“Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom
of God belongs.”
This being Youth Sunday, I think that Jesus’ words about children and their place in the kingdom of
God are especially timely this morning. I’ll be focusing more upon this feature of Mark’s account than
on the part having to do with divorce. But having said this, I think it’s important to see Jesus’
teachings on divorce as kind of a prelude to his words about children. Jesus clearly saw the
committed marriage between one man and one woman as the nest into which children are to be
born and nurtured. He saw divorce, particularly the kind of divorce that’s a result of
hardheartedness or selfishness, as a very tragic thing indeed.
And there are many in this room this morning who are familiar with its tragedy, and are still impacted
by its pain. We’re very fortunate to have a God who loves, forgives, and heals in this very imperfect
world in which divorce sometimes happens, yet I can’t help but think that we as the church can be
doing a lot more to help prevent those divorces that are indeed preventable.
And one of the main reasons is that we as adult human beings are charged with the care, nurturing
and guidance of the next generation of people—people who will inherit the good, the bad, and the
ugly of the legacy we leave them. And I’m speaking here of everything from the way we love God
and each other, to the condition of the economy and the ecology we leave in our wake. The
children are very, very important to our Lord, and we should never forget this. We have a sacred
trust to prepare them for a life lived in the light of God’s love.
Let’s look at what Mark writes about this encounter between Jesus, the disciples, and the children,
and see what it has to say to us today. Mark says that people were “bringing little children to him in
order that he might touch them; and the disciples spoke sternly to them.” It’s probably not too hard
to envision what’s happening here. By this time Jesus is well into his period of active ministry, and he’
s been teaching people, healing people, casting out demons, and even raising people from the
dead. Even before the age of the cell phones and the Internet, these kinds of things tended to get
around pretty quickly. At this point whenever Jesus made a public appearance it could pretty much
be expected that he would be facing hungry, needy crowds pressing in on him with desires and
demands. Jesus’ composure under this pressure never ceases to amaze me. I mean, I get grumpy
when I get too many phone calls while I’m trying to write a sermon.
But the disciples, as we know, were very human. I can only imagine the sense of claustrophobic
stress that sometimes dampened their joy at seeing Jesus at work. So here people are pressing in
wanting Jesus to touch and to bless their little ones, and the disciples don’t quite have their priorities
straight. They probably think they’re protecting Jesus from overwork, or maybe thinking that
children are a lower priority in Jesus’ busy schedule. One of the church fathers writes: “The disciples
thought they were doing honor to Christ, but actually they were diminishing his glory. For just as it is
a loss to a physician if the sick are kept away from him, so it is a loss to Christ not to have those he
may save.”
Jesus says, “Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that
the kingdom of God belongs. Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a
little child will never enter it.” It may sound a little strange to phrase it this ways, but Jesus clearly
sees the little children as full human beings, and full of all the potentialities that children offered the
freedom of Christ should enjoy.
But what does Jesus mean when he says, “It is to such as these as the kingdom of God belongs”?
Well, some have concluded that Jesus is commenting on the natural innocence of childhood—that
we all need to find that innocence to be in the kingdom. Well, this may be partially true. After all, we
all have a desire not to have the spirits of our children crushed by the often dark realities of a fallen
world. We see in their eyes the trust and innocence that make us want to fiercely protect them from
evil.
But on the other hand, are even children all that innocent? Bishop Frey has said that newborn
babies try to charm us with their helplessness and innocence, but he says, ‘Don’t you believe it!
That’s really seven pounds of fallen human nature kicking around in that bassinet.’ And that’s just
the beginning. It’s like the little boy that was overheard praying, “Lord, if you can’t make me a better
boy, don’t worry about it. I’m having a real good time like I am!”
So, I’m not personally convinced that Jesus is talking mainly about innocence when he says that “to
such as these the kingdom of God belongs.” In fact, if you listen closely, the phrase that follows
clues us in to what I think Jesus really is trying to emphasize.
