During the season of Lent our devotions have been written by members of Faith Lutheran Church. Today’s writer is Lorah Gough.
People were bringing little children to him in order that he might touch them; and the disciples spoke sternly to them. But when Jesus saw this, he was indignant and said to them, “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.” And he took them up in his arms, laid his hands on them, and blessed them. Mark 10:13-16
In this scripture, we see Jesus really getting upset with his disciples who want to prevent him from holding and blessing the children who were brought to him. Maybe they are trying to keep the crowds away from him or maybe they think that children are not as important as adults in those days, but the disciples are wrong.
Jesus wants to be with them because they belong to the kingdom of God.
When I think of children, I think of these words: sweet, pure, honest, trusting, humble, playful, and loving. Woe to adulthood. We spend our entire lives growing out of childhood and away from possessing the very qualities Jesus said we must have to “receive the Kingdom of God.”
As time goes on, we are exposed to sin and we do sin (sometimes). We are exposed to lies and untruths and learn to mistrust. We read about gangs, criminals, and terrorists of different races, colors, and religion and become hateful and discriminatory. We see the power of money and become greedy. We are compelled to work long hours to get ahead or promoted, and don’t leave enough time for play or prayer.
Unless we are very careful, we will soon become everything that a child is not. We know that Jesus is forgiving, but we must become strong in prayer and faith so we too, will be able to trust, love, and forgive everyone, every day, the way Bible teaches us.
Let us pray: Dear Jesus, please compel us to spend time with children, playing, loving, and praying with them. Let us watch them and learn from them. Let us not only show kindness to the children and youth that we encounter each day, but also our neighbors, our co-workers, and those that live in our communities. Let us pray that we do not lose all of our child-like qualities as we grow older. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Daily Devotions 
February 26, 2016 at 9:31 am |
A Men
February 27, 2016 at 2:59 am |
No matter our age we are all God’s children. You are so right Lorah to express how we should be more in touch with our inner child. For like a child we must put our trust and faith in the Lord.
The text today is from Mark, and in Matthew 19:14 it too says the same: Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”
Also in Isaiah 11:6 it says, “The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them.”
As you assert Lorah we can learn a great deal from children by observing them and practicing the innocence of child-like faith. The grace of the Lord is sufficient. “Jesus loves me this I know”.
February 27, 2016 at 2:50 pm |
A Men