The Gospel of Mark: Receiving the Kingdom

Text: Mark 10:13-16

Theme: Jesus calls us to become like a little child if we ever hope to enter the kingdom of God. We must have faith like a little child, become dependent like a little child, and receive the kingdom as a gift of God.

As we pick up the narrative of Jesus, we find him on the east side of the Jordan River, just opposite Judah. Mark 10:1 tells us that crowds of people have come to him, and, as was his custom, he taught them. Now he’s talking a slight break. He’s retired inside of someone’s home, and while he’s there People were bringing [literally “kept bringing”] children to Jesus to have him touch them. They’ve come to have this notable Rabbi bless their kids.

The concept of blessing was an important one in ancient Israel. In the Book of Numbers we hear God describing to Moses how Aaron, and later Jewish priests, are to bless the people of Israel.

“The LORD said to Moses, 23 “Tell Aaron and his sons, ‘This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them: 24 “ ‘ “The LORD bless you and keep you; 25 the LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; 26 the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace.” ’ 27 “So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.”” (Numbers 6:22–27, NIV84)

Traditionally, the priests spoke this blessing every morning on behalf of the people right after the first sacrifice of the day. Even today, in many Jewish Synagogues, this blessing is spoken at the end of the service.

In Jewish theology a blessing is a statement of good will and the desire of good things to come to the one being blessed. It’s the call bring to down Divine abundance upon another. When I “bless” you, I am asking God to increase your health, wealth, happiness or whatever it may be. I’m asking God to shine His light on you … in essence, to give you more of Himself. Great emphasis was placed upon the blessing of an elder or a Rabbi, and people were urged to receive their blessings.

The passage teaches us about Christ’s love of and concern for children, but more importantly, it teaches us something about the nature of believing faith, and spiritual requirements for entering the Kingdom.

I. A CHILDLIKE HEART IS AN EXAMPLE OF FAITH

vv. 13-16 "And they began bringing children to Him, so that He might touch them; and the

disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus saw this, He was indignant and said to them, 'Permit the children to come to Me; do not hinder them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it at all.' And He took them in His arms and began blessing them, laying His hands upon them."

1. this is one of the most wonderful scenes in the New Testament

a. the story appears in all three synoptic gospels — Matthew, Mark, and Luke

1) in spite of the fact that it makes the disciples look bad, each author thought it an important enough story to include it

b. Jesus is taking time to bless little children

1) this has been a favorite scene of artists

2) they love to paint it

3) it's so easy to picture it in your minds — the children running up to Jesus, a little boy or a little girl on His lap, some tugging at His garments, pulling on his beard, clamoring for His attention

2. it seems that the parents, probably the mothers of these children, were bringing them to Jesus that He might bless them

a. it was a common practice to have your children blessed by a rabbi in those days

1) there was nothing unusual about it

b. they thought they were doing Jesus a favor, by managing his schedule and keeping the little people away

1) what they didn’t know is that our Lord is for the little people of the world!

2) I think their desire to protect Jesus' time was well-intentioned, but it was misguided

3. Jesus expresses here a certain sense of frustration, even anger, at the disciples' action

a. in doing so, He utters some of the most profound words in all of Scripture — "Permit the children to come to Me; do not hinder them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these."

b. He not only affirms the value of children, but uses these children as living examples of the quality of heart necessary to receive the Kingdom of God

4. what is the quality of childlike faith?

a. what kind of heart is that? — what are the qualities of a childlike heart?

A. OUR FAITH MUST BE CHILDLIKE IN ITS SIMPLICITY

1. when I use the term simple I am not using it in a derogatory sense as in uneducated

a. what I mean is that children are ready to believe truth

b. they tend to believe what adults tell them

2. they are simple in their forthrightness

ILLUS. Children can be very frank, can they not? You can pick a small child up and he might look you in the eye and say, "How come you have such a big nose?"

a. there’s no beating around the bush there

1) he gets right to the point

b. your adult friends may have thought it, but a little child says it

3. they are simple in their faith

a. children are naturally born “god-fearers”

1) I don’t mean to imply that children are born “saved”, but there is within the human mind, and indeed by natural instinct, an awareness of the divinity

ILLUS. John Calvin wrote, “To prevent anyone from taking refuge in the pretense of ignorance, God himself has implanted in all men a certain understanding of his divine majesty.”

b. they don’t necessarily need to know the depths of God’s redemptive work, but they do need to know that they are sinner, and Jesus is a Savior who will forgive their sins

c. that’s really all anyone need to know to enter the Kingdom

4. Has Your Faith Maintained a Simplicity?

B. OUR FAITH MUST BE CHILDLIKE IN ITS TEACHABILITY

1. most children are passionately curious, and most are also extremely teachable

a. children want to learn and they are very easily lead

1) if you tell a child a story, they will listen in rapt attention

2) if you show a child a magic trick, they want to know how it's done so they can do it too

b. whether it's learning to build a castle in the sand, learning to ride a bike, learning to fish, or learning to put on make-up, children recognize their basic need for help and instruction

2. children listen and they follow examples

a. they are teachable — easily molded

1) the Psalmist knew this

"Train up a child in the way he should go, Even when he is old he will not depart from it." (Proverbs 22:6, NASB95)

b. a childlike heart is a teachable heart

3. Has Your Faith Maintained a Teachability?

C. OUR FAITH MUST BE CHILDLIKE IN ITS TRUST

1) by nature, children are trustful

a. they almost implicitly trust the adults in their lives

ILLUS. This is why a dad can throw his three-year-old four feet in the air, and the child squeals with delight, and demands daddy do again.

b. sadly, children learn to be distrustful from the adults in their lives

2. but children have an in-born ability to trust

a. by nature they will implicitly trust you

b. that is a characteristic of a childlike heart

3. Has Your Faith Maintained a Simple Trust?

D. OUR FAITH MUST BE CHILDLIKE IN IT RESPONSIVENESS

1. Children respond to what they're taught

a. most of them are eager to take immediate action

1) when you show them how to do something, they want to step right in and do what you just did ... “Let ME do it.”