He says, “Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never
enter it.”
Well, how does a little child receive the kingdom of God? If you were brought up in the faith, do you
remember how you received the kingdom of God? Is it because someone constructed for you
arguments consisting of building blocks of impeccable logic? Or maybe someone convinced you that
the finely calibrated physics of the universe suggests the work of a Creator? Not if you were like me.
If you were like me, at least as a young child, you believed because something about it made sense
in your heart. You trusted the good news that was given you. It was a simple act of faith, and felt like
puzzle pieces fitting neatly into place. I believe Jesus is telling us that that’s the kind of faith that’s
pleasing to him and to God the Father.
Now here’s where I want to be clear about something. It’s often been said that folks appreciate
churches like the Episcopal Church because you don’t have to check your brain at the door. While
that may be a little insulting to some of our Christian brothers and sisters of other denominations,
there’s something in that sentiment that I kind of find attractive, too. We’re generally not discouraged
from trusting science or other genuine sources of knowledge. And for a person like me, with a
default setting of stubborn suspicion, I sometimes find it helpful to be able to work through faith
issues without a lot of pressure to think exactly like everyone else.
I’m presently doing some teaching on apologetics for our Youth Group. As I told them, apologetics
is not feeling sorry about your beliefs, but is the very old and venerable practice of defending the
Christian faith. In fact the word apologetics comes from the Greek word apologia, which means a
‘verbal defense.’ Peter tells us in his first letter: “Always be ready to make your defense to anyone
who demands from you an accounting for the hope that is in you.” There’s a place for a reasoned,
intelligent explanation for the faith, and frankly this approach has helped me a lot.
Yet I’m willing to bet that that’s not how most people come to a faith in Christ. I’m guessing that, for
most people, their journey with Jesus begins with a simple, childlike acceptance of the gospel. For
instance, maybe God placed someone in their life that moved them to believe that love is for real
and comes from God. And then, just like we listened as children to what was taught to us, and we
believed, we were prompted by God the Father through the Holy Spirit to receive the Truth. John
tells us that no one comes to the Father unless the Father draws him. And I have to think that what
Jesus is telling us today is that a heart full of childlike trust is the door through which the Lord draws
us to the Truth.
And here’s the thing: This childlike trust is a place from which we don’t have to understand
absolutely everything, or work out every last detail of God’s business to be able to give ourselves to
Him. There’s a lot that’s beyond our human ability to understand. For instance, people sometimes
ask how a decomposed body can somehow coalesce into a resurrection body on the last day. And
drawing from my vast experience and seminary training I authoritatively reply to them, “Heck if I
know!” All we can do is to speculate.
The great mathematical physicist-turned-Anglican priest John Polkinghorne delights in musing about
such things. He talks about God being perfectly capable of filling the person’s “life-print” with a new
and enduring resurrection substance, because, after all, He created the universe. But I’m pretty sure
that Dr. Polkinghorne isn’t losing a lot of sleep nights defending a particular theory as to how exactly
God will accomplish this. We leave the details to Him.
It’s like when Jesus tells us in Matthew 6 not to worry about all of those temporal things we waste
energy worrying about. He says, “Your Father in heaven knows you need these things.” But instead,
“Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these other things will be added to
you as well.” One day your hunger for the knowledge of all things will be satisfied. In the mean time,
seek me and trust me with childlike trust.
Our minds are not our enemies or God’s enemies. All authentic truth is God’s truth, and we needn’t
fear knowledge. Yet there are some things that we just need to take God’s word on. To trust him
with a childlike faith. And when we do, we gain both a life of peace and the promise that, just like with
the children who came to Jesus, he’ll take us up into his loving arms, lay his life-giving hands upon
us, and bless us with unending life the way it was meant to be lived. “For it is to such as these that
the kingdom of God belongs.” Amen.
of God belongs.”
