Mark 10:13-16
One day some parents brought their children to Jesus so he could touch and bless them. But the disciples scolded the parents for bothering him. 14 When Jesus saw what was happening, he was angry with his disciples. He said to them, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children. 15 I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.” 16 Then he took the children in his arms and placed his hands on their heads and blessed them.
I wanted to take a point from the character of Jesus that I know many struggle regarding. My hope is that over this past weeks as a church we have been coming to an understanding of who Jesus really is and the way the Father really loves us as we have seen it in Jesus.
It is funny and not funny all at the same time the comments I hear from people that I hope after today…I will never again hear from people in our church.
All of us are growing and in the process of growing we fail, we make mistakes, we sin…when that happens here are some of the things I hear
“Well God’s going to get me for that one”
“I’m going to be punished for that”
“Well at least I’ll be with all my friends in hell for that one”
“I hope God didn’t see that I might not wake up tomorrow”
I just heard on Wednesday in reference to all of the fires, floods, volcano eruptions….”Somebody really ticked God off!”
There are certain denominations that have thrived for years on a God that seemingly can’t wait to punish people for their sins.
I really don’t want to see a show of hands but I want you to think if this the way you have viewed God?
My hope is if it was that you are changing that view based on this scripture alone
Jeremiah 31:3 (the Message)
“I’ve never quit loving you and never will. Expect love, love, and more love!”
Is this the same God that you were thinking of just a few moments ago?
Children raised in innocence will tend to love and want to be loved in these verses what do we see
Mark 10:13
One day some parents brought their children to Jesus so he could touch and bless them. But the disciples scolded the parents for bothering him.
First people are so drawn to the love coming from Jesus they were pushing their most precious gift toward him.
I know some would want to just push their kids off of someone some days but if Jesus were the vengeful, wrathful, angry God everyone talks about
It is another topic for another time but the idea of the vengeful wrath-filled God comes from people who have not read the Bible. Did God do things like that and will he do it again? Yes, but it was never because mercy, love, grace, calls to repent were not given to ad nauseam. God is first and foremost…LOVE.
He loves, if possible, to a fault!
2 Peter 3:9
The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.
So the reports of His wrath, anger, hatred are the very first “fake news”
Here is the reality of what we see, remember one of the accomplishments of Jesus was to “show us the Father!”
We see one of the very few times where Jesus actually got angry and the only time where the Greek meaning of an intense anger is directed toward the disciples
Mark 10:14
When Jesus saw what was happening, he was angry with his disciples. He said to them, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children.
Jesus is saying I value these children. The disciples saw the children as an intrusion into the importance of Jesus’ ministry as men were valued first, women a distant second and children and even further distance third and should be neither seen or heard unless called for.
Jesus is once again showing us the Father’s heart and what it should be. You Mom’s know how your heartbeats for your children and if someone hurts your children it hurts you worse than if they had hurt you.
Jesus is saying I find those which society does not value as valuable. Everyone created in God’s image is important.
Please as a side note parents Jesus is talking to us today to say “let the children come to Him” don’t allow sports, dance, school, even your hurts, fears, rejections of wounds stop you from bringing your children always to church, to learn about him…make it a priority
Paul tells us the Kingdom of God is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit…children raised in a loving environment example this..peace/joy knowing their parent(s) have everything under control, blind loving trust. They are covered in God’s righteous until they must make that choice for themselves
Then we see this God that people think is so full of wrath, anger, and vengeance does something very loving
Mark 10:16
16 Then he took the children in his arms and placed his hands on their heads and blessed them.
Once again, Philip, one of the disciples, came to Jesus and said show us, God, show us what He is like, show us who He is
John 14:9a
Jesus replied, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and yet you still don’t know who I am? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father!
God’s heartbeat is that this is the way you see him.
Someone who…
– loves you
– will wrap His arms around you and
– wants to bless you, always.
He will come alongside of you when you are afraid, overwhelmed, feel as if no one cares. Someone who will be there when all the world is collapsing around you.
At the same time as a loving Father…
– will challenge you to grow
– may put you in dangerous positions (last week)
– but always be with you, so you can find out really who you are
This is who God is and His real heartbeat for you!
Here are a couple more verses you may have never read before
Psalm 103:13-17a
The Lord is like a father to his children,
tender and compassionate to those who fear him.
14 For he knows how weak we are;
he remembers we are only dust.
15 Our days on earth are like grass;
like wildflowers, we bloom and die.
16 The wind blows, and we are gone—
as though we had never been here.
17 But the love of the Lord remains forever
with those who fear him.
His salvation extends to the children’s children….
God knows exactly what we are, what are limitations are, what are gifts are and He will love us in the way we need to touch the world so that all generations will see Jesus in our lives
Psalm 68:5,6a
Father to the fatherless, defender of widows—
this is God, whose dwelling is holy.
6 God places the lonely in families;
he sets the prisoners free and gives them joy….
This is a far cry from the wrathful, vengeful God who only wants to punish people when His word says his heart breaks for those without Fathers and if allowed, He will be a father to the fatherless, he wants no one to feel alone but wants them loved always and rather then sending people into punishment wants to bring them out of their self-imposed punishment.
Let the little children, let the broken, let the widows, let the hurting, let the mature all come to Jesus so that He can bless
What about you today, do you need blessed? Come an just simply ask the ministry team to bless you!