2. sometimes they don't respond always to our liking — but they do respond

a. at this point, let me say that I believe that the responsiveness of children is based on a desire to be obedient

1) now, some of you are going to say "My children were not all that obedient." (unless I threatened them with dire consequences)!

b. certainly, children are self-willed

1) children want to do what they want to do

2) but on the other hand, children have a desire, deep down inside, to please mom and dad and the other important adults in their life

3. Has Your Faith Maintained a Responsiveness — deep down do you want to please Jesus?

E. OUR FAITH MUST BE CHILDLIKE IN IT’S FASCINATION

1. children look at the world with fascination and wonder

2. they are awed by “big” things . . .

a. big trucks

b. big animals

c. big people

ILLUS. At our church in Adrian, I was in the preschooler’s room one morning talking to Esther Catron, the teacher just before Sunday School was to begin. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed a four-year-old boy intensely looking at me. He had been sitting on the floor playing with some blocks. From his vantage point I’m sure I seemed huge. I looked at him and smiled and said, ‘Bryce, how are your this morning.’ He did not answer, but continued to look at me, and then he asked with all the seriousness that a four-year-old can muster, “Are you God?” Of course I told him I was not! Esther told me that the week before they had learned that God was “big” and, at the time, I was about the biggest person that Bryce knew.

3. children are frequently awe-struck by the enormity of the world around them

a. they look at it in wonder and fascination

4. they look at God with that same wonder and fascination — after all God created the world around them which means He must really be big!

a. maybe that’s why the Psalmist wrote:

“Come and see what God has done: he is awesome in his deeds among mortals.” (Psalm 66:5, NRSV)

5. Has Your Faith Maintained a Fascination — Do Your Still Stand Fascinated At How Big God Is?

II. APPLICATION

A. THE LIVES OF CHILDREN ARE IMPORTANT TO GOD

1. 1st century Jewish culture cherished children, the broader pagan world did not

ILLUS. In Rome there is a preserved papyrus letter from a Roman soldier to his wife. She was expecting a child. Her husband writes, “If our child is a son, keep him. But if our child is a female throw it away.”

a. they lived in the age of throwaway kids

b. this is one of those the more things change, the more they stay the same moment

1) for hundreds of years it was the church that retrieved such children, and raided them

ILLUS. Unfortunately, Western culture is once again a throwaway culture when it comes to children. Sixty million children aborted in this nation since Row vs. Wade was decided in 1973.

2. Jesus loves the little children, even Gentile children

a. in the previous chapter Jesus had warned about danger of hindering a child from coming to Him

1) he said, “And if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around his neck.” (Mark 9:42)

b. our hearts ought to break over the way some adults are using and abusing children

1) children around the world are being used and abused in the wicked web of sexual slavery, child pornography, children-soldiers, and terrorists in training

ILLUS. I’ve never been one who believed that there as levels of hell. But when I think of what some adults do to children, it’s something that part of me hopes is true!

B. CHILDREN NEED TO BE EVANGELIZED

1. the very best time for a person to come to Jesus is as a child

a. I am often asked how old a child needs to be before they can accept Christ

1) I don’t know!

2) I don’t think there is an age of accountability, but I do think there is a time of accountability

b. that “time” is when a child can understand that they are a sinner, guilty before God, and the punishment for their sin is judgment and hell

2. at that point, we need to begin communicating seriously God’s plan of salvation in Jesus Christ

a. the best time for a child to be saved is once they understand they are a sinner who needs Jesus

C. IT’S GOOD FOR PARENTS TO BRING THEIR CHILDREN TO JESUS

1. it’s important for parents and grandparents to bring their children to church and to make sure they have spiritual training from the earliest age

a. it’s rare, but every now and then I’ll come upon a set of parents who don’t want to influence their children spiritually

1) they want them to grow up and be exposed to many difference ideas and when they are old enough they’ll decided for themselves

2) that’s a dangerous strategy

2. the job of parents and grandparents is to create a desire in their kids for the things of God

a. it is to show them that the things of God are sweet and nourishing to them

b. and once you create that desire in them to know God, they never really lose it

1) they may fight against it and rebel, but that desire is there as much as a baby grows up wanting to drink nourishment

3. children want to come to Jesus, but too often adults get in the way, as they did here

a. the best parents make it easy for their children to come to Christ, and to love Him, and receive His blessing

Now what is that application of this? Jesus is talking about the simple, humble, unquestioning, trustful manner in which a child accepts what is offered to him. A true saving faith is characterized by these attributes.

Have these characteristics triumphed in your heart? These are certainly some of the characteristics Jesus had in mind when He was talking about children. These are the characteristics which we must have in order to inherit the Kingdom of God. Jesus says, "Unless you come like a little child, you will not enter it at all." When you come to Jesus in simplicity, with a teachable heart, trusting in Him and responding to His invitation, then the door of the Kingdom is wide open to you. Indeed it is open to all who have a childlike heart.