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October 4, 2009—Proper 22

Lectionary Texts: Job 1:1; 2:1-10 or Genesis 2:18-24; Psalm 26 or Psalm 8; Hebrews 1:1-4, 2:5-12; Mark 10:2-16

Sermon Text: Mark 10:13-16

The Worthiness of a Child

Some of my favorite people are children. They don’t always have the social finesse that adults have. As a result, they are very honest and not limited by social expectations. If you talk to a child and you have bad breath, he or she will usually let you know. If you are a little “extra large” in places, children will tell you. They don’t mean in a bad way; it’s just the truth.

Children like to have conversations about important things in their world. They might tell you about their new shoes, or a dead worm they recently found on the sidewalk. Children also like to ask questions. Of course, we don’t always have the answers to them, but it can make for some interesting conversations. If we listen carefully we can actually learn a lot from children.

Today we look at a short segment of scripture that at first appears to be a sweet story about Jesus and children. It is that, but it is also so much more. In this brief incident recorded by Mark, we have the opportunity to learn about how precious and valuable we are to Jesus.

During the years of His ministry Jesus went from being a small town carpenter to being much sought after as a teacher, healer, and deliverer. He brought hope and joy to people who had long since lost all hope. In the process, His fame spread quickly. Everywhere He went people wanted to be near Him.

The crowds that surrounded Him placed great demands on Him, bringing their sick and maimed to Him, seeking to be made whole. They brought those with demons seeking to be released from hopeless bondage. They came desiring to just get a glimpse of Him and to hear what He had to say about God.

In today’s world we would call Him a celebrity. Like many famous people, when He was out in public He didn’t get a moments’ rest. When He tried to get away and spend time alone with God or His disciples, people followed Him and wouldn’t allow Him the peace and solitude He needed.

His disciples were aware of this and they did their best to run interference for Him. They tried to keep bothersome people out of His way and send away those that took up too much of His time. They believed it as their job to protect Him from needless interruptions such as a nosey group of children.

Earlier some Pharisees had come to Jesus asking a question about divorce, trying to make Him look bad or to speak against the teachings of Moses. Jesus had spent the day answering their questions and teaching people about God. Surely these important scholars and church leaders were more important and worthy of His time than a group of children.

In our world, people are usually always willing to take time for children. Politicians have learned that the way to touch the hearts of constituents is to shower attention on their children. They will frequently stop and hold a baby or greet a small child in the midst of a crowd of people. You don’t have to be a politician to interact with children. There is something about the innocent face of a child that draws us in.

We will talk to children in grocery carts, or smile at them as their parents walk by with a stroller. We greet them in restaurants and toss a ball to them in the park. We will stop and let them pet our dog when we are out for a walk. There is just something open and sweet about a child that invites us to interact with them--even if we don’t know them.

It wasn’t exactly that way in the first century. Children were not highly valued. Girls, like the women they would grow up to be, had little or no value other than their potential for producing sons. When they were born the father usually grieved. Females were a burden and a nuisance. Boys were valued above girls, but as children they were not held in high esteem. Until such a time as they entered the adult world, they were tolerated as long as they did what their fathers wanted them to do and didn’t cause much trouble. Children were expected to help their parents and make themselves useful, while causing as little noise and trouble as possible. While I am sure most parents loved their children, society tolerated children begrudgingly. It was an adult world.

Children were not welcomed into adult activities. They were usually brushed aside or ignored by the adults around them. So when mothers came bringing their children to Jesus to be blessed by Him, or a group of children came running up to the crowd gathered around Jesus wanting to see and hear Him for themselves, the disciples were right there to send them away before they could bother Jesus. As far as the disciples were concerned Jesus was much too important and had too many demands on His time to be bothered by a group of dirty and noisy children. They were unworthy of His attention.

The Scripture tells us the disciples rebuked the children. This doesn’t mean they gently greeted the children and those bringing them to Jesus, politely asking them to come back at a later. No, they were very stern and harsh with them. I can just hear loud, outspoken Peter gruffly telling those children to “Get out of here!”

I can remember getting scolded like that by a stranger when I was about 5 years old. We were visiting my grandparents at the time. The house they lived in was right next door to a produce market. The brick wall of the market was right on the edge of my grandparent’s driveway. One evening just as it was getting dusk, my sister and I were playing in the drive way. The big door to the loading dock of the market was open. Since it was right beside the drive way, we peaked in. I remember seeing boxes and crates. It was all so interesting to a 5-year-old.

