Community & Discipleship
Leading Children to Christ (Mk. 10:13~16)
Jesus grieved when children were turned away. Let us see people as God sees them, join the journey of children toward Jesus, and come to God as helpless children ourselves.
We are called to help little ones follow Jesus
After looking at devotion, work and church life as followers of Jesus, this month's focus is life at home and with family. Even those who are not married or have no children know younger people and are called to help them grow. In the story, parents bring children to Jesus, but the disciples rebuke them, saying Jesus is too busy. Jesus becomes indignant and says, "Do not hinder them." The sermon draws three lessons: see as Jesus sees, join the children's journey, and do not grow up.
See people the way Jesus sees them (13-14절)
The disciples probably wanted to protect a busy Jesus. In the Hellenistic culture children were not valued much. Baby girls were cast out, fathers held absolute authority over a child's life, and Herod killed all the children under two. Hebrew scripture calls children a heritage and a gift from God. Jesus was indignant, meaning angry and deeply grieved, because every child is made in God's image and has the potential to become God's child. Children also represent the undeserving whom Jesus came to accept by grace, and the disciples had forgotten that.
We judge others while forgetting our own grace
I confess that I catch myself saying to others, "Why no quiet time? Why not at church? Why not serving?" That is looking at people through my performance and saying, "They don't deserve your grace, but I do." God gave his only Son because he loves us, not because of what we do for him. I remember Dr. Kim Jung-kon, former national director of Korean CCC. His daughter, Dr. Eunhee Kim, told me he wept each morning in his quiet time and asked, "God, what did I ever do to deserve your love and grace?" With that attitude we welcome people who have little to offer.
Join the children's journey with stories, prayer and blessing (13-14절)
Every person has a vacuum for God, and children also seek him. Their questions include "Where does God sleep?" and "Why does God allow people to suffer?" My daughter Irene saw a shower in my office and said, "This is where God takes a shower." Robert Coles, a Harvard child psychologist, found that 87% of 273 children drew God with a happy face. We help them step closer through faith conversations. When my son Christian struggled with his disability, we told him God loves him and has a plan. In Mongolia he came to see that God let him suffer so he could share God's comfort. We also pray with children and speak words of blessing. The goal is children who trust Jesus, not merely smart, moral ones.
Do not grow up: come to God as a helpless child (15-16절)
We often think maturity means handling everything alone and doing more for God. Jesus says whoever does not receive the kingdom like a child will not enter it. Children are not innocent angels. What Jesus means is that they are helpless and dependent on a caregiver. The kingdom is not about doing great things for God. We come like babies, learning to ask, believe, play and babble to God. Jesus taught us to call him Abba, Father, and to live in dependence, abiding and repentance, so that he brings his kingdom into our lives.
Are we indignant with Jesus, or is Jesus indignant with us?
An elder's daughter graduated from Harvard Law. Her parents had told her to skip church for exams, and she no longer attends. They succeeded, but they were losing their relationship with God. Many children in Korea need mentors. Our youth group has about 40 to 50 children with four teachers, and Dogok has 45 with two. We want to form their hearts with Christian culture. We are also going on short-term missions to Japanese children in Tokyo and, with Zoe, to Thailand's hill tribes, where children are sold into brothels and ages 5 to 10 are the most sought after. Jesus is indignant at what happens to these children. Is something making us indignant? Or is Jesus indignant with how we respond to them?
Apply to Life
- Let us see people as God sees them, and welcome those who seem undeserving by grace.
- Let us stop judging others by their performance and remember that we also live only by God's mercy.
- Let us help children and younger people step closer to Jesus through faith conversations, prayer and words of blessing.
- Let us come to God as helpless children, depending on and abiding in him instead of trying to do great things for him.
- Let us examine what makes us indignant, and commit our time to mentoring and serving children in need.
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