This being Youth Sunday, I think that Jesus’ words about children and their place in the kingdom of
God are especially timely this morning. I’ll be focusing more upon this feature of Mark’s account than
on the part having to do with divorce. But having said this, I think it’s important to see Jesus’
teachings on divorce as kind of a prelude to his words about children. Jesus clearly saw the
committed marriage between one man and one woman as the nest into which children are to be
born and nurtured. He saw divorce, particularly the kind of divorce that’s a result of
hardheartedness or selfishness, as a very tragic thing indeed.
And there are many in this room this morning who are familiar with its tragedy, and are still impacted
by its pain. We’re very fortunate to have a God who loves, forgives, and heals in this very imperfect
world in which divorce sometimes happens, yet I can’t help but think that we as the church can be
doing a lot more to help prevent those divorces that are indeed preventable.
And one of the main reasons is that we as adult human beings are charged with the care, nurturing
and guidance of the next generation of people—people who will inherit the good, the bad, and the
ugly of the legacy we leave them. And I’m speaking here of everything from the way we love God
and each other, to the condition of the economy and the ecology we leave in our wake. The
children are very, very important to our Lord, and we should never forget this. We have a sacred
trust to prepare them for a life lived in the light of God’s love.
Let’s look at what Mark writes about this encounter between Jesus, the disciples, and the children,
and see what it has to say to us today. Mark says that people were “bringing little children to him in
order that he might touch them; and the disciples spoke sternly to them.” It’s probably not too hard
to envision what’s happening here. By this time Jesus is well into his period of active ministry, and he’
s been teaching people, healing people, casting out demons, and even raising people from the
dead. Even before the age of the cell phones and the Internet, these kinds of things tended to get
around pretty quickly. At this point whenever Jesus made a public appearance it could pretty much
be expected that he would be facing hungry, needy crowds pressing in on him with desires and
demands. Jesus’ composure under this pressure never ceases to amaze me. I mean, I get grumpy
when I get too many phone calls while I’m trying to write a sermon.
But the disciples, as we know, were very human. I can only imagine the sense of claustrophobic
stress that sometimes dampened their joy at seeing Jesus at work. So here people are pressing in
wanting Jesus to touch and to bless their little ones, and the disciples don’t quite have their priorities
straight. They probably think they’re protecting Jesus from overwork, or maybe thinking that
children are a lower priority in Jesus’ busy schedule. One of the church fathers writes: “The disciples
thought they were doing honor to Christ, but actually they were diminishing his glory. For just as it is
a loss to a physician if the sick are kept away from him, so it is a loss to Christ not to have those he
may save.”
Jesus says, “Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that
the kingdom of God belongs. Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a
little child will never enter it.” It may sound a little strange to phrase it this ways, but Jesus clearly
sees the little children as full human beings, and full of all the potentialities that children offered the
freedom of Christ should enjoy.
But what does Jesus mean when he says, “It is to such as these as the kingdom of God belongs”?
Well, some have concluded that Jesus is commenting on the natural innocence of childhood—that
we all need to find that innocence to be in the kingdom. Well, this may be partially true. After all, we
all have a desire not to have the spirits of our children crushed by the often dark realities of a fallen
world. We see in their eyes the trust and innocence that make us want to fiercely protect them from
evil.
But on the other hand, are even children all that innocent? Bishop Frey has said that newborn
babies try to charm us with their helplessness and innocence, but he says, ‘Don’t you believe it!
That’s really seven pounds of fallen human nature kicking around in that bassinet.’ And that’s just
the beginning. It’s like the little boy that was overheard praying, “Lord, if you can’t make me a better
boy, don’t worry about it. I’m having a real good time like I am!”
So, I’m not personally convinced that Jesus is talking mainly about innocence when he says that “to
such as these the kingdom of God belongs.” In fact, if you listen closely, the phrase that follows
clues us in to what I think Jesus really is trying to emphasize.
He says, “Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never
enter it.”