Then one of the workmen came in. It seemed to me he was about eight feet tall, with shoulders about four feet wide. He had a gruff and booming voice, “What are you kids doing?” he asked. We were pretty shy and easily intimidated. So instead of explaining, we stood there terrified until one of us stammered, “Nothing.” “Well then get out of here!” he barked. We didn’t wait around to discuss it with him; we ran with our hearts pounding. I don’t think I ever went near that part of the driveway again.

Whenever I think of the disciples rebuking the children, that's how I imagine it. Peter in a gruff voice asking, “What are you doing?”. Followed by the demand, “Get out of here!” The implied message is: unworthy, unworthy, unworthy! The disciples totally missed the point of Jesus’ ministry. They saw the children as unworthy and a bother. They wanted to protect Jesus from those who didn’t matter. Jesus, however, knew just how worthy they were.

Jesus wasn’t one to look at the outward appearance or the social standing of those who came to Him. He didn’t measure their worthiness based on those criteria. Jesus knew His purpose on this earth; He came to seek and to save what was lost. (Luke 19:10) He knew that the lost included not just the rich and powerful, not just church leaders, not just the ones who knew scripture. He came for everyone. Whether it was convenient or not, Jesus took the time to reach out and touch them with the blessings of God.

Jesus came to die on a cross for those who were unworthy. In all the things He did and in all His interactions with people, Jesus never once lost sight of that. Jesus knew His task on earth was to go to the cross and to give himself for our sins. His time on earth was spent in reaching out to and loving those very people.

Today we come to the Table of the Lord to remember the cross and what Jesus did for us there. We must remember that our worthiness does not come from our social standing or our accomplishments. This is a feast Jesus prepared for us by His broken body and shed blood. He did not prepare it for the perfect, for those who never struggle. He prepared it for the needy; including us.

Remember the gruff voice of the disciples sending the children away? Do you ever hear a voice like that in your head as you approach the Table of the Lord? Do you feel unworthy to receive what Christ has prepared for you? Jesus rebuked the disciples for trying to get rid of the children. He wanted the children to be allowed to come to Him because the kingdom of Heaven belonged to them. It is not the Temple leaders or even the disciples who were most important in the kingdom of God. Jesus said it's these little kids, with runny noses, dirty faces, sticky fingers, and trusting hearts.

Do you ever feel when you approach the Table of God that you have a runny nose, a dirty face, or sticky fingers? Sometimes even with our best efforts and intentions we fall down in the world, getting dirty and grimy in our efforts to live for Christ. We say things we shouldn’t or we do things we know are wrong. We struggle to have faith in the midst of the difficulties. Then we come to the Lord’s Table and feel unworthy to receive the bread and the juice.

As we come to His table, Jesus treats us like He did those children on that long ago day. He gathers us into His arms. He stoops down to our level and embraces us. He blesses us. He values us. He loves us. With the children all gathered around Him, Jesus looked into the eyes of the disciples and told them that the kingdom of Heaven is made up of people just like these children. We do not enter the kingdom of Heaven based on pious behavior and knowledge. We must come as children.

We must come with nothing to offer except ourselves. We must come with open and trusting hearts. When we come to the kingdom of heaven it must be with the understanding that it is the grace of God that enables us to be there, not anything of our own.

When we grow up and become adults, we quickly forget what it means to be a child. We can get caught up in our own self importance. We have confidence in our own abilities. Jesus wants us to come to Him as children. The children didn’t come with great demands or seeking to prove Jesus to be wrong in anything. They didn’t come to impress Him with their knowledge or piety. They simply wanted to be in His presence, to be gathered in His arms and loved. They came ready to receive what only Jesus could give them.

I don’t know what kind of week you have had. Perhaps you have a week of spiritual victory and close communion with Jesus. Maybe you have had a week of struggle to trust God or a week where you have fallen down in your commitment to Him. Perhaps your face is dirty and your fingers are sticky. It doesn’t matter, Jesus invites us all to come and receive His embrace.

Let us come to Jesus today as children. As we prepare for communion this morning I want us to take a few moments and focus on Jesus and what it means to be loved by Him. Let us remember what He did for us in giving His body and His blood. Let us snuggle up to Him and tell Him how much we love Him. Let us rest in His arms and experience His love and blessing. If there are sins to confess or burdens that weigh us down, confess and give them to Jesus. He loves you and He welcomes you.

As we come to His Table today, let us come with the faith, trust, and obedience of a child, seeking the love and comfort of one who loves us the most and gave himself for us.