receive His blessing?
Let me suggest four things we must do now. We must PRAY for our children and pray with them. We must PROVIDE sound biblical teaching and give them opportunities to respond appropriate to their age. We must PARTNER with them now with courage and compassion and PREPARE them for a future where they will bring glory to the King of Kings and advance His Kingdom.
PRAY, PROVIDE, PARTNER, PREPARE. Consider these as four pegs upon which to hang strategies and best practices for discipling children for God’s Kingdom glory and work.
We might try modeling our work with children on the way Jesus did ministry. He lived with his disciples clearly teaching the sufficiency of Scripture, interacting with them through every day experiences. He modeled dependency on God, exhorting them to live for God’s glory and the expansion of His Kingdom. Drawn to times of intimacy with His Heavenly Father, He stretched and strengthened His disciples’ faith.
And what better setting is there for this today than the home? Knowing Jesus well ourselves, will we not thus give our children the life-shaping experiences that come from the Master’s touch? Rather than bringing a contrived version of Jesus to our children, let us humbly bring them to Him…to know what it is to receive His blessing so that they, in turn can bless others.
But wait, we must not be content even with this critical, local task. Some estimate that 30% of this planet’s population is young. Millions of children worldwide live in poverty, their lives impacted by violence, disease and all kinds of evil forces. Large percentages have not even heard the Name of Jesus. How can they possibly know Jesus intimately? How then can they reflect God’s glory and point to His mighty works? Can we turn our backs on these children? We may not be able to call out their names or visualize their faces, but this is certain. Every one of them is known to God by name, and in love He reaches out to each one, desiring their worship when they, in turn, display His glory.
For from the very beginning, in the Garden, God made known the strategic importance of children. (Genesis 3:15) The first social community He created was the family, and His plan for generational faithfulness runs through all of Scripture like a golden cord holding the stories and their characters together. (Psalm 78:3-7 Let us obey His call to vigilance and action: “Draw the children to Me, and hinder them not, for of such is My Kingdom.”
If we disciple them well, they will grow up as Jesus did, (Luke 2:52) – “…in stature , in wisdom and in favor with God and men.” May this be the heritage of our children all around us and of children everywhere, to the glory of God and the joy of the loving mentors who guide them on their way.
Make a point, frequently, to imagine yourself a parent on that sunny afternoon seeking out Jesus, our Savior, that He might bless your children. Picture them on His lap, even now, finding the amazing comfort that comes from knowing how deeply He loves them. Together, with your children, move out then, to share this opportunity – to share this blessing with others.
PRAYER
Not much past her fourth birthday, her arms open wide, eyes closed and with such evident joy, the child prayed. What a precious experience to join her in our Heavenly Father’s presence and confidently relish His loving approval. Such a simple routine, it remained a profound experience.
For the believer, prayer is like breathing…absolutely essential to life. Why, then, does prayer seem to be relegated to a last labored resort? Is it possible to make changes in family life to turn this around? I believe it is.
Paul wrote, “Always maintain the habit of prayer: be both alert and thankful as you pray.” (Colossians 4:2) Here are four commands for Christians: 1) Make prayer a part of all life, all the time. 2) Cultivate prayer until it becomes a habit. 3) Keep your awareness sharp for the need to pray. 4) Remember the attitude of expressing gratitude toward God.
Every parent has cared for children sick with head colds. We know what it’s like to deal with runny noses and labored breathing. We don’t ignore the symptoms and hope the disease will just disappear. The same is true for maintaining spiritual health. Unfortunately, many of today’s children are being raised by adults handicapped because they themselves were not raised to be alert and grateful in their prayer life.
On a happier note, the younger the child, the more likely it is that he will pray quite naturally, without a lot of coaching. Still, we need to keep the spiritual windows to our children’s souls open as they grow up.
Begin now by letting God reveal natural “prayer points” in the everyday rhythms of your life and build these into habits. Consider waking your kids and starting the day with them by prayer. Of course, you’re most likely to pray before you eat meals together. Consider praying with your kids before they leave the house, or car, on their way to school. Build prayer into bedtime rituals. Naturally turn to God in prayer for wisdom and reconciliation as children learn to love one another in the safety of their home environment.
