A Sunday School teacher asked her students, “Now, children, do you all say your prayers at night?” One little boy answered, “My mom says my prayer.” The teacher said, “And what does your mom say?” Replied the little boy, “Thank God he’s in bed.”
A four year old boy came screaming out of the bathroom to tell his mom that he’d dropped his toothbrush in the toilet. So mom fished it out and threw it in the garbage. The boy stood there thinking for a moment, then ran to her bathroom and came out with her toothbrush. He held it up and said with a smile, ‘We better throw this one out too then, cause it fell in the toilet a few days ago.’
A little boy 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!
Children… you gotta love them. Jesus did!
Jesus loves children. There’s a story about Jesus and children that I think we can learn some valuable lessons.
And they brought young children to him [Jesus], that he should touch them: and his disciples rebuked those that brought them. But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein. And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them. (Mark 10:13-16)
It’s easy to develop wrong attitudes about children just like the disciples. But this event in Jesus’ life will eliminate four.
1. Children get in the way.
I think this is what the disciples were thinking. Jesus was talking about divorce and adultery, two topics definitely appropriate for older ears. The Bible doesn’t say who brought them. Probably mom or dad. Maybe grandpa. Or maybe a neighbor. But the disciples felt they were an interruption. Not Jesus. The disciples rebuked them but Jesus rebuked the disciples. Children are not an interruption to Jesus. He will take them anytime.
2. Children can wait.
The tense of the Greek verb means that the children kept coming and the disciples kept rebuking. The disciples felt that the timing was not right. Jesus earlier had children follow Him, put one of them on His lap, and explained “whoever receives one of these children, receives me.” (Mark 9:37). But when the disciples stopped the children from coming to Jesus, He gave 2 commands: 1- Let them come. 2- Don’t stop them. Notice, Jesus didn’t say to bring them. It is assumed that children want to come to Jesus.
One of the false assumptions is that we can wait until children are older to bring them to Jesus. Child Evangelism Fellowship estimates that 85% of Christians come to Christ before the age of 21! That’s a staggering statistic! Many of those who come to Christ later in life do so as a result of seeds sown in their childhood.
3. Children need to act like adults.
We teach children to behave like adults. But Jesus tells adults to model themselves after the children. No, we are not to be childish. What does He mean?
Every single child in the world is absolutely, completely, and totally helpless! And so it is with every child who is born into the Kingdom of God. Children of the Kingdom enter it helpless, ones for whom everything must be done.
4. Children don’t need Jesus.
It is a big mistake to think that children don’t need Jesus. Children need Jesus. Four reasons to bring children to Jesus: 1- He said so. 2- They can’t come by themselves. 3- He wants them. 4- He wants to bless them.
A four year-old was at the pediatrician for a check up. As the doctor poked down her ears, he asked, “Do you think I’ll find Big Bird in here?’ the little girls stayed silent. Next he doctor took a tongue depressor and looked down her throat. He asked, “Do you think I’ll find the Cookie Mosnter down there?” Again the little girl was silent. Then the doctor put a stethoscope to her chest. As he listened to her heartbeat, he asked, “Do you think I’ll hear Barney in there?” “Oh, no!” the little girl replied, “Jesus is in my heart. Barney’s on my underpants.
I hope you will bring the children in your life to Jesus.