Well, how does a little child receive the kingdom of God? If you were brought up in the faith, do you
remember how you received the kingdom of God? Is it because someone constructed for you
arguments consisting of building blocks of impeccable logic? Or maybe someone convinced you that
the finely calibrated physics of the universe suggests the work of a Creator? Not if you were like me.
If you were like me, at least as a young child, you believed because something about it made sense
in your heart. You trusted the good news that was given you. It was a simple act of faith, and felt like
puzzle pieces fitting neatly into place. I believe Jesus is telling us that that’s the kind of faith that’s
pleasing to him and to God the Father.
Now here’s where I want to be clear about something. It’s often been said that folks appreciate
churches like the Episcopal Church because you don’t have to check your brain at the door. While
that may be a little insulting to some of our Christian brothers and sisters of other denominations,
there’s something in that sentiment that I kind of find attractive, too. We’re generally not discouraged
from trusting science or other genuine sources of knowledge. And for a person like me, with a
default setting of stubborn suspicion, I sometimes find it helpful to be able to work through faith
issues without a lot of pressure to think exactly like everyone else.
I’m presently doing some teaching on apologetics for our Youth Group. As I told them, apologetics
is not feeling sorry about your beliefs, but is the very old and venerable practice of defending the
Christian faith. In fact the word apologetics comes from the Greek word apologia, which means a
‘verbal defense.’ Peter tells us in his first letter: “Always be ready to make your defense to anyone
who demands from you an accounting for the hope that is in you.” There’s a place for a reasoned,
intelligent explanation for the faith, and frankly this approach has helped me a lot.
Yet I’m willing to bet that that’s not how most people come to a faith in Christ. I’m guessing that, for
most people, their journey with Jesus begins with a simple, childlike acceptance of the gospel. For
instance, maybe God placed someone in their life that moved them to believe that love is for real
and comes from God. And then, just like we listened as children to what was taught to us, and we
believed, we were prompted by God the Father through the Holy Spirit to receive the Truth. John
tells us that no one comes to the Father unless the Father draws him. And I have to think that what
Jesus is telling us today is that a heart full of childlike trust is the door through which the Lord draws
us to the Truth.
And here’s the thing: This childlike trust is a place from which we don’t have to understand
absolutely everything, or work out every last detail of God’s business to be able to give ourselves to
Him. There’s a lot that’s beyond our human ability to understand. For instance, people sometimes
ask how a decomposed body can somehow coalesce into a resurrection body on the last day. And
drawing from my vast experience and seminary training I authoritatively reply to them, “Heck if I
know!” All we can do is to speculate.
The great mathematical physicist-turned-Anglican priest John Polkinghorne delights in musing about
such things. He talks about God being perfectly capable of filling the person’s “life-print” with a new
and enduring resurrection substance, because, after all, He created the universe. But I’m pretty sure
that Dr. Polkinghorne isn’t losing a lot of sleep nights defending a particular theory as to how exactly
God will accomplish this. We leave the details to Him.
It’s like when Jesus tells us in Matthew 6 not to worry about all of those temporal things we waste
energy worrying about. He says, “Your Father in heaven knows you need these things.” But instead,
“Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these other things will be added to
you as well.” One day your hunger for the knowledge of all things will be satisfied. In the mean time,
seek me and trust me with childlike trust.
Our minds are not our enemies or God’s enemies. All authentic truth is God’s truth, and we needn’t
fear knowledge. Yet there are some things that we just need to take God’s word on. To trust him
with a childlike faith. And when we do, we gain both a life of peace and the promise that, just like with
the children who came to Jesus, he’ll take us up into his loving arms, lay his life-giving hands upon
us, and bless us with unending life the way it was meant to be lived. “For it is to such as these that
the kingdom of God belongs.” Amen.
Like Little Children
Mark 10:2-16
Mark 10:2-16
October 4, 2009
The Rev. Daniel Tuton
The Rev. Daniel Tuton
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