Introduction

This morning we’ll once again turn in our Bibles to Mark. But I thought I’d give you a heads up – as we enter the summer months, we’re actually going to be taking a break from this sermon series through Mark. And in a few weeks, we’ll begin a summer series through the Attributes of God. So that’s something you can be looking forward to. And then when we get to the Fall, I’ll continue working through Mark’s gospel where we left off.

But in our text this morning, Jesus continues to have important words for his disciples about what it looks like to rightly relate to him, and to humbly follow him. And so if you haven’t already, please open your Bibles with me, and turn to Mark Chapter 10. This morning I’ll be reading a somewhat short text. Mark 10, verses 13 through 16. But before I read our verses this morning, let’s ask for the work of the Spirit to help me, and to help all of us, as we hear from God’s Word this morning. Please pray with me:

[Pray and Read Text]

Introduction 2.0

On October 12, 1944, the legendary singer – Frank Sinatra – he was performing at the Paramount Theater, located in Times Square in New York City. But the concert sold out. A crowd of 25,000 or more people gathered who wanted to see him perform. But when they realized they couldn’t get tickets, the fan base quickly turned into a desperate mob, and mass hysteria broke out. They clawed through the small police force outside, and attempted to storm the theater. In the chaos that followed, Frank Sinatra evacuated the theater. And as he did, he was battered & scratched by overzealous fans before he finally managed to get away.

Other famous persons have experienced similar things. In the 1960s, for example, the Beatles were often faced with crowds like this. As soon as the musicians would fly into airports, and step off the jet bridge, they were often met by thousands of screaming fans. And airport security wasn’t always adequate. So on numerous occasions, the overexcited fans would climb over or dismantle the protective barriers that had been set up. And they’d fight past each other to get to the Beatles, to touch them, to rip off a piece of their shirt as a memento, or do other bizarre things. It wasn’t uncommon for the band members to get minor injuries from this. Certainly you can see – there was a need for crowd control.

And this explains why, in many cases today, it’s common for celebrities to hire people to serve as personal security. Before they go to a public place, before they step out on the red carpet, they have agents who make sure to secure the perimeter for them. They travel with body guards, to keep away the riffraff.

Now, last week, when we read the beginning of Chapter 10, you may remember that we were told that there were crowds that were once again gathering around Jesus. There’s no indication that the crowds were out of control, or that there was mass hysteria. The disciples may not exactly have seen themselves as Jesus’s security team. But it would seem that they still felt like part of their job, as Jesus’s inner, elite group of followers was to bring the important people to Jesus, and to keep people away who might get in the way, or be a waste of his time.

Yet what we see in our text is that the gatekeeper mentality of the disciples is misguided, here. Jesus isn’t looking for them to keep people away. In fact, the disciples have been missing the point of what Jesus has just recently been teaching them, about welcoming the humble and serving the lowly. Jesus has said having that posture is an important part of following him. The disciples, though, are slow learners, like we sometimes are – and they still aren’t grasping this. But Jesus uses the event in our text as another opportunity to teach about humility and how it relates to the kingdom of God.

So as we work through our text, there are three main observations we’ll give our attention to. First, we’ll look at Jesus’s indignation toward blocking children. Second, we’ll see his insistence on blessing children. And then third, and finally, we’ll see what Jesus says about the importance of being children. (Jesus’s indignation about blocking children, His insistence on blessing children, and the importance of being children).

Jesus’s Indignation about Blocking Children

This first observation – Jesus’s indignation about blocking children – this is something we see in the first couple verses of our text. As Jesus is with this crowd, we’re told in verse 13 that the parents who were in the crowd – they were bringing their children to him. The Greek word for child here indicates a very small child – a baby or a toddler. And this verse says they were bringing their children to Jesus, “that he might touch them.”

Now, at first this might seem like a strange desire. Because it almost sounds like the parents are just looking for Jesus to pat their kid on the head, or pinch their cheek or something. But when we see the big picture, it’s clear that the parents aren’t just wanting Jesus to place his hand on their child. But they want Jesus to pronounce a blessing for their child.

