Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: Foreign
[00:00:04] Speaker B: welcome to Hope for Today, a weekly Bible teaching program that will bring you hope for every day.
It is a privilege. We have to study the Word of God together. In this episode, we continue our journey through Scripture. And as we open God's Word together, I invite you to consider what it means for us.
Whatever you're walking through right now, Know the Bible leads us to know Jesus and His plan for our lives.
One aspect of Jesus teaching which sets his kingdom apart from many others is the value he places on all life. In his kingdom, every life is precious. The weak and fragile are looked after with special care. He encourages us to look after children, elderly people, and anyone who cannot take care of themselves. To Jesus, each and every life is valuable.
Today we see Jesus modeling this in his treatment of children.
Mark 10 describes how the disciples didn't think Jesus should do what he was doing, but we see how Jesus uses this for a teaching moment. Turn to mark 10 if you can, and let's learn from Jesus together.
[00:01:19] Speaker A: Many of us have heard stories about someone buying something for a few dollars at a market and then later on learning that it was worth much more than what they paid. The seller didn't know the value of the item that they were offering for sale or they would not have sold it so cheaply.
Today in our study, Jesus confronts wrong ideas about children and their value in the kingdom.
The title of my teaching is Children of Of the Kingdom.
Please listen carefully as I read the text. Mark 10, 13, 16 Here is the word of God.
Then they brought little children to him that he might touch them. But the disciples rebuked those who brought them.
But when Jesus saw it, he was greatly displeased. And he said to them, let the little children come to me and do not forbid them, for of such is the kingdom of God. Assuredly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it. And he took them up in his arms, laid his hands on them, and blessed them.
In this narrative, Jesus outlines essential ideas about the role of children and how they model the kingdom of God for us.
The first idea about the children of the kingdom is the views of children.
You see, in Jesus time, just like today, there were differing views about children. If you listened as I read the scripture, you couldn't help but notice those differences between the disciples and Jesus.
The context of this incident helps our understanding. In chapter nine, Jesus addresses the disciples argument over who will be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
And later he made several significant statements about children he clarified that offending a little one who believes in him will have tragic consequences.
And then the verses just before our text deal with divorce and remarriage and the impact that has on children.
The broader context is critical for proper understanding of Jesus teaching.
I want you to remember too, that Jesus is traveling with a group of pilgrims toward Jerusalem for his final passover.
This text finds him in a house with his disciples where he clarified his teaching on divorce and remarriage.
It was in this setting that some of the crowd brought their young children to Jesus so he could touch them.
Now a touch shows care. It shows compassion and value.
Contrast the attitude of the crowd with the attitude of the Pharisees and their testing of Jesus on m the divorce question just a few verses earlier in this chapter.
For a Jewish rabbi to spend time with children was totally out of character. It was contrary to all the Jewish notions and incompatible with the supposed dignity of the rabbi.
This idea is supported by the disciples reaction to those who brought the children to Jesus.
As these mothers brought their children to Jesus, the disciples reprimanded them severely.
They mistakenly assumed that children have little value to Jesus and that he was too busy for them.
Now we may be quick to criticize the disciples, but let's be careful.
After all, they were the product of their times, much like we are of ours. And children in our time are often neglected too.
Jesus was not impressed with their response. He became indignant at the unjust treatment he witnessed.
The word conveys deep negative emotions. This is the only place in the New Testament where this word is applied to Jesus. The other place it's used is in Matthew 21:15 to describe the chief priests and their opposition to the children crying hosanna, uh, to the son of David. They were angry. They were upset.
Jesus response was immediate and robust.
As I understand it, the idea is send the children to me and do not hinder them. You know, I would have liked to hear how Jesus said that.
I fear we have this mentality that Jesus was a pushover. He never raised his voice.
So much of our artwork depicts him as effeminate, but he was not like that. He wasn't out of control, but he wasn't weak and indecisive either. He spoke with an authority that commanded a response.
His rebuke was swift and it was severe.
So I have a question. Does your view of children align more with the disciples or align more with Jesus?
Are children a bother or a ah, blessing to you?
What do your actions prove?
The next idea about children of the Kingdom is their virtues.
Virtues are commendable qualities or character traits that people possess.
Jesus explains the rationale behind his command to bring the children to him. He said, the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.
What did Jesus mean?
Some Bible teachers believe Jesus statement assures us of the security of young children who die before they understand their sin and need for a savior.
