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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.”
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