And for people to do this wasn’t unheard of at the time. Among the Jews, parents were known to take their children to respected rabbis or elders, and to request a blessing for their children. In some cases, rabbis might give the priestly blessing from Numbers 6. Or some historians suggest that other times, the elders of a synagogue might pray for blessing, that a child would grow up to be “famous in the Law, faithful in marriage, and abundant in good works.” But in this case, these parents bypass the mainline rabbis. And they seem to have a distinct awareness that Jesus is the one they want to pronounce blessing on their little ones. And so these infants are brought to Jesus.

And it’s interesting that we’re told about Jesus’s run-in with children here. Because already, in recent weeks, we’ve seen Jesus talking about children, and expressing his concern for them. In our text last week, earlier in Chapter 10, children weren’t explicitly mentioned. But Jesus was teaching to deter divorce, and to uphold marriage. It makes sense that concern for the well-being of children would be at least part of his reasoning for that. And before that, back in Mark 9:42, Jesus warned against leading even the smallest child to commit sin. And then the week before that, even, we saw in Mark 9:37, that Jesus encouraged his disciples to welcome even lowly children in his name. Jesus has an interest in the well-being of little ones.

And yet, even after these encouragements, his disciples don’t seem to share the same concern. The idea of welcoming children seems to be long gone from their memory. And so the disciples see these parents trying to bring their children to Jesus, the twelve disciples say no thanks! Actually, they do worse than that. We’re actually told, at the end of verse 13, that when these parents brought their children to Jesus, “…the disciples rebuked them.”

Just imagine what that was like. The disciples are saying, “Hey you, stop! Dave and Jessica – why are you trying to bring your babies to Jesus? He’s too busy and important to do that kind of thing. You should know better! And – oh, come on, Mr. and Mrs. Peterson – you can’t sneak past here. Take little Johnny home. Don’t waste our time. Jesus has better things to do than to play nursery maid.”

Who knows exactly what the disciples were saying – but it was demeaning. It was critical. It was a rebuke. Their words were designed to turn these parents and children away.

But notice what Jesus does in verse 14. We’re told that when Jesus saw it, when he saw what his disciples were doing, he was indignant. Or to say it another way, he was vexed with them. He was angry. Jesus here actually has indignation toward his disciples for blocking these children.

But why does Jesus have this sort of response? What is it that frustrates Jesus so much here? Our text suggests at least three reasons why Jesus would have been frustrated with the disciples’ actions.

For one thing, it’s because the disciples’ actions here were driven by pride. Driven by pride. You have to remember, it was just a short time before this that Jesus explicitly told them that greatness involves welcoming children in Mark 8:37. So why don’t the disciples put it into practice? Why aren’t they opening their arms to children? It’s pride.

At this point, they knew that Jesus was vastly important. He had already confirmed to them that he was the Christ, the Chosen King of God, in response to Peter’s confession in Mark 8. And these disciples seemed to figure, since they were his main men – they must have quite a high status, too. And so when parents show up, who want Jesus to spend time with their squirmy, spit-up scented baby, the disciples assume that they’re above that sort of thing. Surely important people like us, like Jesus – surely we shouldn’t be bothered by little people like you. It’s appropriate that this pride of the disciples would incite Jesus’s displeasure.

But there’s like another thing that upsets Jesus, here. And that’s the way that the disciples give off the idea that Jesus is only interested in helping people who are impressive or important in some way. According to the disciples, if you want Jesus to do nice things for you, you need to be accomplished enough, or educated enough, or old enough. You need to earn it, or be worthy of it. That’s what the disciples seem to think, at least. And so it’s on that kind of basis that the disciples try to block these parents from bringing their children to Jesus. But it quickly becomes clear that Jesus is perplexed with his disciples for communicating this. Later on, he firmly corrects his disciples on this point.

