Mark 10. 2-16

Based on our Gospel text for today, we could talk about DIVORCE from the time of Moses onward or we could talk about JESUS AND THE CHILDREN.

Guess what, “THE KIDS WIN OUT,” at least for this year…

And I cannot think of “any better way” to begin, then with THE PRAYERS of some little children.

This is ANGELA and she is AGE 8.  Dear God, this is MY prayer ok?  Could you please give my STUPID BROTHER some BRAINS?  So far, he doesn’t have any.  Thank you and amen.

The next prayer comes from Henry age 7.  Dear Lord, thank you for the NICE DAY TODAY.  You even fooled the TV Weatherman, again.  Ha-ha. Amen.

Lois prayed.  Dear God, please, please, please help me in school.  I need help in SPELLING, MULTIPLICATION, HISTORY, GEOGRAPHY, and WRITING. I don’t need help in anything else, honest! PS.  Don’t tell MISS HIGGINS, you are helping me.  Lois, age 8 ¾’s.

David who is a big 7-year-old prayed.  Dear God:  I need A RAISE in my ALLOWANCE.  Could you please send an ANGEL and tell my dad?  There is some stuff I WANT to get.  Amen.

And FINALLY, Diane, age 8 prayed.

Dear God, I am saying my prayers for me and for my brother, Billy, because Billy is FIVE MONTHS OLD and he still can’t do nothing except, SLEEP, EAT, POOP, and WET his diapers. Could you maybe make him CRY a little less? Amen…and thank you.

So, I decided to talk about children…because they were “an IMPORTANT PART of Jesus’ ministry.”  FAR MORE important than most people realize.

To get the FULL picture, I am afraid you really have to look at all four of the gospels.  One, is simply not ENOUGH.

BUT, to begin with I thought of that famous ISAIAH TEXT – chapter 9, verse 6.  “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given.”

Then there is this psalm, Psalm 127 verses 3-5 that says…Children are a GIFT from the Lord;
they are a REWARD from him.
 Children born to a young man
are like arrows in a warrior’s hands.
How joyful is the man whose quiver is full of them!”  Children are A BLESSING…a GIFT…at any age…

You may have to remind yourself periodically, but they ARE a gift.

It was just A FEW WEEKS BACK that we read from Mark chapter 9, verse 37, “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but THE ONE who sent me.”

In John’s Gospel, chapter 6 we hear in that old familiar story of the feeding of the 5,000.  You do realize the whole miracle was based on THE GENEROSITY of a small child.  The text says: “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?”  Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So, the men sat down, about five thousand in number.”  It was ALL BASED on the WILLINGNESS of that little boy TO SHARE what he had.

Again, often overlooked, according to Matthew chapter 21, on Palm-Passion Sunday, it was the little children that cried out: “But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children CRYING OUT in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant.”

The Gospel writer Matthew also tells the story in the ninth chapter…of his gospel of a miraculous healing. 

 And when Jesus came to the ruler’s house and saw the flute players and the crowd making a commotion, he said, “Go away, for THE LITTLE GIRL is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him.  But when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and THE LITTLE GIRL AROSE.  And the report of this went through all that district. 

When those SILLY DISCIPLES were still hung up on the question of “WHO IS THE GREATEST in the KINGDOM of HEAVEN”…Jesus did this…And calling to him A CHILD, he put HIM in the midst of them and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become LIKE CHILDREN, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.  Whoever humbles himself LIKE THIS CHILD is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.  That would be found in Matthew 18.

And we know, how in Mark 10, Jesus took them in his arms and BLESSED THEM, laying his hands ON THEM…

In Matthew 15 we hear the healing of ANOTHER LITTLE GIRL by Jesus, Then Jesus talking to her mother said, “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.” And HER DAUGHTER was healed INSTANTLY.”.

And in Matthew 17, verse 18 it reads, “And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him, and THE BOY was healed INSTANTLY.

I tell you children were EVERYWHERE in need of HEALING and WHOLENESS, and Jesus spent a lot of time with SICK LITTLE CHILDREN…

And what did the OLD DISCIPLES DO?  They tried to dissuade CHILDREN and their PARENTS, “Go away, he’s too busy to see you!”  And Jesus again had to take them to task…SILLY DISCIPLES…

 

SO, a little girl BECAME RESTLESS as the OLD preachers’ sermon went on and on and on, so she leaned over to her mother and said, “Mommy if we give HIM the money now, will HE LET US GO?”

I tell you children are A GIFT, A BLESSING from God.  If you don’t believe try checking out the scriptures!

Amen.