Build regular times of corporate prayer with your children bringing to the Father extended family members, people with special needs, missionaries, and vulnerable children in tragic situations. And, of course, don’t forget to join others to pray for your children so they will bring salt and light into their particular relationships and responsibilities.
What do they find challenging or frightening? What brings them happiness? For instance, have you ever thought of praying before you switch on the TV or the computer games for your kids as they settle down for a “meal” for their minds and souls? Can you honestly give thanks to the Father for what you are about to feed them?
PROVIDE SPIRITUAL NOURISHMENT
It’s hard to imagine a coach of a competitive sports team spending hours in lecture from the rule book who never calls a practice session. Even more, that the coach would pit his team against another team based on that kind of training. Teaching what the strategies of any competition are without incorporating many hours of testing that knowledge makes little sense. Learning team work…how to win and lose is important, also.
Then, too, we realize that our children go through the drills and spills of sports training in order to build skills and character for a greater game – the game of life. Granted not all parents think this way, but Christian parents usually do. They recognize that they are charged with providing information and experiences that honor God and build character in their children that reflects God’s Kingdom principles. Information that leads to transformation – that’s our goal!
Paul wrote, “Wherever that Gospel goes, it produces Christian character and develops it…your outward lives, which men see, bring credit to your Master’s name and joy to His heart by bearing genuine Christian fruit.” (Colossians 1:6, 10). Why do we not see more of this in our homes and churches today?
First of all, we now recognize that ninety minutes a week cannot provide enough of what our children need. It is literally impossible for the church to do it on her own. Oh, yes, the church’s role in providing Christian teaching is critical, but the home is the ideal place to assimilate this “nourishment,” and demonstrate what it means in everyday life. In fact, children who are taught a great deal but who lack opportunity to practice what they learn – or who live with contradictory examples from trusted mentors in their lives, too often walk away from what they are taught with hearts full of confusion and disillusionment.
Recently I asked a friend to help me solve a problem with a wall outlet in my bedroom. No power surged into the boom box I had plugged into it. My friend asked if I had a wall switch that had disconnected the outlet from the power source. Sure enough, when I flipped the wall switch, I could play my favorite music. Electricity became available where once there had been a great disconnect.
We know that God’s power is sufficient and available. (Romans 1:16, 17) We are, therefore, responsible to discover the reason for this great disconnect that accounts for the sad statistics we’re given for the numbers of children who leave the faith they once accepted as truth. For our children, I believe one very significant factor is the difference between what we say and how we illustrate it by the way we live.
God reveals His intention that His children reflect His character and display His mighty works to a watching world and, even more important, to the next generation.(Psalm 145:3,4) Some call this being real, or authentic.
The urgent challenge before every Christian parent is to take God’s Word seriously, and to illustrate by word and action the precepts so clearly presented in the Bible. We must never under estimate the power of the Gospel when its truth is presented by the spoken word and corresponding deeds. No greater privilege or responsibility exists for those who mentor children.
PRAYER, our spiritual breathing, and GOD’S WORD, our spiritual nourishment assimilated by faith and obedience – these result in lives full of spiritual fruit. Flabby obesity and anemic lethargy don’t have to be characteristic of our children’s spiritual well-being.
PARTNERSHIP
If you took the biblical story of the “Good Samaritan” and told it as a “wild western” adventure, you might say that the Samaritan was God’s partner in rescuing the poor man who was robbed. God had “Sam” in place to demonstrate character traits of compassion for the unfortunate victim and courage to do something dangerous to help him out of his dilemma.
Might we conclude that if we let our children partner with us in meaningful work for God, they will develop compassion and courage, two major assets in our life of faith and obedience to God? Paul wrote to the church in Thessalonica, “May God our Father inspire you with courage and confidence in every good thing you say and do.” (II Thess. 2:16, 17) The underlying premise here is that we don’t have to hold kids back; they must not wait until they grow up to serve God in meaningful ways.