But there’s one more thing that seems to contribute to Jesus’s indignation. And that’s how his disciples themselves don’t reflect Jesus’s care for children. They deviate from Jesus’s own posture, in this. Because there’s no mistaking it – Jesus sees children in a way that his disciples miss. He views them as valuable human persons. Of course, Jesus understands that children are made to reflect the image and likeness of God, just as truly as adults are. And so Jesus has a high regard for the preciousness of human life, even as it relates to little ones.

And there are multiple encouragements we can take from this, practically. As we follow Jesus’s lead, we should be concerned to promote and protect the dignity of human life, regardless of the stage of development. Even those are smallest, weakest, and most vulnerable have distinct worth. And this is true no matter how young a little one might be – whether out of the womb or not. Certainly, if Jesus is concerned for the littlest and lowliest kinds of people, this should be reflected in us, as well!

And as another practical implication of Jesus’s care – the general inclination of Christian families should be pro-children. You’ve maybe seen that, culturally, there are some couples who dislike the idea of raising children, because they see kids as a nuisance or an inconvenience. And yet the Bible identifies that children are a good gift, in places like Psalm 127:3. In Scripture, childbearing is held out to us as something desirable and dignified. And so it makes sense that Christian couples, of all people, would be among those who most eagerly want to embrace children. This is something that I’m confident many of you already appreciate, and it’s right we’d continue to value the gift of children together.

Of course, hearing this encouragement can sometimes bring sadness, though. Because there are many singles who can’t have a family – many married couples who aren’t able to have children, or to have as many children as they would like. And I want to affirm to you – it’s right, out of a care for children – that there’d be some sorrow that would come with this. But even in these cases, couples can consider adding to their family through adoption, which is a special picture of the good news, of how God brings us into his family. Or there are ways to care well for the children of others – writing notes of encouragement, catching them in the hallway at church to hear about their life, praying with them and for them. Giving attention to those who may seem lower and littler than ourselves isn’t just good for the children, but it’s good for us. Because it’s one of God’s appointed ways that we learn humility, and the greatness of serving others. And certainly, as we stoop down to care for little children – it helps us to appreciate in a very vivid way the patience and love God shows toward us.

So don’t forget the special importance there is, in caring for young children. I recognize there may be moms and dads here who feel exhausted this morning. But remember the great opportunity you have to invest in the lives of children. You have an open door, to carry your little ones to Jesus. Make regular time in your home to lead your children in worship. Teach them what it means to turn from sin and misery, and how they can find forgiveness and new life in Christ. The impact of this reaches far beyond you, into future generations. The impact even reaches into eternity. We don’t even know how much of a difference caring for one life can make. Those of you who are grandparents, great-uncles, great-aunts – this is an opportunity you have, too. There’s still much good you can do. And I even want to speak to you kids and teenagers – many of you have younger siblings, or younger friends and cousins. Even now, you younger people have opportunities to care for people smaller than you. You can help them know Jesus, and his work to save us from our sins. We don’t want to ignore the little ones, or hinder them. We want them to be brought near to Jesus.

It’s an important matter to care for the children around us. Certainly, Jesus has a concern for this. And I think that J. C. Ryle expresses it well when he says: “Let us learn from these verses that the Lord Jesus cares tenderly for the souls of little children.  Young as they are, they are not beneath His thought and attention.  That mighty heart of His has room for the babe in its cradle as well as the king on his throne.  He regards each infant as possessing within its little body an undying principle which will outlive the pyramids of Egypt and see the sun and moon quenched at that last day, and so He cares for their souls.” Surely we should care  for these little ones, too.

Jesus’s Insistence on Blessing Children

And yet, this concern Jesus has for the young and weak – it’s reflected, not only in his indignation about blocking children. But it’s also reflected in his insistence on blessing children. And this is my second main point in our text – dealing with his insistence on blessing children.

As Jesus sees that his disciples are turning away these parents and their infants, you’ll notice, he doesn’t just let it happen. But he interrupts and says, “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them.” Jesus insists that he wants them to come and receive his blessing.

