Mark 10:13-16
And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them.
We are today continuing in a sermon series on raising children in the faith. This is a three sermon series. Last week we talked about how important it is that the biblical role of introducing the faith and sustaining the faith is for parents, that parents are the primary person who teaches the faith to their children's. The habits and actions of home life, are the ways that we really, they really see what it means to be a Christian. Today, we are talking about the importance of having children and in fact, having everyone in the divine surface. And next week, we're going to talk about how a congregation and parents can partner together to help train a living faith in the lives of those children. Today, as we begin this, I'd like to read from Mark chapter 10. People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them. But the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them. For the kingdom of God belongs to such as these, I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God, like a little child will never enter it. And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them, and bless them. Today, as we consider this idea that children belong just as much in the divine servants as adults, we're going to take a look at it in a few ways. First, we're going to talk about the theology of the divine service, and why all of us should be here. Next, we'll talk about some of the practical reasons. Finally, we'll look at some objections. And last, we'll look at ways that we as a congregation can support parents who bring their children here. The beginning, is the theology of what happens here in worship, as we gather together. Now that theology is contained in a phrase that Lutherans have used to talk about worship, called the divine service. And we call it that, because in the divine service, God comes down from heaven, in a special way, and serves us through His grace. We see that in a number of ways. We see it in the confession and absolution, where you confess your sins. And then the pastor forgives your sins, in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This is not just magic words, not just something wishing nice to the Holy Spirit actually is delivered through them to forgive your sin. In Holy Communion, Jesus Christ comes down. In a way he does not come down any other time. It is special. It is unique. Well, God is everywhere. While Christ is everywhere, he only comes in his body and his blood for you, in the divine service. In the word to hear, we have a special moment where all God's people gathered together to hear not just a Bible reading, though, that's important. But also it applied to the life of a congregation, applied to the adults, applied to the children, applied to the people whose memories are fading, whose eyes aren't working to everyone of all different kinds of abilities. In the divine service, all of God's people gathered together around his word, and Sacraments to receive His grace. And what a great joy that is, that we can be here where God says that He is where God gives you salvation, where he delivers his grace to you. And Jesus says, Let the children come to Me. And what's interesting about the story that I just read is that it's in the middle of Jesus's teaching. Right beforehand, he's talking to the Pharisees and right afterwards, there's a little teaching with the crowds, and there's all this stuff going on. And when mothers bring their babies to Jesus, the disciples are like, No, back off. Adults are doing important things. Jesus is teaching. One of the things we get right About this passage is later when Jesus says you have to receive it like a little child. We often say that it's because the children are loving or trusting, or something like that. That's not what's going on here. In the ancient world, children were the least important members of society. Babies, especially because most of them would die before they reached age five children that were to be neither seen nor heard. Adults are the important ones, especially the elders. And that disciples, in any other circumstance, any other teacher would be like, What are you doing bringing these kids here? Jesus is far too important for that. But Jesus says, the lowliest among us, receive His grace. And the most humble among us, must receive His mercy. And isn't that how God's grace works, not just with children, but all of us, that those who come to God with a proud heart he turns away. But when we come to him with repentance, when we come with need, when we say I am not strong, I am too weak, I can't do it God, Jesus Christ comes with His grace and His mercy, and gives you salvation. This is what he does with children. This is what he does. And all of God's people gather together at this special moment where God says, I am here. That is why we bring children here. But there are some practical reasons as well. One, goes back to Proverbs, Chapter 22, verse six, or Solomon writes, train a child in the way he should go. And then when he was old, it will not depart from it. Pretty good wisdom, right. And when you take children out of worship, when you train them not to go to church, you're training them not to go to church, right? When you say, church is not for you, go do something else. You're teaching them that that is their place to be. That that is where they are to go. That they are not welcomed with the adults, they should be with the kids. And if you teach them that they might believe you. Which is a shame, isn't it? We want to be a place that loves them, a place that cares about them, that welcomes them into the body of Christ as equal members. Because they are not the lowest of us. They are just one of us, you children. You are equal members in the body of Christ, not to be tossed out, not to be neglected not to hide away. One of us, full members of the Church fully saved fully in need of God's grace, the same way we are. To train them not to come to church, they will not come to church. The next thing is what you have to ask a question. What happens when they graduate from children's church, they have spent all of this time many years of their life, playing games, reading a story doing crafts, and they love it. It's fun, it's great. And then one day later, they're not allowed to go back anymore. You pull them from their community, from everything they know from their people, from their teacher. And then you plop them into the church. And they go, I don't want to be here. I want to be where the toys are. I want to be where the books are. I want to see Miss Kathleen again. And she does a wonderful job with the kids. But all of a sudden you're taking away their community and their life and plopping them in a bunch of strangers. They don't know the songs, they don't know when to stand, they don't know what to do. I've seen it happen over and over and over again. They're not learning how to be one of us, in our life, and in our church. And one of the things that the divine service does is it passes on our culture and our habits and our practices. Now you might think these kids are too young, there is no way they can pay attention to that. There is no way they can they can get anything out of this.
