Scripture
15One day some parents brought their little children to Jesus so he could touch and bless them. But when the disciples saw this, they scolded the parents for bothering him. 16Then Jesus called for the children and said to the disciples, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children. 17I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.” Luke 18:15-17
Observation
In Jesus’ day children were considered to hold the lowest status in society. Instead of going with the flow, however, Jesus contradicted the disciples' expectations and traditional views and became angry at his followers for not allowing the children to come to Him. To say that the Kingdom of God belonged to children would have offended most of the religious folks in that crowd. Because much of Judaism had become about somehow earning your way to heaven by doing good works, children couldn’t contribute and therefore had little to no value. In the upside-down Kingdom we have much to learn from the faith of children and must keep them close us and the Savior. In Matthew 18:5-6 Jesus drives the point home even more poignantly: 5“And anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf is welcoming me. 6But if you cause one of these little ones who trusts in me to fall into sin, it would be better for you to have a large millstone tied around your neck and be drowned in the depths of the sea.” Jesus is saying, “Watch the kids and learn from their faith. They don’t have to earn My love they just receive it.” He’s also saying, “Watch the kids and protect their faith from those who would try to tempt them, twist them, or take them away from Me.” Perceive their faith and protect their faith. Call them close and keep them close. Humble yourselves and hold yourselves responsible for their care.
Application
When we are out and about as a family we are always on the look out for our boys even though they have a tendency to always be on the look out for trouble. I learn so much from their faith in Jesus and I've learned that many outside agendas are working to attack their faith. It's my job to build them up in a world seeking to tear them down. There’s not a single responsible parent out there who doesn’t spend some time vetting those who would babysit our children. When going out on a double date with other parents the first question will inevitably be, “who’s watching the kids”? I feel like this is what Jesus is asking us about this generation. Who’s watching the kids when legislation is being passed that takes the authority a parent has to lead and care for their children and puts in the hands of the government: California Bill AB1184 signed into law.
At 12 years old, your son or daughter can:
Get an abortion. Without your consent or knowledge.
Get treated for sexual assault. Without your consent or knowledge.
Get treated for mental health. Without your consent or knowledge.
Get treated for drug abuse. Without your consent or knowledge.
Get cross sex hormones. Without your consent or knowledge.
Get hormone blockers Without your consent or knowledge.
Now, more than ever I hear Jesus saying, “let the children come to me”. Foster and environment of trust by keeping the communication lines open. We must not abdicate our authority as parents to any other person or organization. We must be more intentional than ever learn from our kids and lead our kids. Today, I came across a profound story that’s been circulating about the 9/11 attack on the Pentagon. 189 people were killed including 64 on Flight 77. Chaos was everywhere and multiple crises arose. One included an on sight day care with babies and toddlers. As the day care director was trying to figure out how to relocate the children outside, away from potentially toxic smoke and fumes, a Marine stuck his head in the area and asked if he could help. The babies were in heavy beds that were difficult to transport, but their beds were needed for their care. The marine said he would be back. The director was not all that confident given the chaos and other pressing needs that day. Pretty soon 40 Marines showed up, rounded up the toddlers, picked the beds and the babies, and transported then to a safe space outside. They put the cribs in a circle to keep the toddlers from wandering off, then the 40 Marines formed a perimeter around the beds. This act of heroism and help in the midst of crisis and confusion is an apt picture of what we must do for the young ones in our lives!
Prayer
Lord, I pray that today we would take Psalm 78:4 as our mandate, “We will not hide these truths from our children; we will tell the next generation about the glorious deeds of the LORD, about his power and his mighty wonders.” It seems that everything is being pointed at the next generation to destroy them while they are young. Man may pass their laws, but Your command to "watch the kids" reigns supreme over all of those words. I can’t imagine being given the power of these life altering decisions at age 12. Without the guidance and discipline of my parents constantly calling me back to You and Your Word I would not be the man, husband, father and leader I am today. Thank you for the privilege of raising up a generation of Spirit-filled, Bible-believing, Jesus followers who I am learning from and looking out for every single day!
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