And he explains why these children shouldn’t be hindered. He explains why these children should be admitted to receive his blessing, at the end of verse 14. “For to such belongs the kingdom of God.” Jesus’s statement here is interesting. Because he’s actually affirming two realities when he says this. On the one hand, he’s saying that there’s a real sense in which the kingdom of God belongs to these infants. That’s the rationale he gives for why they should come and receive his blessing. And then Jesus says there’s also a real sense in which the kingdom of God belongs to those who are similar to these children – to such as are like them. Jesus is affirming both ideas. And we can know this, because the standard use of the Greek word for such includes both these children who are being referred to, and those who are like them. It’s worth taking a moment to unpack both of these realities that Jesus is affirming.

So first, Jesus affirms that there’s a real sense in which the kingdom of God belongs to these infants. Now, I want to clarify right away – Jesus isn’t claiming that the kingdom of God automatically belongs to every baby or infant in the whole world. He’s talking about children of God-fearing parents here. And make sure you notice, too, he’s also not even saying that these babies or infants have entered into the kingdom, or that they’ve embraced and benefited from kingdom realities savingly. After all, in the very next verse, Jesus speaks about the kingdom as something that, normatively, must be received. There are important aspects of the kingdom that infants are still outside of, until they receive God’s chosen King, by faith.

And yet, Jesus makes it clear – there’s still a real sense in which the kingdom of God belongs to the infants of these God-fearing parents. And this is because these infants are included in a covenant relationship with God. We first see how covenants operate in the Bible, way back in Genesis. God initiates a covenant relationship with a man named Abraham, and also with his children. And this covenant involves promises of future blessing, to be received by faith. (And I’ll point out, God promised to make a great nation from Abraham’s offspring in Genesis 12:2. So the covenant included the promise of a kingdom). And God wanted to give assurance of his gracious purposes, both to believers like Abraham, and also as an encouragement to their children, to be a means of promoting their faith. And so God gave the sign of circumcision to both. And by giving this sign to the children, God was essentially saying – there’s a real sense in which my special communication and my special community belongs to you. The promises of blessing and a kingdom are for you. So look to me as your God, depend on my saving grace through faith, and receive the promises. By giving all this, the Lord was supplying a strong incentive (and advantage even) for these children to trust in him.

And this establishes the normal of how God deals with his people. This covenantal understanding explains why, Jesus can point to babies and toddlers, and say, “To such belongs the kingdom of God,” while at the same time insisting that the kingdom of God must be received in order for anyone to enter.

And since Jesus continues to operate with this paradigm with reference to his kingdom, this informs how we, as a Presbyterian church in Mt Pleasant, view the children in our midst. We would say that they’re still included in God’s covenant people – the Bible has never announced a change to this. And this is part of why we believe it’s important for kids to be included in the life and worship of the church. We want to help our kids to see, from a young age, that they belong here. And we want them to hear the Word of God, calling them from a young age to repentance and faith. We want our children to understand what it means to personally turn from sin, and to trust in the Lord of the Kingdom, and to receive his covenant promises savingly.

I’ll also briefly add here, this covenantal understanding also informs how our church views baptism. In the New Testament, baptism operates as the sign of inclusion in God’s covenant. And so just as circumcision was given to professing believers and their children, we believe the Bible teaches that baptism is rightly applied to both, as well. I want to be clear, we deny the Roman Catholic teaching that water baptism washes away original sin. We don’t believe that baptism automatically saves people or regenerates them. But as a sign of the covenant, we believe that baptism is a confirmation, to Christians and to our children, that we really can claim the promises of God as our own. It assures us that God wants us to call on him in faith, and that he will not cast us out when we do.

But even though Jesus affirms that there’s a real sense in which the kingdom belongs to these children, he also affirms that second reality – that to such people who are like children, the kingdom of God belongs to them, too. But it’s in view of this second reality that Jesus emphasizes that being humble like children, to receive the kingdom by faith, is necessary in order to actually enter the kingdom.

The Importance of Being Children

And this brings us to my third and final point this morning – the importance of being children. The importance of being children. In verse 15, Jesus explains: “Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.”

Now, again, to be clear – in this statement, Jesus is not saying that all children have received or are receiving the kingdom, simply by being children. But the point here is that there’s a particular way that the kingdom must be received. We need to receive it in the same way that a little child receives things. Otherwise we won’t enter it.