I'm going to tell you a story. In my first Church in Chicago, I was invited over to a family's house. It was two parents and they had a young boy, he must have been four years old at the time, really young, one of those boys ran around active, barely paid attention. You could see it. I understood it was amazing. When I got there. I walk in the door, Kristen and I are there and he sees me. And immediately he runs to the bathroom and he grabs his white robe, pulls it over, ties around his waist, runs into his dad's closet and grabs a tie, draped it over his neck, like a stole. And then we spent the next 30 minutes doing a mini divine service. He preached the way a four year old can it was, I forget what he said. He handed us crackers and juice. That's how kids pick things up, right? They may not pay attention, they may be doodling they may be moving around, but they can hear. They're not deaf. They can see. And this kid knew exactly what was going on. He knew exactly what happens. The Word of God is proclaimed. And Christ comes to you in his body and blood. I wish adults knew that as well as that kid did, right. And he didn't catch it because somebody taught it to him. He caught it because he was in church. And he saw me do it. And he understood what God is doing. We don't give our kids enough credit, that even when they're squirming or drawing or playing, they still hear and they still see they get a lot out of coming to church. Another another objection is that children are too loud and too distracting. And they can be right. Children can be loud. Children can be distracting. That was the objection that the disciples had, I think, when they were bringing the babies to Jesus just don't get in the way. something important is happening here. I agree something important is happening in the divine surface for the adults and for the kids. And they deserve to be able to hear it too. But even more than that, what do we do as a congregation when someone gets distracting? Do we kick them out? Should I point to Kathleen every time she opens up a hard candy in the beginning of my sermon and be like, Excuse me, ma'am. I told her I was going to tell that story. Don't worry, she gave me permission. Do we give our ushers a red card and a yellow card for noise? Of course not. We've got people who are neurodivergent. We have people who don't shut off their phones. We have people who sometimes say things when they shouldn't. But you know what happens in a family. We welcome all of God's people into this place. That's part of the unity that we have in Jesus Christ, that He binds us together as one. With all our problems with all our distractions with all our weirdness. We wouldn't kick them out just because they're different. We wouldn't kick someone out because they have autism. We welcome. Another objection is that children should be in a more developmentally appropriate setting something that is more on their level. And I agree with you. That is why I'm a fan of the liturgy. When we do the liturgy, a lot of the church service is memorizable. We do the same songs every Sunday with other hymns. But we have pieces that we do every single Sunday. And little kids love repetition. Just asked someone who was raising a girl in the middle of the frozen era. How many times did they watch that? How many times did people watch Finding Nemo? Kids love repetition. And they can memorize it and put the word of God that is part of our liturgy in their hearts. But also, we do have a wonderful time when children can come and be You know, the developmentally appropriate setting. It's called Sunday school. Right now it happens at nine o'clock right before our worship service. Kathleen is there with an excellent lesson. She works with the kids, parents, you can drop your kids off there and have an hour free. No kids, it's great. And they can read a story from the Bible and play the games and do the crafts. And it's awesome. And then they come here and hear the Word of God as well. It's a great way to put together both the lessons that they need to hear with Bible knowledge, as well as the divine service where they get God's grace that we do here. Now I get it. Parents, this is tough. When you have a kid who's squirmy. When you have a kid who doesn't pay attention, maybe who's loud, and you go, Oh, my gosh, they are going to embarrass me so much. It's tough. I get that. But St. Peter, and First Peter, chapter three says this, if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. And sometimes working with kids that are unruly, is suffering, right? Every parent knows that. But it's wholly suffering. Because what you're doing is bringing kids here to hear God's word, so that they can know that we love them, and that Jesus loves them. But they're not to be cast out. But one of us. So what can we do as a congregation to support parents? First, I think we should love the noise. I think we should love the squirms. One of my favorite moments as a pastor here was when I went to the the choir concert right before Christmas, we had a choir concert. My very first year I had been here, oh, it must have been two weeks. And one of the moms from 2911 brought her little son to the concert. And I get up and I'm in front of the congregation giving my greeting and he goes faster. And he races on the middle of the aisle and I pick them up and put them on my hip. And we just keep going. How much fun was that? The same thing during my sermon in the middle. I preached for like 15 minutes with a kid. Hallelujah. Isn't that wonderful? Isn't it great? When we gather them together among us and make them one. The sound of moving kids the action, all of that it's the sound of a living church. It's the sound of of hope of a new generation of joy. I love it. And I think we should too. Another thing we can do is to make parents feel welcome. Make their kids feel welcome. You guys are a loving church. I know what you guys do a great job welcoming and smiling. This isn't a problem, I think. But it's something that we have to be active about. Because sometimes we give a look when a kid makes a noise we should maybe think about because parents are pretty sensitive about that. A look misunderstood or misinterpreted can go and cut pretty deep. The other thing I think we can do is offer to help. Now, I know that there are lots and lots of grandmothers in here who would love nothing more than to sit with a kid once in a while to be able to help and distract and manage so that maybe mom or dad can take a break and listen to the sermon. And the parents if you want that. Let me know. We've got dozens of grandmas who would be joyful, and being able to help that out. And I'm sure we can find someone to do that. God wants all his children to come. He wants everyone to gather together in the divine service. And it's a central part of making a Christian whether they are super young, or super old. It's because here God comes to us with his means of grace binds us together as a people and gives us life. We should welcome the children, all of them. In Jesus name, Amen.
Transcribed by https://otter.ai