Very good reason exists for teaming courage with compassion. Having enough confidence in God to be bold makes it easier to turn apathy or pity into Spirit directed action that makes a difference. Seeing our world from God’s point of view, experiencing His loving heart for us and for others, gives godly substance for our taking risks in order to change things. Simply put, these two provide motivation for Christian action in our world.
Books, articles, curriculum materials are available today to show us how to incorporate this into our disciple-building with children. For the naturally shy child, it may be important to emphasize the nature and extent of God’s ability to supply strength and protection when He asks us to take risks by serving others. For the naturally bold, high energy child, it may be important to emphasize the nature and extent of God’s loving heart that asks us to step into needy places and bring His love to others.
Here is a sampling of ideas to implement this. You’ll have more to add. Kids love to explore. Why not take that natural inclination and show them how to do prayer walking? Start with places around the church building, or the home, or even the school. Move up to prayer walking neighborhoods and shopping malls. Kids have special talents and interests. Why not help them think of ways they can share these with others as a means of cheering up the lonely, or bringing good news to the poor. Kids must learn how to handle money in a Christ-honoring way. Let them explore ways to earn money, not only for their own “wish lists” but for investing in God’s Kingdom. Kids blossom spiritually when they learn to be generous. One example: the girl who asks the guests at her birthday party to bring stuffed animals in place of gifts for herself. She then sends the toys to an orphanage.
Let’s continue to focus on the potential wrapped up in our children. Let’s not keep them diddling along the sidelines, waiting to grow up, but rather find age appropriate ways to make them full partners with us for the glory of God and HIS Kingdom business today, even as they prepare to serve Him all the rest of their lives.
PREPARED TO BE PURPOSEFUL
Our children are VIP’s! God’s love gives them value, knowing Jesus gives them identity and the ministry of the Holy Spirit reveals the purpose they have for living on this planet. Value…Identity…Purpose. This is the heritage that we must pass on to the children in our lives.
Focus and continuity are important here. That’s why the home, again, is so well suited to provide what is needed to guide our children to maturity in every dimension of life. It’s especially vital today because the array of options we have is enormous, and decision making is all the more complicated.
For our kids, security comes from knowing deep down how much God loves them. Security comes from experiencing Jesus’s life in theirs thus defining who they are. Security comes from following the Holy Spirit’s prompting when they need to make decisions or course correction. Self-worth, self-identity, self-determination don’t come from within the human heart; they come from God’s heart.
The process by which we learn these life lessons is as varied and unique as the children God gives us to raise. Thank God we’ve been promised wisdom for this daunting, delightful privilege. James wrote in the early part of his book about “trials and temptations crowding into our lives.” Sound familiar? He goes on to say that “if, in the process, any of you does not know how to meet any particular problem, he has only to ask God, Who gives generously to all without making them feel foolish or guilty, and he may be quite sure the necessary wisdom will be given.” (James 1:2-8) What encouraging words!
If we’re watchful, our children will give us clues, also. From about age eleven on, we can keep track of three things. To discern God’s overarching purpose for a youngster, he needs to take into account these concepts – 1) what talents and natural abilities God has placed in his life, 2) what really matters to him, his passions, and 3) for the Christian child, what spiritual sensitivity exists. In what unique ways does he bless others and draw them to faith in God. What spiritual giftings can he discern?
With wise mentoring by loving adults, both in and out of the immediate family, young people can see these three strands come together. They can then enter post-high school years with clear direction…understanding who they are in Christ and how God wants them to prepare for a life of purposeful service in God’s Kingdom.
Surely we realize that this world’s system, even the “American dream” lures our kids into believing that they are the center of their world. God’s offer is so much better, and those who find what God offers and follow His leading with faith and obedience never look back with regret.
May God raise up a generation of parents who intentionally weave into the fabric of their children’s lives – ongoing prayer, the application of God’s Word, a partnership for courageous, unselfish service to others, and intentional preparation to live according to God’s purposes, for God’s glory.
NOTE: Scripture references are from The New Testament in Modern English by J.B.Phillips; Macmillan Co.1960