And you just have to stop, and think about how weird this would have sounded to the disciples. In their mind, certainly, getting into the kingdom of God meant that you had to produce the right credentials. You had to follow the right steps. You had to measure up to right standards. The disciples may not have known a lot of things, but there was one thing they thought they knew for sure. Of course, to get into the kingdom, you had to earn it. It was about your pedigree and your performance.

But Jesus sweeps up all those ideas, he dumps them in the trash, and he says no. Entry into the kingdom is not something you’re entitled to, just based on your family heritage. It’s not something you can earn. It’s not something you can qualify yourself for. But the qualifications for being admitted into the kingdom can come only from God. They are gifts to be received. Jesus is emphatically stating, here, that salvation is by God’s grace alone, through faith in him alone – not a result of our works, so that no one may boast.

And that’s why, to teach us this point – Jesus points us to the example of infants. And he wants us to consider – these little ones know that they’re needy, even without being told. They have no problem openly displaying their dependence on the strength of others. They aren’t relying on their resumé, because they don’t have one. But all the baby has, comes as they humbly receive from someone greater. And Jesus says – this ought to be us.

Jesus wants to break the delusion of self-importance that his disciples have here. And he wants them to understand – having humility isn’t just what makes someone great in God’s kingdom. But humility is, in fact, essential to even enter the kingdom.

Of course, by saying this, Jesus’s goal isn’t to have us start viewing humility as some sort of achievement, or some sort of good work that we produce to earn heaven. It’s not as though moaning about our unworthiness, or rolling ourselves in the dirt, will make us more deserving of heaven. Jesus is not saying that we should trust in our humility to get us access into the kingdom.

But the humility in view here is a humility that bows before the greatness of another, and that begs for the grace of another. Jesus wants to bring us to a place where we would simply admit – “I have no strength to bring myself to God. I have no goodness that would merit his favor. But all I have are powerless, empty little child hands. Please, Lord, provide for me.” That’s the perspective Jesus is saying we need here. Rather than trusting in self, he calls us to a childlike humility that depends entirely on the superior greatness of God. Because just as Colossians 1:12 affirms, He’s the only one who can qualify us and cause us to receive the kingdom.

And Jesus wants to assure us – God isn’t reluctant to grant these things! Jesus himself, the divine Son of God – he displays for us what the Father’s true disposition toward us is like. Certainly, our God in heaven knows that we are lowly, dirty, and helpless. We are weak like children. And yet God doesn’t say – ugh, keep them away. But he instead calls out to the sons and daughters of mankind, and he welcomes us, saying “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them.” He gives us every encouragement, to come and to hear his blessing, to receive the kingdom through faith in the King who saves us from our sins.

In verse 16, as Jesus takes the children in his arms, and blesses them – we see evidence that God is not ashamed to associate with us. He isn’t averse to the prospect of helping lowly creatures to us. But he actually delights in doing it. He insists that he will do it. And he invites you and I to believe that he can be depended upon. We can look to God to receive the kingdom, because we have a God who loves to give. As Jesus confirms in Luke 12:32: “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”

Of course, Jesus is clear, not everyone will get into the everlasting kingdom of God. When we return to our sermon series later this year, we’ll seen an example of how a man is unwilling to humble himself before Christ. And he goes away sorrowful. “Whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” These are serious words. And you need to consider, with God as your witness, if you your life is marked by the child-like humility Jesus is talking about here. Do you know something of what it means to count yourself as nothing, and to depend on God for everything? Because if you don’t, you don’t know your neediness, and you don’t know Christ the way that you need to!

But Jesus invites you to admit your lack of knowledge, to admit your lowness and weakness – and to trust in Him, to provide what you are lacking. He urges you to become a little, humble child, to rest in his arms, and to receive his blessing. “For to such belongs the kingdom of God.” “Let the children come to me” – that’s what Jesus says. So as we close, let’s come to him, together, in humble prayer. Let’s pray: