In the name of Jesus....come!

Some people brought children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them, but the disciples scolded the people. When Jesus noticed this, he was angry and said to his disciples, "Let the children come to me, and do not stop them, because the Kingdom f God belongs to such as these. I assure you that whoever does not receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it." Then he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on each of them, and blessed them. Mark 10:13-16

Here is Jesus deep in teaching his disciples. This is serious stuff. Then along come some people who have brought their children to Jesus so that he can “place his hands on them”. Mark does not tell us more than this so we are not really sure what these parents were doing bringing their children to Jesus. Was it healing for illness? A blessing? Or simply the touch of a holy person on their child? One thing we do know is that they are taking a big risk here.

Children were invisible. Non-persons until they reached the age of 7 or 8 years of age. They had no voice. No place. The old adage “Children should be seen and not heard” went a step further in that ‘children should not be seen or heard’ and most certainly they should not intrude into the work of an illustrious Rabbi/teacher such as Jesus who is busy teaching his disciples.

We are told that the disciples ‘scolded’ the parents. They told them off. You can just picture the disciples telling these parents with their broods of children to ‘Nick off’. And rightfully so. How dare they transgress social boundaries in this way! How dare they take up Jesus’ time with these children! Jesus is much too important for this.

Now notice how Jesus reacts. I wonder if he was thinking something along the line ‘Haven’t these disciples heard anything I have just said?” as it is recorded only a few verses early that Jesus said to receive children was to receive him (Jesus) and the one who sent him (God). So he scolds the disciples. “Let the children come to me, and do not stop them….” Strong words. He provides open access to himself for these invisible silenced ones. But he doesn't stop there. Why should the disciples let the children come? Is it because Jesus simply wants them to come? No, it is something greater than that.

“Let the children come….because the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” These children are the keepers of the Kingdom of God. They are once again held up as a role model for the disciples. Do you want to know what it is to be in the Kingdom…then look at these children. Do you want to know what it is to be a disciple of Jesus…then look at these children. Then Jesus turns on the disciples even more. “I assure you that whoever does not receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.” This point is not open to further discussion or debate. Jesus simply states a fact. Let’s think about this a bit.

Have you ever paid close attention to a child as they receive a present from someone? There is an intensity, a focus that seems to consume them. They cannot sit still for a minute and usually in the background you will hear the adult voices of parents or grandparents or some responsible person telling them to just “Wait” or “Be Patient”. But they cannot wait. The excitement spills over into physical energy. There is much joy. Anticipation.

If we think of receiving the Kingdom of God like a child then how is it then that we, as Christians, seem so uninspired by the Kingdom that is now ours through faith in Jesus? Where is our joy? Our excitement? Our sense of anticipation? Is it any wonder that people outside the church…outside the faith…do not see Jesus or our relationship with him as anything special. They look into our lives…they listen to our voices…they see our faces…and do they see or hear anything of the joy, the excitement, the hope, the confidence that comes from having Jesus as our personal Saviour?

There is also the fact that a child cannot earn the gift. They cannot work to earn and save money. They have no political or bargaining power. They have no physical presence as far as the society of the day is concerned. Remember this was a time when a parent could kill a rebellious child or nail them by the ear to a door or sell them into slavery...no child welfare officers and certainly no bill of children's rights. It is powerlessness in the extreme. Yet this is where the kingdom of God exists. Among the powerless. The invisible. The silenced.

What this means for you and me is that we don't have to have our lives all sorted out and together to get into the kingdom of God. It means that we don't have to be 'holy' people or 'spiritual' people to get into the kingdom of God. What it does mean is that we can live in childlike faith and come to our loving God and Father knowing that he will give us all that we need. Jesus said, “Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” (Matthew 7:9-11)

At the same time when we think about this text as a community of faith it raises issues of accessibility and approachability for others. Think about our building for the moment. Can people find us and find their way into our building? Is it a place that looks welcoming? Cared for? Have we taken steps to ensure that people of disability can access all parts of our building? And what about our visitors? Are there signs to help them locate the toilets? Are our buildings and grounds welcoming and encouraging?
Then think about our congregation...How can people join our congregation? Is it easy to become part of our community of faith and are newcomers welcomed and accepted? Can people feel safe here? Do we live and work as a community? Do we clearly say to everyone, "In the name of Jesus, Come"?
The words of Jesus remind that we need to be accessible and welcoming. We need to let people in. We need to reach out to people with welcoming compassion and love and acceptance. For then as we welcome others we are welcomed in turn and, like the children in this reading today, blessed by Jesus.