I think this is strong evidence of children's safety before the age of accountability.
Also, children don't know pretense like the Pharisees did. They don't know how to act self righteously, nor do they see the depths of their sin, their depravity. They are what they are with a simple faith and trust in those who guide them.
They make no assumptions of goodness or badness.
One of the virtues of children is their innocence.
Jesus response contradicted the prevailing view of the Judaism of his day.
The Pharisees had a works righteousness system that children could neither understand nor keep.
They couldn't perform righteous deeds to gain salvation and so they could have no part in the kingdom.
But Jesus said, the kingdom belongs to such as these.
To me, this reinforces the biblical teaching of salvation by grace through faith.
No one can perform enough good works to merit salvation.
Jesus said assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.
That statement from the lips of Jesus is one you and I must understand.
But then how does one receive the kingdom as a little child?
Well, an infant is dependent. He's unable to provide anything for himself.
As adults, most of us need to recapture the virtue of dependence.
Each of us has been given gifts by God and entrusted with his work.
And we're commanded in the Scriptures to work hard and to do our best. But we must maintain our dependence on him, because without him we can do nothing.
Dependence is a very childlike virtue. M and children then trust their parents implicitly. There's a unique bond between them.
I remember when my children were small, I would set them on a table or another elevated surface and I would hold out my hands to them. And they would come. They would walk right off the edge, fully trusting that I would catch them. They trusted me. Without that childlike virtue of trust, salvation is not possible.
And then children learn to obey their parents simply and without complaint as they develop. At least they should.
Children who obey their parents are prepared for the time when they will become followers of Christ.
Obedience is necessary for salvation because one must acknowledge they are a lost sinner and heed God's call to Repent and believe the Gospel.
Jesus here presents the little child with trusting, simple and loving obedience as the model for adults to enter the kingdom as adult children of the kingdom. Are these virtues present in your life and in mine?
And then I have a final idea about children of the kingdom. It's the value of children.
Jesus clearly demonstrated the value of children by his actions. He took them up in his arms, laid his hands on them and blessed them.
Mark is the only gospel writer to include this meaningful gesture. What a difference from the attitudes and the actions of the disciples.
Jesus unfolded the children in his embrace and he repeatedly blessed them.
You know, isn't it like Jesus to give us more than we're looking for and more than we deserve?
The sense of the verb is that he blessed each one of them fervently, praying for them while he laid his hands on them.
What a wonderful picture for all the children of the kingdom, including you and me.
You know, today children are often not valued in the way that God intended.
The blood of thousands of innocent children aborted every day around the world cries out for justice. And I tremble for those who participate in these monstrous crimes, because unless they repent, they will face the unmitigated wrath of Almighty God.
Every one of these precious little ones is made in God's image. And God will demand an accounting for the horrible treatment of his image bearers.
Even for parents who would never consider abortion, there are other ways in which children are not valued.
Some children have adequate physical provisions, but their spiritual development and training are neglected.
And then still others, professing to follow Christ, purposely prevent their marriage union from producing children.
Their choice shows they don't value children.
Now, thankfully, I am not the judge of people's salvation. But I ask, how can people who reject children claim to have entered Christ's kingdom by becoming like little children?
So I praise God for parents who value and love children. I am blessed by their commitment to lay the foundations of many godly generations.
May their number increase.
My wife and I haven't been perfect parents, but we love each of our children and grandchildren. Seeing them embrace the gospel we've taught and tried to live before them is our greatest blessing. Their salvation is a sovereign work of God. But as parents or grandparents, we are the agents by which that divine work is begun.
Make no mistake about it. Jesus loves children.
Can we, as his followers, do less? Can we ignore or neglect or refuse children and still claim to be one of his?
Let's review the ideas about the role of children and how they model the kingdom of God for us.
First, Jesus had a different view of children than his disciples and the religious leaders.
He showed them their view was incorrect.
He went on to teach them about the virtues of children, humility, trust and obedience. He taught them, without these, no one can enter the kingdom.
Finally, he demonstrated the value of children by taking time to hold them, pray over them and bless them.
Take time for the children in your world, whatever your position in life is, to receive these little ones in Jesus name is the same as receiving him and His Father.
May all of us be counted worthy to be called children of the Kingdom.
[00:13:08] Speaker B: We hope God's Word has encouraged you today.
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